As the cost of living soars and inflation continues to spiral, a charity has warned that three northern towns have been hit harder than most.
Research by the Centre for Cities says that Burnley, Blackpool and Blackburn are three of the worst affected towns in England – and all are within the same Lancashire corridor.
Local people claim that this part of the country has been “forgotten”, with government promises of “levelling up” failing to deliver.
The Independent spoke to businesses, residents and local politicians as they shared the struggles they face.
“It’s not something I wanted to do,” cake shop owner Hannah Greenwood says. “I never wanted to be unaffordable. But I have to match my cost.”
The 27-year-old put off raising prices as long as she could, even as the cost of ingredients soared, and she denied herself a paycheck for months.
Eventually, something had to give. Her cheapest bespoke cake used to be £40 – now it’s £70.
“We are trying to push through it, but I can’t really see a light at the end of the tunnel.”
The business owner, like others across the country, has been hit by the rocketing cost of living. Inflation is once again at its highest rate in four decades in England, hitting 11.1 per cent last month.
But the situation varies across the country, according to the Centre for Cities, with Burnley, Blackburn and Blackpool some of the hardest hit towns.
The think tank tracks inflation for every large town and city in the UK, estimated using data on spending patterns and wages.
Burnley had the highest inflation rate of anywhere in the country at 13 per cent, according to its latest assessment for October.
Located just 40 miles away, Blackpool had the second-highest figure of 12.6 per cent – joint with Glasgow. And then Blackburn, nestled in between the two, came joint fourth at 12.4 per cent along with Dundee, trailing behind Bradford by 0.1 percentage points.
The three Lancashire towns have consistently been at the top end of inflation throughout the year, according to the Centre for Cities analysis. In summer, Burnley was still experiencing the worst inflation of all, followed by its two neighbours.
In a report from the summer, the Centre for Cities looked at why northern towns were being worst-hit by inflation.
Afrasiab Anwar is the leader of Burnley Council
Two explanations were leaky housing stock and reliance on car travel, leaving residents vulnerable to soaring energy and fuel prices.
Afrasiab Anwar from Burnley Council tells The Independent his town fits this criteria. Houses are “poorly insulated” and residents rely on cars because public transport is lacking, he says. As a result, locals are feeling the strain of rocketing costs in these areas.
“Have we had the investment that we need in that?” the Labour council leader asked. “No, we haven’t. We’ve had cut after cut, and funding taken away.”
Another explanation was deprivation levels. Poorer households tend to spend a greater share of their income on essentials such as energy and food where prices are soaring, meaning they will see a larger proportional increase in outgoing costs than better-off families.
Burnley has been named as one of the most deprived areas in England
Burnley resident Linda Marshall says her family in Burnley are ‘ready to batten down the hatches’
