POPLEY, Norden and Buckskin have been classified as the most deprived areas of Basingstoke.

The three wards feature in a Government list of areas of multiple deprivation based on in-come, employment, health and disability, education skills and training, housing and geographical access to services.

Now Basingstoke council has set up a special panel to look into the causes and possible solutions for the social and economic deprivation in each of the wards.

It will carry out its inquiries with particular emphasis on the factors relating to children in low-earning households, unemployment and linking this to education issues.

The panel will be chaired by South Ham councillor Sean Keating, who told The Gazette: "We are considering why there should be areas of urban deprivation in Hampshire, one of the richest corners of England.

"The reality is there are significant pockets of deprivation in Basingstoke. We want to look at how and why this occurs. And we want to link our examination to education because that is one of the significant means by which people can drag themselves out of poverty into better jobs.

"We have a £100 million budget in Basingstoke. We want to ensure that we are spending the council's and the people's money to address social deprivations."

The new Government list features England's 8,414 wards with the most deprived at the top. Norden is ranked 2,317th, Popley is 2,484th and Buckskin is 2,874th.

However, a council spokesman said: "It is important to point out that of the 354 local authorities, Basingstoke is the 53rd least deprived authority in England. The borough has no wards ranked within the 25 percent most deprived in England - and has 16 wards ranked among the 25 percent least deprived."