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North Somerset (Local Profiles 2012)

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Key Facts

> Life expectancy in North Somerset for both men (79.6 years) and women (83.8 years) was higher than both the South West and England average.

> The rate of teenage conception in North Somerset (33.2 per 1,000 women aged 15-17) was lower than the rate for the South West (34.5 per 1,000) and England (40.2).

> The crime rate in North Somerset (31.8 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 North Somerset was £28,708 (South West £24,922, England £26,165)

> The latest unemployment rate for North Somerset is 5.4% (South West 6.0%, England 7.6%)

> 57.4% of North Somerset pupils achieved 5+ GCSEs grades A*-C or equivalent, including Maths and English (South West 57.5%, England 58.3%).

> North Somerset’s lowest quartile affordability ratio (house price to earnings ratio: a higher ratio means less affordable housing) was 7.9 (South West 8.2, England 6.7).

> There were 309 road casualties per 100,000 population in North Somerset (South West 310, England 355).

Demographics

Population by Area
  • With a total land area of 374 sq km, North Somerset is the eighth largest unitary or county authority in the South West.
  • North Somerset has a population of 212,200, 4% of the total South West population.
  • The largest urban area in North Somerset is Weston-super-Mare.  At the time of the 2001 Census, Weston had a population of approx 80,000, and was the 10th largest urban area in the South West

  Pop. 1000s Area Persons per sq km
sq km
North Somerset 212.2 375 566
West of England LEP 1,097.90 1,327 827
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, North Somerset’s population has increased by 12.5%, a higher rate of growth than the South West (7.0%).
  • This was the 2nd highest percentage increase of the 16 South West county and unitary authorities, and almost twice the rate for England (6.3%).

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North Somerset Local Profile Percentage Population Change since 2001 Census
North Somerset Local Profile Percentage Population Change since 2001 Census
Census 2001 and ONS Mid Year Estimate 2010

Population by Age
  • The mean age in North Somerset is above both the South West and England averages (2001: North Somerset: 41.5, South West: 40.6, England: 38.6).

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North Somerset Local Profile Population by Age
North Somerset Local Profile Population by Age
Mean: ONS Census 2001 / Breakdown: ONS Mid Year Estimates 2010

Ethnicity
  • At only 1.4% of the population, North Somerset had a considerably smaller proportion of ethnic minorities than the South West (2.3%) and England (9.1%) in 2001.

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North Somerset Local Profile Non White Ethnicity
North Somerset Local Profile Non White Ethnicity
ONS 2001 Census

Local Authority

Political Representation
  • The North Somerset area contains two Parliamentary Constituencies: Somerset North and Weston-super-Mare. Both have Conservative MPs.
  • The Conservatives currently have a majority of seats in North Somerset Council. 

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North Somerset Councillors by Political Party
North Somerset Councillors by Political Party
Council Tax 2010/11
  • In North Somerset, the average council tax per dwelling is £1,255 (South West £1,272, England £1,196). Average Band D council tax is £1,423 (South West £1,500, England £1,439).
  • 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 North Somerset residents is £28,708, an increase of 3.7% on 2010. This is the highest for any county or unitary authority in the South West and also higher than the medians for both the South West (£24,922) and England (£26,615).
  • However, the equivalent pay figure for those working in North Somerset is only £26,662, indicating that higher earnings are achieved by those commuting out of the area.
  • Median gross full-time annual pay for North Somerset resident men is 50% higher than women. In the South West men’s pay is 29% higher and in England 25% higher.
    ONS Annual Survey of Hours & Earnings (ASHE) 2011

ONS Annual Survey of Hours & Earnings (ASHE) 2011

Local Enterprise Zones (LEPs)
  • Local Enterprise Partnerships 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.
  • North Somerset is in the West of England LEP, along with Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire. The table below summarises some key facts across local authorities in this LEP:

  Median Pay Enterprise 3-year Survival Rate (from 2007) School Qualifications* Median House Price Affordability** Crime Rate (per 1,000 pop)
B&NES £25,948 65.30% 64.00% £227,500 9.6 29
Bristol £25,269 61.60% 49.70% £167,250 7.1 64.1
N Somerset £28,708 64.60% 57.40% £175,000 7.9 31.8
S Glos £26,703 66.80% 55.40% £175,000 7.8 30.6
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 Gross Value Added (GVA) calculations, North Somerset is included in a NUTS3 area with South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset.
  • In 2009, GVA per head was £20,399, the 4th highest of the 12 NUTS3 areas in the South West. The equivalent for the South West was £18,184, England £20,498.
  • Between 2008 and 2009 there was a decrease in GVA per head in this NUTS3 area, of -2.3% (South West -2.3%, England -2.2%).
  • Over the last 10 years this NUTS3 area’s GVA per head has increased by 49.6% (South West 43.2%, England 44.3%).

ONS Gross Value Added 1997-2009 (ONS Dec 11)

Enterprise Survival Rate
  • At the end of 2010, there were 39,785 VAT/PAYE registered businesses in the West of England LEP area, of which 7,710 were in North Somerset.
  • There was a decrease in the number of VAT/PAYE registered businesses in North Somerset, by  2.3% during 2010 (South West -2.1%, England -1.9%).
  • The 3-year survival rate of enterprises that started in 2007 in North Somerset is 64.6% (South West 65.9%, England: 62.9%). This survival rate has decreased from 70.1% in 2006.
  • North Somerset had 690 new businesses in 2010, a fall of -5.5% 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
  • North Somerset’s working age employment rate is higher than the England and South West rates and has risen since the previous reporting period.

% of working age population Jan 09 – Dec 09 Jan 10 – Dec 10 % point change
North Somerset 75.5 77.4 1.9
South West 74.2 73.6 -0.6
England 70.9 70.4 -0.5
  • The latest unemployment rate for North Somerset is 5.4% of the economically active 16+ population (South West 6.0%, England 7.6%).
  • North Somerset’s latest 12 month average claimant count rate has increased from a year ago. However, the rate is lower than both the South West and England rates.
  • North Somerset’s claimant count (graph below) rate is higher than a year ago, but is below the rates for England and the South West.

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North Somerset Local Profile Total Claimants as Percentage of Working Age Population
North Somerset 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 North Somerset is in public administration, defence, education and health (29.21%) followed by manufacturing and wholesale and retail (24.7%). 
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North Somerset Local Profile Employment by Sector
North Somerset Local Profile Employment by Sector
Business Register and Employment Survey 2010 (available via NOMIS)

Education and Skills

School Qualifications
  • Results for 2010/11 show 57.4% of pupils in the North Somerset 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 lower than the rate for both the South West (57.5%) and England (58.3%).
  • North Somerset LEA’s latest Key Stage 2 pass rates for English and Maths were both above the average for the South West and England.

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North Somerset Local Profile School Qualifications
North Somerset 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 North Somerset primary schools is slightly higher than the South West average but is below the England average.
  • The rate in secondary schools is above the rate for the South West and just above the rate for England.

% of half days missed, Maintained Maintained
unauthorised absence primary schools secondary schools
North Somerset 0.58 1.39
South West 0.49 1.1
England 0.67 1.38
DfE Pupil Absence in Schools in England 2009/10

Workforce Qualifications
  • The proportion of the North Somerset workforce with no qualifications (6.5%) is lower than both the South West (11.1%) and England (8.4%).
  • The proportion of North Somerset’s workforce with NVQ 4 (degree & equiv.) qualifications & above (30.8%) is lower than both the South West (31.5%) and England (31.1%).

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North Somerset Local Profile Highest Qualification
North Somerset Local Profile Highest Qualification
ONS Annual Population Survey year ending Dec 2010

Health

Life Expectancy
  • Male life expectancy (79.6 years) is higher in North Somerset than in the South West (79.2) or England (78.3).
  • Female life expectancy (83.8) is higher than that of the South West (83.3) or England (82.3).
  • These were the 93rd (for men) and 55th (for women) longest life expectancies out of 326 unitary and district authorities in England.

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

Infant Mortality
  • North Somerset has a lower infant mortality rate than the rate for both the South West and England.
    In recent years the trend for rates of infant mortality in North Somerset have been variable. The South West and England rates have also consistently fallen over recent years.
    North Somerset has the third lowest infant mortality rate amongst the 15* unitary and county authorities in the South West.

Mortality all causes – Infants < 1 year
Deaths/1000 live births 2004-06 2005-07 2006-08 2007-09
North Somerset 3.2 3.4 3.7 3.3
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
  • North Somerset’s teenage conception rate is lower than the rates for both the South West and England.
    However, the rate is higher than the previous three year reporting period, as opposed to the England figure which has steadily reduced.

Conception rates per 1000 women aged 15-17
3-year rolling averages 2001-03 2004-06 2007-09
North Somerset 38.3 25.3 33.2
South West 35.5 34.3 34.5
England  42.4 41.1 40.2

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*
Weston Area Health NHS Trust Fair Fair
Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust Fair Good
North Somerset PCT Good Good
Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust Weak Fair
excellent, good, fair, or weak

  • Of the 12 Ambulance Services in England, Great Western had the 4th lowest response rate for 8 minute response times and 2nd lowest rate for 19 minute response times in 2010/11. Both rates have improved from the previous year.

Ambulance response Great Western
 England target
time target – Category A
Arrive within 8 minutes 74.3% >75%
Arrive within 19 minutes 95.1% >95%

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

Crime

  • In 2010/11, North Somerset had the 8th highest overall crime rate per 1,000 people among the 16 South West county and unitary authorities.
  • The rate of overall crime (31.8 offences per 1,000 population) was below that of the South West (33.8) and England & Wales (41.3).
  • The rates of overall crime fell from 34.7 in 2009/10. This included falls in violence against the person, robbery and burglary. Sexual offences increased slightly in the same period.
  • In 2010/11 Avon & Somerset Police ranked lowest of all South West force areas for people having confidence in the police and local councils dealing with issues (52.6% strongly agree/tend to agree, England and Wales average was 52.7%).

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North Somerset Local Profile Offences per 1000 population
North Somerset 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 the IMD 2010, 13 of North Somerset’s 124 Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) ranked among the most deprived 20% in England.
  • All 13 of these LSOAs are within Weston-super-Mare (6 in W-s-M South ward, 4 in W-s-M Central, 2 in W-s-M West and 1 in Clarence & Uphill).
  • Nine of these LSOAs also fall within the most deprived 10% in England (4 in W-s-M South, 4 in W-s-M Central and 1 in W-s-M West).  Two of the W-s-M South LSOAs are among the most deprived 1% in England.

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North Somerset Local Profile IMD
North Somerset Local Profile IMD

Housing

House Prices
  • In the first quarter (Q1) of 2011, the median house price in North Somerset was £175,000, just under 4% below the South West median (£181,500) and the same as the England median (£175,000).
  • The median price was almost 8% lower than the previous quarter and 10% lower than in Q1 2010.
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North Somerset Local Profile Median House Prices
North Somerset Local Profile Median 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 a median affordability ratio in North Somerset of 7.2 (South West 7.9, England 7.0).
  • The lower quartile (LQ) ratio based on lower quartile house prices and earnings better reflects the first time buyers’ market. North Somerset’s LQ ratio is 7.9 (South West 8.2, England 6.7).

DCLG Tables 576 and 577

Homelessness and Temporary Accommodation
  • In the financial year of 2010/11, North Somerset accepted 79 households (0.9 per 1,000) as being homeless and in priority need (South West 1.5, England 2.0). North Somerset had 55 households in temporary accommodation, 6 of which were in bed and breakfast accommodation.
  • In the same year in North Somerset there were a total of 572 households where positive action was successful in preventing or relieving homelessness (6.4 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, North Somerset made decisions on 1,804 planning applications, 48 of which were for major developments.
  • 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

North Somerset

69

75

88

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, 55% of new dwellings in North Somerset were built on previously developed land. This is lower than the South West (66%) and England (77%) proportions. North Somerset’s percentage has not changed since 2003-06.
  • In 2007-10, 41 new dwellings per hectare were built in North Somerset (South West 38, England 43), a decrease from 47 per hectare in 2003-06.

CLG Land Use Change in England to 2010

Environment


Environmental Designations
  • The Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) extends into the southern part of North Somerset.
  • North Somerset includes several Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), including The Severn Estuary, The Avon Gorge, Gordano Valley, and Bleadon Hill.
  • There are two National Nature Reserves in north Somerset (Gordano Valley and Leigh Woods), covering 191Ha.

Green Belt
  • The former Avon area includes 64,160 hectares of designated Green Belt land, just over 58% of the total Green Belt designated for the whole South West.
  • 15,530 hectares of this is within the North Somerset UA area.

CLG Local Planning Authority Green Belt Statistics 2009/10

Transport

Road Casualties
  • In 2010, there were 309 road casualties per 100,000 people in North Somerset, lower than the rate for the South West (310) and England (355).
  • 8.7% of these casualties resulted in death or serious injury, lower than the South West and England rates (both 11.5%).

DfT Road Casualties Great Britain 2010

Bristol Airport
  • Bristol Airport is situated at Lulsgate Bottom, within the bounds of North Somerset UA.
  • In 2010, Bristol Airport handled just over 5.7 million passengers, the 7th busiest English airport.
  • Passenger numbers increased by 1.9% when compared to 2009 (South West -1.9%, England -3.4%).
  • Bristol is by far the busiest South West airport, accounting for 73% of the region’s passengers.

Civil Aviation Authority UK Airport Statistics 2010

Travel to Work
  • A higher proportion of people drive a motor vehicle to work in North Somerset than in either the South West or England.

2001 Census

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North Somerset Means of Travel to Work
North Somerset Means of 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

Ward Profiles North Somerset

Economy & Skills

Learn more about the West of England LEP Economic Profile

Social

Download APHO's North Somerset Health Profile

Download SWO's IMD 2010 North Somerset Report

Infrastructure & Environment

Download SWO's Environment Profile for North Somerset

To download charts and graphs from this report see below.