THE borough council report on regenerating Ellesmere Port highlights the following problems, observations by ward councillors, and suggested ways to improve the areas:

* Stanlow & Wolverham has the highest level of council houses, although it has seen a lot of private and housing association properties built lately. It has the highest number of people with no qualifications, while lone parents comprise more than 10% of households.

It also has one of the worst crime rates, and the highest level of joblessness due to permanent sickness or disability.

Old people feel vulnerable in their own homes, there is 'no recognisable community spirit'.

Leisure facilities are expensive, while Stanney Community Centre is underused and the access routes don't feel safe.

Suggested areas for improvement include introducing community wardens and stricter tenancy laws.

* Westminster suffers a lot from youth disturbance. Despite having community facilities, many don't use them and prefer to hang around on the streets instead. The problems are intensified on the Rother Drive estate.

Councillors also highlighted industrial pollution, a lack of any secondary school provision, poor street lighting, concentrated areas of social housing with high rates of benefit dependency.

Solutions include more youth work, improved estate management in Rother Drive, better promotion of community facilities to get youths off the streets, and getting people into work.

* Grange is considered to 'lack identity, community structures and facilities'.

It has the highest level of single parents in the borough and 12% of homes have dependant children and no adult in employment.

The report says: 'Combined with low educational achievements and low car ownership, these factors suggest that a significant proportion of the population is living on or around the poverty line.'

* Central has a high number of 20 to 24-year-olds. Lone parents make up 10% of the population, and it is in the worst 6% areas in the country terms of national and child poverty.

Councillors report problems including rough sleeping, drug and alcohol abuse, and high levels of crime and disturbance. There is also a lack of safe play area and a high incidence of youth nuisance.

* Rivacre has 'some relatively prosperous areas, masking the extent of disadvantage within certain parts of the ward'. It is in the worst national 10% for child poverty and low income households, and contains a very high number of council homes.

Councillors say portions of the community are not engaged in society, and there is a lack of community structures, facilities, and role models for residents.

They want to be given small budgets for local improvements, and say the area needs youth shelters and maybe a cafe to meet in, and improvements to the Little Sutton shops.

* Pooltown has mixed housing, some prosperous and others 'intensely deprived'.

Councillors report a lack of community facilities, dissatisfaction with the environment and poor public transport links to the town centre.

They want to see better buses, an investment in youth projects and support, and regeneration projects.

* Neston has the highest proportion of over-65s in the borough, but there is a lack of services and difficulty in accessing them. Councillors say this has a limiting factor on the growth of the community. There are also quality-of-life problems on the Liverpool Road and Raby Park Road estates, lack of youth facilities, poor access to further education, underused parks and open spaces.

Generally, councillors want West Cheshire College to plug any gaps in education provision, and further want environmental improvements, regular upkeep of local parks, a survey of the needs of youngsters, to identify the owners of run-down properties, and get better transport and tenant involvement.

* Rossmore was called 'Tin Town' for the appearance of its properties, which have a high concentration of elderly and disabled people.

While unemployment is below the borough average, the numbers not working due to disability or ill-health are disproportionately high.

Councillors report a lack of facilities for young people, a perceived fear of crime.

They suggest a mobile police station, drop-in centre for youngsters and provision for seven to 13-year-olds.