One in every 52 children in Blackpool is in care compared with one in 140 across England, according to new analysis which researchers said exposes “deeply rooted social inequalities” in a north-south divide.

The north of England accounts for just over a quarter (28%) of the child population, but more than a third (36%) of the children in care, the analysis for the Child of the North All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) said.

The report’s lead author, Dr Davara Bennett, based at the University of Liverpool, said the findings show “the damage caused by cuts to prevention and failure to address the very real problem of child poverty in the North”.

The authors said that in Blackpool, in the North West, one in every 52 children is in care and in Hartlepool, in the North East, the figure is one in 63.

This compared with one in every 278 for Hertfordshire in the east of England and one in every 256 for Buckinghamshire in the South East of the country, they said.

The higher rates of children entering care are estimated to have cost the North at least £25 billion more in the past four years, the report said.

The report was researched and funded by Health Equity North – an organisation which said it is focused on finding solutions to public health problems and health inequalities across the north of England, and used existing data including official statistics and academic studies.

The analysis suggested a rise in child poverty between 2015 and 2020 “led to over 10,000 additional children entering care in England” and that the “north-south divide in overall care rates is partly explained by widening inequalities in children entering care since 2010”.

A rise in the number of children’s homes between 2020 and 2023 “disproportionately affected” the north of England, according to the report, with some 1,176 children’s homes located there, and just 1,704 in the rest of the country.

It said the North West alone accounts for more than a quarter of children’s homes and close to a quarter of children’s home places.

This greater provision in the North “comes at an economic cost”, the researchers said, adding that children living in care homes generally need high levels of support from health, welfare, education, justice, and children’s services.

The report stated: “Decades of under-investment in the North have hollowed out preventative services, increased rates of children in care and undermined foster care provision, leaving local authorities at the mercy of the private residential care providers.”

It also said the location of children’s homes “compounds challenges in accessing quality education for children in care” with homes often built where housing costs are low, and “a correlation between property prices and school quality”.

The report added: “This means children in care are more likely to live in economically deprived areas and attend lower quality schools.”

The report said lifetime social costs per child in care are £1.2 million, which is said to be around double that of a child who needs a social worker but does not enter a care placement.

The researchers said given this cost, if the north of England had experienced the same rates of children entering care as the South between 2019 and 2023, “it would have saved at least £25 billion”.

Dr Bennett said: “Our report has exposed the deeply rooted social inequalities reflected in, and exacerbated by, the child welfare system.

“These need to be tackled head-on by policymakers. Local authorities are trapped in a cycle of ever-greater spend on children in care, at the expense of investment in effective support for families in need.

“The evidence shows the damage caused by cuts to prevention and failure to address the very real problem of child poverty in the North.”

In light of the analysis, APPG members and the report authors have made a number of recommendations including policies to reduce child poverty such as scrapping the two-child limit and benefit cap, as well as more investment in prevention strategies such as targeting additional investment in the North.

The report also called for more support for older children and those leaving care as well as for more research to be done monitoring health, housing, education, and employment outcomes of children in care.

A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: “Every child deserves to live in a safe and stable home and we are committed to helping children and families overcome multiple and complex needs at an early stage, so they can stay together and thrive.

“Early intervention is at the core of our ambitious children’s social care reforms – including a £45 million investment in pilot areas across the UK to help us shape a future system where we provide families with the right support at the right time, delivered by the right people.

“For those leaving care, we are investing £250 million over three years to help them succeed – providing housing, access to education, employment and training.”

Blackpool Council has voted unanimously in favour of moving ahead with a devolution deal for Lancashire which would transfer more powers from central government to the county.

Both sides of the chamber - Labour and Conservative - voted in favour of the proposal to create the Lancashire Combined County Authority covering the areas of Blackpool Council, Lancashire County Council Blackburn with Darwen Council.

At a special meeting of the full council to consider the move, Conservative group leader Coun Paul Galley warned it was important to ensure the deal worked positively for Blackpool.

But he added devolution could help drive forward plans which had a wider geographical impact such as priorities for transport links and climate change.

He said: "Over the next 12 months it is beholden on members on both sides of the chamber to work out exactly what we want from devolution. For example, if we get it right, there is the opportunity with transport to finally answer the question of what do we do with the Blackpool South line.

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"Do we use it as a dual tram and train line with two separate services with a loop giving us the best of all worlds and helping to regenerate the south of the town. It is the same with climate change. We have a strategy in place but how do we redefine it to include areas that allow us to do more with other people in other places."

Earlier council leader Coun Lynn Williams had told the meeting the results of a consultation exercise had been "largely positive and demonstrate broad support for devolution."

She added: "There are therefore positive grounds for taking forward the proposal document and making a formal submission to government."

Lancashire signed a level two deal with government in November with shared priorities including better transport, training and skills opportunities, and housing. The agreement is due to go back to government with some minor tweaks reflecting the consultation and could be in place by the autumn.

All 15 existing councils in Lancashire - including Blackpool unitary authority and Fylde and Wyre district councils - will remain in place and continue to operate as they do now.

A Lancashire seaside town has been named the most relaxing when it comes to having a staycation getaway.

A new study by wellness experts UK Saunas analysed the number of hotels and spas in seaside towns and villages, as well as their population.

It also ranked locations using categories from the UK Health Index related to peacefulness and relaxation, including categories like access to green spaces, crime rate and mental health rate.

Blackpool came out on top in the list of the UK’s top 10 most peaceful seaside towns and villages.

UK’s top 10 most peaceful seaside towns and villages

Here are the UK's top 10 most peaceful seaside towns and villages, according to the study by UK Saunas.

1 - Blackpool 2 - Bournemouth 3 - Scarborough 4 - Newquay 5 - Weymouth 6 - Falmouth, Cornwall 7 - Weston-super-Mare 8 - Brighton 9 - Llandudno 10 - Bridlington

A wellness expert from UK Saunas has explained the mental health benefits of taking a seaside visit: “Mental health has become a vital issue for the public following years of pandemic-induced stress and now the cost of living crisis. 45.8 million adults in the UK experience anxiety and depression on any given week, but holiday goers have reported a decrease in cortisol, the stress hormone, after a trip abroad from their day-to-day lives.

“With 56% of UK adults feeling deprived of a holiday due to the cost of living, a trip to the seaside is an affordable opportunity for much-needed rest and relaxation, with a staycation costing an average of £142.73 per night.

“Studies have shown that because holidays give you an opportunity to take a break from aspects of home and work life that can be sources of anxiety, you can drastically reduce your stress levels.

“By separating yourself from situations that cause significant stress, you can instead focus on wellness and enjoying life. The benefits of this are majorly important. Increased wellness can improve your mental health as well as fertility, and reduce weight gain and heart attack risks.”

To come up with the list, UK Saunas collected the names and population of all seaside towns and villages in the UK and utilised the government’s UK Health Index to find the score of each town and village in relation to peace and relaxation including access to green spaces, crime rate, mental health rate, physiological risk factors and access to services.

They also used Tripadvisor and Google Reviews to find the number of hotels and spas in each of the towns.

A council has rejected the latest devolution deal for Lancashire which was agreed in November.

Hyndburn Council deputy leader Steven Smithson had urged the authority's full meeting to back the scheme.

However, councillors voted by 17 to 11 with two abstentions to reject the "Level Two" deal struck by the area's three top-tier local authorities.

The vote in Accrington Town Hall was part of a consultation process that runs until 26 January.

In November, Lancashire County Council, Blackpool Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council agreed a deal which, if ratified, would see Lancashire handed new powers with the creation of a new combined authority

The powers would include the opportunity to improve public transport, boost economic prosperity, employment and skills.

The deal does not include creating a directly-elected mayor for the county as in neighbouring Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

If approved, the Lancashire Combined County Authority would receive more than £20m in extra government cash and would start work by 2025.

Councillor Munsif Dad, leader of Hyndburn Council's opposition Labour group, said although the deal was a step forward it was an "opportunity missed" which would create an "even bigger gap in service provision, economic opportunities and democratic accountability with neighbouring authorities".

He added: "The £20m capital investment is derisory and is primarily aimed at a Lancashire County Council asset at Samlesbury, Blackburn Town Centre and the Blackpool Economic Zones.

"There is no money for Hyndburn or its residents and it does not touch most of Lancashire.

"The agreement was carried out behind closed doors and rushed through for political reasons.

"Only a directly-elected mayor would have provided true accountability and a balanced decision making process."

Mr Smithson's report to the meeting said: "Securing a devolution deal has been a long-standing ambition for leaders across Lancashire to address years of historically low investment in the area whilst providing a platform for accelerated growth."

The council's acting leader Peter Britcliffe said after the meeting: "We are where we are Hyndburn Council is now opposed to the devolution deal.

"But this exposed divisions in Labour as Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool - where the party is in control - and Labour county councillors support it."