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Dorset (Local Profiles 2012)

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Key Facts

> Life expectancy in Dorset for both men (80.3 years) and women (82.8 years) was higher than the England average.

> The rate of teenage conception in Dorset (28.1 per 1,000 women aged 15-17) was lower than the rates for the South West (34.5 per 1,000) and England (40.2 per 1,000).

> The crime rate in Dorset (25.1 per 1,000 population) was lower than the rate for the South West (33.8 per 1,000) and England and Wales (41.3 per 1,000).

> Median gross annual pay in Dorset was £24,927 (South West £24,922, England £26,165)

> The latest unemployment rate for Dorset is 4.0% (South West 6.0%, England 7.6%)
59.2% of Dorset pupils achieved 5+ GCSEs grades A*-C or equivalent, including Maths and English (South West 57.5%, England 58.3%).

> Dorset lowest quartile affordability ratio (house price to earnings ratio: a higher ratio means less affordable housing) was 10.3 (South West 8.2, England 6.7).

> There were 351 road casualties per 100,000 population in Dorset (South West 310, England 355).

Demographics

Population by Local Authority
  • Dorset contains 7.7% of the population of the South West. Dorset has the sixth lowest population density for all county and unitary authorities in the South West.
  • Population densities vary widely across districts, as shown in the table below.

  Pop. 1000s Area  Persons per sq km
Sq Km
Dorset 404.8 2542 159
Christchurch 47.3 50 946
East Dorset 87.8 354 248
North Dorset 64.2 609 105
Purbeck 45.2 404 112
West Dorset 96.7 1081 89
Weymouth and Portland 63.5 42 1512
Dorset LEP 715 2,653 270
South West 5,273.70 23,837 221
England 52,234.00 130,281 401

ONS Mid Year Estimates 2010 / ONS Census 2001 Urban Area data

Population Change Since the 2001 Census
  • Since the 2001 census, Dorset’s population has increased by 3.5%, a smaller percentage than both the South West (7.0%) and England (6.3%). This was the equal 4th smallest percentage rise in population for any county or unitary authority in the South West.
  • Population changes over the same period ranged from -0.2% in Weymouth and Portland to 5.4% in Christchurch.

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Dorset Local Profile Percentage Population Changes since 2001 Census
Dorset Local Profile Percentage Population Changes since 2001 Census
Census 2001 and ONS Mid Year Estimate 2010

Population by Age
  • Dorset has the highest percentage of older people among the 16 South West county and unitary authorities and the 2nd lowest percentage of working age people.
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Dorset Local Profle Population Percentage by Age
Dorset Local Profle Population Percentage by Age
ONS Mid Year Estimates 2010. Dorset LEP (Local Economic Partnership) includes Bournemouth and Poole UAs

Ethnicity
  • Less than 1.5% of Dorset’s population came from ethnic minorities in 2001 (South West, 2.3%, Eng 9.1%)

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Dorset Local Profile Non White Ethnicity
Dorset Local Profile Non White Ethnicity

Local Authority

Political Representation
  • Dorset County has 5 MPs, 4 Conservative (North Dorset, South Dorset, West Dorset and Christchurch constituencies) and one Liberal Democrat (Mid & North Dorset).
  • The Conservatives currently have a majority of seats on Dorset County Council.

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Dorset Local Profile Councillors by Party
Dorset Local Profile Councillors by Party
Council Tax 2010/11
  • Across Dorset, the average council tax per dwelling is ranged from £1,280 in Weymouth and Portland to £1,665 in East Dorset (South West £1,272, England £1,196). East Dorset, Purbeck and North Dorset had the top three Band D rate of all district and unitary authorities in the South West.
  • Average Band D council tax ranged from £1,584 in Christchurch to £1678 in Weymouth and Portland (South West £1,500, England £1,439). Weymouth and Portland, East Dorset, Purbeck, West Dorset and North Dorset had the top five Band D rate of all district and unitary authorities in the South West.
  • Due to the Government freeze on Council Tax these figures are almost identical to those for 2010/11.

CLG Local Government Finance Council Taxes 2011/12

Earnings and Economy

Gross Annual Pay
  • Median gross full-time annual pay for Dorset residents is £24,927, an increase of 6.6% on 2010. This is about the same as the median for the South West (£24,922) but below England (£26,615).
  • The equivalent pay figure for those working in Dorset is £23,160, illustrating a slight tendency for residents to commute to other areas for higher paid work.
  • Median gross full-time annual pay for Dorset resident men is 32% higher than women. In the South West men’s pay is 29% higher and in England 25% higher.
  • At district level, median earnings range from £23,141 in Weymouth and Portland to £28,171 in Christchurch.

ONS Annual Survey of Hours & Earnings (ASHE) 2011

Local Enterprise Zones (LEPs)
  • Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are locally-owned partnerships between local authorities and businesses and play a central role in determining local economic priorities and undertaking activities to drive economic growth and the creation of local jobs.
  • Dorset County is in a LEP with Bournemouth and Poole Unitary Authorities. The table below summaries some key facts across local authorities within this LEP:

  Median Pay Enterprise 3-year Survival Rate (from 2007) School Qualifications* Median House Price Affordability** Crime Rate (per 1,000 pop)
Dorset  £24,927 67.60% 59.20% £222,000 10.3 25.1
Bournemouth  £24,731 63.30% 56.50% £189,475 8.6 60.5
Poole  £26,368 67.10% 55.70% £201,000 9.6 37.3
South West £24,922 65.90% 57.50% £181,500 8.2 33.8
England  £26,615 62.90% 58.30% £175,000 6.7 41.3

* % scoring 5+ GCSEs at grade A*-C, including Maths and English
** ratio of lowest quartile earnings to lowest quartile house prices

Productivity (GVA)
  • For 2009, Dorset’s Gross Value Added (GVA) per head was £15,252. The value for the South West was £18,184 and England £20,498).
  • Between 2008 and 2009 there was a decrease in Dorset’s GVA per head, of -2.0% (South West -2.3%, England -2.2%).
  • Over the last 10 years Dorset’s GVA per head has increased by 44.8% (South West 43.2%, England 44.3%).

ONS GVA per Head, Dec 2011

Enterprise Survival Rate
  • At the end of 2010 there were 30,120 VAT/PAYE registered businesses in the Dorset LEP area, of which 17,780 were in Dorset.
  • During 2010, there was a decrease in the number of VAT registered businesses in Dorset, of -1.8% (South West -0.2%, England -1.9%).
  • The 3-year survival rate of enterprises that started in 2007 in Dorset is 67.6% (South West: 65.9%, England: 62.9%). This rate has decreased from 70.1% in 2006 but is still the second highest of any county or unitary authority in the South West.
  • Dorset had 1,400 new businesses in 2010, a fall of -8.2% from 2009 (South West -0.6%, England  0.7%).

ONS Business Demography 2010
Data Limitations: Business Demography statistics exclude Agriculture

Employment

Unemployment and Claimant Rate
  • The latest working age employment rate in Dorset above the rate for England but below that for the South West.

% of working age population Jan 09 – Dec 09 Jan 10 – Dec 10 % point change
 Dorset  71.9 73 1.1
 South West 74.2 73.6 -0.6
 England  70.9 70.4 -0.5
  • The latest unemployment rate for Dorset is 4.0% of the economically active 16+ population (South West 6.0%, England: 7.6%).
  • Dorset’s claimant count (graph below) rate is slightly higher than a year ago, but is still below the rates for either the South West or England.

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Dorset Local Profile Total Claimants as Percentage of Working Age Population
Dorset Local Profile Total Claimants as Percentage of Working Age Population
Employment & unemployment: Annual Population Survey Jan – Dec 09
ONS Claimant Count, Dec 2011

Employment by Sector
  • The largest sector in Dorset is in public administration, defence, education and health (32.8%) followed by manufacturing and wholesale and retail (26.7%).

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Dorset Local Profile Employment by Sector (% of total)
Dorset Local Profile Employment by Sector (% of total)
Business Register and Employment Survey 2010 (available via NOMIS)

Education and Skills

School Qualifications
  • Results for 2010/11 show 59.2% of pupils in the Dorset Local Education Authority (LEA) achieved 5+ GCSEs or equivalent at Grade A*-C including English & Maths by the end of Key Stage 4. This was higher than the rate for the South West (57.5%) and England (58.3%).
  • Dorset LEA’s latest Key Stage 2 pass rates for English are above the England average, but those for maths are slightly lower than the South West or England averages.

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Dorset Local Profile School Qualifications
Dorset Local Profile School Qualifications
DfE GCSE & KS2 2010/11 (prov)
NB: provisional figures are based on data provided by Awarding Bodies, subject to checking by schools, and so should be treated with caution. Figures may be different in future revised releases

School Absenteeism
  • The percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absence by pupils in Dorset primary schools is lower than the average for the South West and England in all districts apart from Weymouth and Portland, which is slightly higher than the South West average.
  • The rate in secondary schools varied from 0.61% in East Dorset to 1.37% in Christchurch.

% half days missed, Maintained Maintained
unauthorised absence primary schools secondary schools
Christchurch 0.38 1.37
East Dorset 0.27 0.61
North Dorset 0.42 1.21
Purbeck 0.27 0.56
West Dorset 0.43 0.87
Weymouth and Portland 0.51 1.15
South West 0.49 1.1
England 0.67 1.38

DfE Pupil Absence in Schools in England 2009/10

Workforce Qualifications
  • 7.2% of Dorset’s workforce hold no qualifications, lower than both the South West (11.1%) and England (8.4%).
  • 31.8% of Dorset’s workforce are qualified to NVQ4 or above (South West 31.5%, England 31.1%).

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Dorset Local Profile Highest Qualifications
Dorset Local Profile Highest Qualifications
ONS Annual Population Survey year ending Dec 2010

Health, Crime and Deprivation

Health

Life Expectancy
  • Male life expectancy in Dorset is 80.3 years (South West: 79.2, England: 78.3). This ranged from 78.3 in Weymouth and Portland to 81.4 in East Dorset.
  • Female life expectancy is 82.8 years (South West: 83.3, England: 82.3). This ranged from 82.1 in Weymouth and Portland to 85.4 in East Dorset.
  • Dorset had the 3rd (for men) and 1st (for women) longest life expectancies out of 34 county level authorities in England.

ONS Life Expectancy at Birth 3-year rolling average 2007-09

Infant Mortality
  • Dorset has an infant mortality rate which is lower than the rate for both the South West and England.
  • In recent years the trend has been for a fall in the rate of infant mortality in Dorset, despite a small rise in the last reporting period. The South West and England rates have also consistently fallen over recent years.

Mortality all causes – Infants < 1 year
Deaths/1000 live births 2004-06 2005-07 2006-08 2007-09
Dorset 4.4 4.5 3.9 4.1
South West 4.4 4.2 4.1 4
England 5 4.9 4.8 4.7

National Centre for Health Outcomes Development 3-yr rolling average 2007-09. * excluding the Isles of Scilly.

Teenage Conceptions
  • Dorset’s teenage conception rate is lower than the rate for both the South West and England, and is the 2nd lowest for any county or unitary in the South West.
  • The rate has increased slightly since 2004-06, as has the rate in the South West, although the England rate has declined steadily since 2001-03.
  • At the district level, there is a wide variety of teenage pregnancy rates, from 19.0 in East Dorset to 50.7 in Weymouth and Portland.

Conception rates per 1000 women aged 15-17
3-year rolling averages 2001-03 2004-06 2007-09
Dorset 28 27.7 28.1
South West 35.5 34.3 34.5
England  42.4 41.1 40.2

ONS 3-year rolling average 2007-09

NHS Trust A&E Waiting Times
  • In Dorset the percentage of patients spending less than 4 hours in A&E (all types) are: Royal Bournemouth & Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: 99.37%; and Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: 97.80%. (England average: 98.42%).

DH Hospital Activity Statistics 2010/11 April to Jun  (Q1)

NHS Trust Performance Indicators
  • The Care Quality Commission’s new Annual Health Check gives all NHS organisations a two-part annual performance rating.

Healthcare organisation Overall quality of services* Financial Managem’t score*
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Good Good
Royal Bournemouth & Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Excellent Excellent
Dorset Healthcare NHS Trust (Mental Health) Excellent Excellent
Dorset PCT Good Good
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust Good Good

  *excellent, good, fair, or weak

  • Of the 12 Ambulance Services in England in 2010/11, South Western had the 3rd highest 8 minute response rate and the 6th lowest 19 minute response rate. Both rates have improved from the previous year.

Ambulance response South Western England target
time target – Category A
Arrive within 8 minutes 76.90% >75%
Arrive within 19 minutes 96.10% >95%

Care Quality Commission Annual Health Check 2008/09 / DH Ambulance Services, England 2010-11

Crime

  • In 2010/11, Dorset had the 3rd lowest rate of overall crime for any county or unitary authority in the South West (25.1 offences per 1,000 population: South West average was 33.8: England and Wales 41.3), including the Isles of Scilly.
  • The overall rate fell from 27.6 per 1,000 population in 2009/10. Rates for Violence against the person and sexual offences fell in the same period, while robbery and burglary both increased.
  • Within Dorset districts the biggest drop in overall crime from 2009/10 was in West Dorset (-15.2%) while the smallest was in Weymouth and Portland (-3%).
  • In 2010/11, Dorset ranked 11th out of all 38 English police force areas for local people having confidence in police and local councils dealing with issues (54.3% strongly agree/tend to agree: England and Wales average was 52.7%).

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Dorset Local Profile Offences per 1000 population
Dorset Local Profile Offences per 1000 population
* Burglary: Offences per 1,000 households

# Aggregates theft of a vehicle and theft from a vehicle

Home Office Crime in England & Wales 20010/11/British Crime Survey 2010/11

Indices of Multiple Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 2010
  • In Dorset, 13 (5%) out of 247 Lower Super Output Areas (SOAs) are within the most deprived 20% in England. 10 of these were in Weymouth and Portland Borough, two in West Dorset and one in Christchurch.
  • Four LSOAs are within the most deprived 10% in England, all in Weymouth and Portland (two in Melcombe Regis ward, one each in Underhill and Littlemoor wards). 

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Dorset Local Profile IMD
Dorset Local Profile IMD
SWO IMD 2010 Profiles

Housing

House Prices
  • In the first quarter (Q1) of 2011 Dorset had a median house price of £222,000, the 2nd highest among South West counties and unitary authorities, excluding the Isles of Scilly. This was 22% higher than the South West median (£181,500) and 27% higher than the England Median house price (£175,000).
  • The latest median house price in Dorset ranged from £179,500 in Weymouth & Portland to £250,000 in East Dorset, the highest for a district or unitary authority in the South West. 
  • Dorset’s median is over 3% lower than both the previous quarter and Q1 of 2010.

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Dorset Local Profile House Prices
Dorset Local Profile House Prices
House Prices: DCLG Table 582

Affordability
  • Affordability ratios are calculated as house price divided by annual workplace-based earnings.
  • Using median house prices and earnings (2010 data) gives Dorset a median affordability ratio of 10.4 (SW: 7.9, England: 7.0), the highest in the SW for a county or unitary authority.
  • The lower quartile (LQ) ratio based on lower quartile house prices and earnings better reflects the first time buyers’ market. The LQ ratio in Dorset is 10.3 (South West 8.2, England 6.7).
  • Dorset has the highest LQ ratio of any county or unitary in the region.  East Dorset (11.8) has the highest LQ ratio among South West districts.

DCLG Tables 576 and 577

Homelessness and Temporary Accommodation
  • In the financial year of 2010/11, Dorset accepted 143 households (0.8 per 1,000) as being homeless and in priority need (South West 1.5, England 2.0). Dorset had 115 households in temporary accommodation, 16 of which were in bed and breakfast accommodation.
  • Among Dorset Districts, the rates of accepted homelessness ranged from 0.3 per 1,000 households in East Dorset to 1.5 in North Dorset.
  • In the same year in Dorset there were a total of 1,554 households where positive action was successful in preventing or relieving homelessness (8.8 per 1,000 households, South West 7.2, England 8.7).

DCLG Tables 784 and 792. For more information on homelessness prevention and relief data see:  http://bit.ly/pRGark

Planning and Land Use

Planning Decisions
  • In the year ending March 2011, the district planning authorities within Dorset made decisions on 4,481 planning applications, 83 of which were for major developments (These figures exclude North Dorset, for which data was not available).
  • Time taken to decide applications by different development type are shown in the table below.

Speed of decision by development type
  % major within 13 weeks % minor within 8 weeks % other within 8 weeks
Christchurch 89 80 89
East Dorset 73 78 90
North Dorset - - -
Purbeck 78 82 91
West Dorset 56 72 88
Weymouth & Portland 89 68 77
South West 64 72 84
England 66 75 86
CLG Statistics of Planning Applications Q1 to year ending Mar 11

Land Use
  •  In 2007-10, the percentage of new dwellings built on previously developed land in the area ranged from 44% in West Dorset to 95% in Christchurch (South West 66%, England 77%).
  • The percentage of new dwellings built on previously developed land increased (from 2003-06) in Christchurch, East Dorset and North Dorset but decreased in Purbeck, West Dorset and Weymouth and Portland.
  • In 2007-10, the density of new dwellings built per hectare ranged from 23 in East Dorset to 54 in Weymouth and Portland (South West 38, England 43).
  • Only Purbeck and West Dorset have a higher density of new dwellings built per hectare than in 2003-06.

CLG Land Use Change in England to 2010

Environment


Environmental Designations
  • 1,229 sq km of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), consisting of the Dorset AONB and southern portion of the Cranbourne Chase and West Wiltshire AONB, together covering over half of Dorset.
  • Over 141 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in Dorset, covering almost 19,920 hectares.
  • There are 11 National Nature Reserves covering over 2050Ha.
  • 91 km of heritage coast. The Dorset & East Devon Jurassic Coast has been designated England’s first UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site.

Green Belt
  • Dorset has 28,090 hectares of designated Green Belt land, with over half (16,880 ha) in East Dorset.

CLG Local Planning Authority Green Belt Statistics 2010/11

Transport

Average Traffic Speeds
  • In 2010/11, the average traffic speed during the weekday morning peak in Dorset (34.6mph) was the highest for any unitary or county authority in the South West.

DfT Road Statistics 2011

Road Casualties
  • In 2010, there were 351 road casualties per 100,000 people in Dorset, higher than the rate for the South West (310) but lower than England (355).
  • 15.1% of these casualties resulted in death or serious injury, higher than the rate for the South West or England (both 11.5%). This was the second highest rate for any unitary or county authority in the South West.

DfT Road Casualties Great Britain 2010

Bournemouth Airport
  • Bournemouth Airport is situation within Dorset County, in Christchurch Borough. In 2010, Bournemouth Airport handled just over 749,790 passengers. It was England’s 22nd busiest airport, and the South West’s 2nd busiest.
  • The number of passengers saw a 13.7% decrease on the figures for 2009 (South West -1.9%, England -3.4%).

Civil Aviation Authority – UK Airport Statistics 2010

Travel to Work
  • A higher proportion of people in Dorset work at home compared to either England or the South West, but a lower proportion use public transport.

2001 Census

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Dorset Local Profile Travel to Work
Dorset Local Profile Travel to Work

Download Graphs & Charts

Please use these files in presentations/reports, but remember to reference the South West Observatory, providing a hyperlink to this page where possible.

Useful Resources

General

Download this Local Profile as a PDF

Dorset Data Book 2011 (via Dorset County Council)

Economy & Skills

Learn more about the Dorset, Bournemouth & Poole LEP Economic Profile

Social

Download APHO's Dorset Health Profile

District Health Profiles (via APHO)

Download SWO's IMD 2010 Dorset Report

Infrastructure & Environment

Download SWO's Environment Profile for Dorset

To download charts and graphs from this report see below.