A £32 million fund to tackle hardship in Birmingham has been criticised for failing to help some of the most deprived areas.

Prosperous wards in Sutton Coldfield, Edgbaston and Hall Green will receive the same amount of funding as the worse off areas of the city such as Ladywood and Erdington.

The £100,000 community chests, part of the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, are designed to help improve social housing, unemployment, health and crime in 39 of the 40 wards in the city.

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The remaining ward, Four Oaks, will receive the same amount of cash from the council's own budget.

But Labour leader Sir Albert Bore said allocating the same money to wards in Sutton Coldfield as to his more deprived ward of Ladywood was unfair.

He said: "Many of the targets are delivered in many of the districts, in particular Sutton Coldfield where there is a housing issue but only on one particular estate. But the Community Chest is actually going to three of the four wards in Sutton.

"This report says that the NRF money has to be used to meet floor targets. The money should not be used where floor targets are

being met. I think this is robbing the poor to pay the rich, taking money away from areas which have great disadvantages and putting money into areas that do not have the same disadvantage."

Coun Alan Rudge (Con Sutton Vesey) said all communities had concerns.

He added: "There are pockets of hardship in all parts of the city, there are not as many in some areas but to individuals concerned they are just as grave and crucial."

Deputy council leader Paul Tilsley ( Lib Dem Sheldon) said: "I would have thought that given within the Ladywood district there is nearly £3 million being distributed through NRF that Sir Albert could have been a bit more sympathetic to other parts of the city who want to enrich their areas."