Why Stepclever?

Stepclever will receive £30 million over an initial 3-year period from April 2007.

Focusing on the six wards straddling the North Liverpool – South Sefton border, this area presents the greatest economic regeneration challenge in the UK – one of its Super Output Areas has the worst level of deprivation in the country. The area is lagging seriously behind the recent resurgence of the Liverpool City Region economy and there is a real danger that continuing economic and social problems in these neighbourhoods will threaten growth across the sub-region.

These wards are among the 1% most deprived in the country and form the core area on which our plans focus.

Business density is only 75% of Liverpool’s, 69% of Sefton’s and less than half of the UK’s;
Business start-up rates are less than three quarters of Liverpool’s rate and only half that for the UK;
Self-employment rates lag behind those for Liverpool – UK figures are nearly twice as high. Rates for women are extremely low (1% compared with around 2.4% nationally);
Between 1999 to 2005, the number of businesses declined in contrast to the Liverpool/Sefton average. Conversely, in and around the area, there are major growth engines such as the re-invigorated City Centre, Capital of Culture 08, the fast-growing Port of Liverpool and Newheartlands, the large cross-boundary programme for renewal of the local housing market. These signal growth potential in the culture, maritime and construction sectors. There are also good road, rail and air connections and the area is part of a larger, growing, sub-region.