BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / I have a question for those of you who live in England.

**Posted by kgreen20** May 10, 2019 8:28 pm

This question is for a fanfiction story I'm working on, and I can't seem to find the answer I need by Googling it. I'm assuming that like other cities and good-size towns, Chelmsford, Essex, has upper-class neighborhoods, middle-class neighborhoods, and lower-class neighborhoods. In Chelmsford, where are the lower-class neighborhoods located?

Last edited by kgreen20 (June 14, 2019 3:11 am)

**Posted by kgreen20** June 12, 2019 8:03 pm

Since nobody has responded, I take it that nobody knows the answer.

**Posted by besleybean** June 12, 2019 8:05 pm

I actually know somebody who went to Chelmsford Uni, so I could maybe aske them...mind you that was 35 years ago!
Oh and before any pedants respond, yes I know it's Essex uni, in Chelmsford!

Last edited by besleybean (June 12, 2019 8:06 pm)

**Posted by kgreen20** June 14, 2019 3:10 am

Thanks! If your friend can find out for me, I'd greatly appreciate it.

**Posted by besleybean** June 14, 2019 5:35 am

Just to warn you that last taime it took them ages to answer...don't think they check their email/facebook very often!

**Posted by kgreen20** June 14, 2019 10:30 pm

LOL! Thanks for the warning. =)

**Posted by besleybean** June 16, 2019 6:12 pm

My pal has replied!
colchester may well have changed since I was there, but heres how I remember it. There isnt really any large housing estates in the town. The only area really to avoid would be in and around the large Colchester barracks area just south of the town centre and the centre itself where the squaddies and the students often used to get into some heavy stuff at times! Much of the nicer area in the town is out to the west side around Lexden, but most of the richer residents tend to live just outside the town which is surrounded by lots of quaint picturesque villages sich as Dedham , Neyland and Coggeshall. also some of the less attractive local areas are places like clacton and jaywick a few miles away on the coast which are like Blackpool in November! Hope this helps a bit and, like I say, it carries the caveat that things may have changed!

Last edited by besleybean (June 16, 2019 6:12 pm)

**Posted by kgreen20** June 22, 2019 2:18 am

OK, tell your friend thanks for the info!

However, one thing puzzles me. I was asking about Chelmsford, in Essex, and your friend was talking about a place called Colchester. Is that a location somewhere within Chelmsford, or another town altogether?

Last edited by kgreen20 (June 22, 2019 2:20 am)

**Posted by besleybean** June 22, 2019 5:54 am

For flip sake...dementia sets in,no I am in completely the wrong place.
Thought did occur, a few with similar names...though not the same thing at all.

**Posted by Liberty** June 22, 2019 6:57 am

I don't know Chelmsford at all. I have been in that part of the world and may well have visited, but if I have, I've forgotten it! If none of us have insider knowledge, this might be a fun place to start with your research. http://dclgapps.communities.gov.uk/imd/idmap.html It's an interactive of map showing deprivation indices (you can look at multiple indicators, or pick out individual ones such as crime or employment). You can search for Chelmsford and have a look at the areas which are lower on the scale. Chelmsford itself is quite high up (i.e. in the 30% least deprived areas). It might give you a starting point!

Another possibility is school performance. The schools in the more deprived areas are likely to do less well, although obviously this is not a given, but it might give a bit of a clue. You could also look at house prices. And have a bit of a wander on google maps. Good luck!

**Posted by kgreen20** June 22, 2019 10:29 pm

Thank you! I've just bookmarked it for future reference. Maybe it'll tell me what I'm seeking to know. (Hopefully!) [crosses fingers]

Last edited by kgreen20 (June 22, 2019 10:29 pm)

**Posted by Liberty** June 23, 2019 7:35 am

You're welcome! I had a quick look at the deprivation map and the area of Melbourne seemed worse off, so I had a quick google and found a couple of articles which imply it has a bad reputation:
https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/chelmsford-residents-live-gritty-melbourne-2725997
https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/i-am-telling-you-bad-2063668

**Posted by kgreen20** June 27, 2019 1:39 am

Liberty wrote:
I don't know Chelmsford at all. I have been in that part of the world and may well have visited, but if I have, I've forgotten it! If none of us have insider knowledge, this might be a fun place to start with your research. http://dclgapps.communities.gov.uk/imd/idmap.html It's an interactive of map showing deprivation indices (you can look at multiple indicators, or pick out individual ones such as crime or employment). You can search for Chelmsford and have a look at the areas which are lower on the scale. Chelmsford itself is quite high up (i.e. in the 30% least deprived areas). It might give you a starting point!

Another possibility is school performance. The schools in the more deprived areas are likely to do less well, although obviously this is not a given, but it might give a bit of a clue. You could also look at house prices. And have a bit of a wander on google maps. Good luck!

Cheaper house prices in the more economically deprived areas, right?

**Posted by Liberty** June 27, 2019 4:45 pm

Yes! You could have a look at where semis tend to be the cheapest, for instance, on somewhere like www.rightmove.co.uk. I know that in my town it does highlight the more deprived postcode areas - although not the most deprived as they tend to be mainly council housing.

**Posted by kgreen20** July 7, 2019 2:01 am

I see. Like this one? https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E307&maxPrice=50000&minPrice=50000&sortType=1&propertyTypes=&includeSSTC=false&mustHave=&dontShow=&furnishTypes=&keywords=

Is council housing in the UK like public housing in the US?

Last edited by kgreen20 (July 7, 2019 2:06 am)

**Posted by Liberty** July 7, 2019 2:58 am

Yes, I think so. Houses that are owned by the local authority and rented out, usually at a slightly lower than market rate. There are also houses owned by housing associations which are similar. In the 80s, the government brought out a scheme to encourage the tenants to buy the properties they were renting at a reduced price. So now some council estates have private housing for rent or sale, and as a rule, in my area at least, these properties tend to be a bit cheaper than similar sized properties which were never council owned. (It's not always the case - there are some in London which are worth a fortune!).