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Poole (Local Profiles 2012)

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Key Facts

> Life expectancy in Poole for both men (79.4 years) and women (83.5 years) was lower than the South West and England averages.

> The rate of teenage conception in Poole (36.0 per 1,000 women aged 15-17) was higher than the South West (34.5 per 1,000) but lower than the England (40.2 per 1,000) rate.

> The crime rate in Poole (37.3 per 1,000 population) was higher than the rate for the South West (33.8 per 1,000) but lower than England and Wales (41.3 per 1,000).

> Median gross annual pay in Poole was £26,368 (South West £24,922, England £26,165)

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

> 55.7% of Poole pupils achieved 5+ GCSEs grades A*-C or equivalent, including Maths and English (South West 57.5%, England 58.3%).

> Poole’s lowest quartile affordability ratio (house price to earnings ratio: a higher ratio means less affordable housing) was 9.6 (South West 8.2, England 6.7).

> There were 369 road casualties per 100,000 population in Poole, higher than the rate for the South West (310) or England (355).

Demographics

Population by Local Authority
  • Poole has the fourth highest population density of the 16 county and unitary authorities in the South West.

  Population Area Persons per sq km
(000s) (sq km)
Poole 142.1 65 2186
Dorset LEP 715 2,653 270
South West 5,273.70 23,837 221
England 52,234.00 130,281 40

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

Population Change Since the 2001 Census
  • Since the 2001 census, Poole’s population has increased by 2.8%, a smaller percentage than both the South West (7.0%) and England (6.3%). This was the equal 2nd smallest percentage rise in population for any county or unitary authority in the South West, after the Isles of Scilly and equal to Bournemouth.

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

Population by Age
  • Poole has a lower population of working age than either the South West or England.
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Poole Local Profile Population by Age
Poole Local Profile Population by Age
Ethnicity
Ethnic minorities made up 1.8% of Poole’s population in 2001, a figure lower than both the South West overall (2.3%), and the England figure (9.1%).

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Poole Local Profile Non White Ethnicity
Poole Local Profile Non White Ethnicity
ONS 2001 Census

Local Authority

Political Representation
  • Poole has one, Conservative, MP.
  • No political party has a majority of Councillors on Poole, although exactly half the councillors (21) are Conservative.

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Poole Local Profile Councillors by Political Party
Poole Local Profile Councillors by Political Party
Council Tax 2010/11
  • In Poole, the average council tax per dwelling is £1,319 (South West £1,272, England £1,196). Average Band D council tax is £1,450 (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 Poole residents is £26,368, an increase of 10.1% on 2010. This is higher than the median for the South West (£24,922) but below England (£26,615).
  • The equivalent pay figure for those working in Poole is £27,033, illustrating a slight tendency for residents to commute to Poole for higher paid work.
  • Median gross full-time annual pay for Poole resident men is 22% 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

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.
  • Poole is in a LEP with Dorset County and Bournemouth Unitary Authority. 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.

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

Productivity (GVA)
  • For purposes of Gross Value Added (GVA), Poole is in a NUTS3 area with Bournemouth unitary authority. In 2009 Bournemouth and Poole’s joint GVA per head was £21,142, compared to the South West value of £18,184 and England’s £20,498.
  • Between 2008 and 2009 there was a decrease in GVA per head in Bournemouth/Poole of -0.7% (South West -2.3%, England -2.2%). This was the lowest decrease across the 12 NUTS3 area in the South West.
  • Over the last 10 years GVA per head in Bournemouth/Poole has increased by 50.9%, the 3rd highest increase in the region (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 6,030 were in Poole.
  • During 2010, there was a decrease in the number of VAT registered businesses in Poole, of -3.5% (South West -0.2%, England -1.9%). 
  • The 3-year survival rate of enterprises that started in 2007 in Poole is 67.1% (South West 65.9%, England 62.9%). The survival rate has increased from 66.4% in 2006.
  • Poole had 615 new businesses in 2010, an increase of 11.8% 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 Poole 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
Poole 77.1 74.5 -2.6
South West 74.2 73.6 -0.6
England 70.9 70.4 -0.5
  • The latest unemployment rate for Poole is 6.0% of the economically active 16+ population (South West 6.0%, England 7.6%).
  • Poole’s claimant count (graph below) rate is lower than a year ago, and is below the rate for England and the South West.

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Poole Local Profile Total Claimants as Percentage of Working Age Population
Poole 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 Poole is in public administration, defence, education and health (31.0%) followed by manufacturing and wholesale and retail (27.9%).

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Poole Local Profile Employment by Sector
Poole Local Profile Employment by Sector

Education and Skills

School Qualifications
  • Results for 2010/11 show 55.7% of pupils in the Poole 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%).
  • Poole LEA’s latest Key Stage 2 pass rates for English and Maths were both above the England average. The pass rate for English was the joint highest in the South West.

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Poole Local Profile School Qualifications
Poole 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 Poole primary schools, is higher than the average for the South West but lower than that for England.
  • The rate for secondary schools is higher than the rates for both the South West and England and is the second highest for a district or unitary authority in the South West.

DfE Pupil Absence in Schools in England 2009/10

Workforce Qualifications
  • 8.2% of Poole’s workforce hold no qualifications, lower than both the South West (11.1%) and England (8.4%).
  • 27.8% of Poole’s workforce are qualified to NVQ4 or above, also lower than the South West (31.5%) and England (31.1%).

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

Health, Crime and Deprivation

Health

Life Expectancy
  • Male life expectancy in Poole is 79.4 years (South West 79.2, England 78.3).
  • Female life expectancy is 83.5 years (South West 83.3, England 82.3).
  • These were the 105th (for men) and 83rd (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
  • Bournemouth and Poole PCT 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 Bournemouth and Poole. 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
Bournemouth and Poole PCT 4.9 4.6 4.1 3.9
South West 4.4 4.2 4.1 4
England 5 4.9 4.8 4.

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

Teenage Conceptions
  • Poole’s teenage conception rate is higher than the rate for the South West but lower than England.
  • The rate is higher than 3 years previously, 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
Poole 31.4 30.8 36
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.

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

Crime

  • In 2010/11 Poole had the 6th highest overall crime rate among the 16 county and unitary authorities in the South west, at 37.3 offences per 1,000 population.
  • The overall crime rate was higher than the South West average (33.8) but lower than the average for England and Wales (41.3).
  • Overall crime in Poole fell from a rate of 41.4 in 2009/10. This included decreases in violence against the person and burglary, although there was an increase in robbery. The rate of sexual offences was unchanged.
  • 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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Poole Local Profile Offences per 1000 population
Poole 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, 5 (5%) of Poole’s 91 Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) ranked among the most deprived 20% in England. Two of these LSOAs are in Alderney ward and one each in Newtown, Poole Town and Hamworthy West wards.
  • Two LSOAs rank just within the most deprived 10% in England (one in Hamworthy West and one in Poole Town).

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Poole Local Profile IMD
Poole Local Profile IMD
SWO IMD 2010 Profiles

Housing

House Prices
  • In Q1 2011, the median house price in Poole was £201,000, 11% higher than the South West median (£181,500) and 15% above the England median (£175,000).
  • Poole’s median house price was 3% lower than the previous quarter and 9% lower than Q1 of 2010.

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Poole Local Profile Median House Prices
Poole 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 gives Poole a median affordability ratio in of 9.1 (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.  The LQ ratio in Poole is 9.6 (South West 8.2, England 6.7).  

DCLG Tables 576 and 577

Homelessness and Temporary Accommodation
  • In the financial year of 2010/11, Poole accepted 43 households (0.7 per 1,000) as being homeless and in priority need (South West 1.5, England 2.0). Poole had 72 households in temporary accommodation, 9 of which were in bed and breakfast accommodation.
  • In the same year in Poole there were a total of 771 households where positive action was successful in preventing or relieving homelessness (12.6 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, Poole made decisions on 1,369 planning applications, 25 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
Poole 64 65 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, the percentage of new dwellings built on previously developed land in Poole was 97% (South West 66%, England 77%). This has increased from 95% in 2003-06.
  • In 2007-10, the density of new dwellings built per hectare in Poole was 43 (South West 38, England 43). This was an increase from 40 per hectare in 2003-06.

CLG Land Use Change in England to 2011

Environment

Green Belt
  • There are 1,900 hectares of designated Green Belt in Poole.

CLG Local Planning Authority Green Belt Statistics 2010/11

Transport

Road Casualties
  • In 2010, there were 369 road casualties per 100,000 people in Poole, higher than the rate for the South West (310) and England (355). This was the third highest rate for any unitary or county authority in the South West.
  • 10.9% 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
 
Travel to Work
  • A higher proportion of people drive a motor vehicle to work in Poole than in either the South West or England.

2001 Census

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Poole Local Profile Travel to Work
Poole 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

Poole Research & Consultations (via Poole Council)

Economy & Skills

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

Social

Download APHO's Poole Health Profile

Download SWO's IMD 2010 Poole Report

Infrastructure & Environment

Download SWO's Environment Profile for Poole

To download charts and graphs from this report see below.