Chester Today

Chester in Partnership (Chester’s Local Strategic Partnership), brings together the local authorities, all service providers, local businesses, voluntary organisations and community groups in Chester, in order to achieve a fully integrated approach to tackling social, economic and environmental issues identified by and for the benefit of all communities within Chester.

The issues, solutions and responsibilities for tackling them are brought together in the Community Plan (Chester’s Way Ahead). The plan was first published in 2001 and then revised in 2005.

Chester in Partnership has commissioned the preparation of a ‘Chester Today’ report for two purposes. Firstly to help in the identification of the key issues in Chester; assist in the identification of priorities and provide base-line information and against which people in Chester can review progress. Secondly it should provide an accessible resource of information on Chester District for all our stakeholders. The report helps in the identification of the key issues in Chester, assists in the identification of priorities and provides base-line information. Therefore ‘Chester Today’ is intended to encourage discussion in the hope that ideas can be formulated and incorporated into the community and other plans that impact the social, economic and environmental well-being of the district.

Chester means many different things to many different people. There are an infinite number of factors related to people’s quality of life and indeed people’s perceptions concerning quality of life within Chester. This means that, individuals and communities perceive and experience issues differently.

The report does not aim to take into account everyone’s interests, experiences and perceptions, rather, it outlines the headline issues and provides a statistical basis from which individuals can make assumptions and judgements on how particular things affect them. The sources of information are listed together with links to websites when available.

The report is based upon the most up to date secondary data available. Many of the statistics are liable to change within short time scales and as new projects are completed. The report will be web based and these statistics will be updated periodically. The Chester Public Sector Information Group is responsible for maintaining and refining the issues that are identified in the report. It is hoped that the report will be of value in both the process of reviewing and monitoring the Community Plan and for partner organisations and agencies seeking to understand and improve quality of life issues.

Whilst this report is web based, hard copies can be obtained by contacting the Chester in Partnership office on either 01244 402400 or 402365.

Summarised highlights

Demography of the District

The population in Chester district will increase in the short term (2001 to 2006) peaking at about 119,500 in 2007 and then fall to about 115,900 in 2021.

Social Exclusion & Diversity

• There are 8 Super Output Areas ( SOA ’s) within Chester which are ranked in the most deprived 20% of SOA ’s in England. This is 10% of the SOA ’s within the district.
• 15 SOA ’s within Chester are ranked within the most deprived 20% of SOA’s in England for Health deprivation and disability.
• 13 SOA ’s within Chester are ranked within the most deprived 20% of SOA ’s in England for Crime.

What people say

The top 5 priorities of residents about living in Chester?

• Residents scored My neighbourhood is safe as the most important priority (9.2/10).
• Chester‘s natural environment is protected (8.4/10).
• Chester City Council listens to residents (8.3/ 10).
• Your neighbourhood is attractive 8.3/10).
• Chester’s economy is prosperous (8.2 out of 10).

Community Safety

• In the financial year of 2004 and 2005 there was an overall 6.65% fall in crime.
• However violent crime rose by 16.23%.

Environment

The 2005 report on Waste Minimisation looked at ways to improve both the ‘ability’ and the ‘desire’ of Chester residents to participate in recycling activities. The report examined both the social issues and physical barriers that impact the Chester district’s ability to meet recycling targets.

Health

• Local surveys indicate that 25% of Chester residents and 16% of women booking into maternity at the Countess of Chester are smokers.
• Lung cancer accounts for 821 years of life lost per 10,000 people under 75 years of age in the Chester population.
• Around 10,600 women and 11,300 men are obese in the Chester population
• It is estimated that locally, obesity accounts for around 100 deaths per year and either directly or indirectly is responsible for over 43,000 sick days per year.
• The Chester Residents’ Research Panel found 23% of women and 40% of men drank more than the weekly-recommended amount of alcohol.
• The average number of partners heterosexual people have increased from 1990 to 2000; 12.7 for men up from 8.6 and 6.5 for women up from 3.7.

Housing

• Since 2001 251 affordable units have been provided. A further 250 currently have planning permission.
• There are currently 3,102 applicants on the Council’s Housing register (July 2005)
• 22% of households contain somebody with a support need.
• The number of general homeless enquiries to the local authority fell from 1200 in 2003/04 to 1142 in 2004/05.
• Annually 951 affordable housing units are required, 427 more than existing supply from re-lets, a new supply requirement almost nine times current delivery levels.

Lifelong Learning

Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004 indicated that Chester had 7 Super Output Areas (SOA’s) in the most deprived 20 percent in the most deprived 20 % of SOA’s in England. The wards in which these encompass include; Lache Park, Blacon Lodge, Blacon Hall, Blacon Hall. In the indices for Education, Skills and Training 5 of these SOA’s are within the most deprived 10%.

Economic Development & Employment

• A 2005 survey of residents scored 4.6 out of 10 on feeling safe after dark in the Chester city centre.
• The average hourly wage in the County in April 2005 was £4.15 less for females at (£9.56) than for males at (£13.71).

City Centre

• Chester attracts an estimated 8.5 million day visits and overnight stays each year. Visitors spend around £400m in the district and help sustain 30% of jobs.
• 66,411 people work within Chester District.
• Chester District has a net inflow of employees of 11,028.
• 62% of Chester residents who work within the District travel up to 5km to get to work.
• 84% of Chester residents that work outside the District travel to their place of work in a car or van. 79% of employees that live outside Chester and travel into the District to work do so by travelling in a car or van.
• The city area has an increase in population of 241% during the day to 33,399.

Transport

• Traffic growth which is estimated to increase by 28% in Cheshire by 2020.

Culture & Leisure

• 74% of respondents to the 2005 Culture & Leisure participate in outdoor sport at least once a month, against 41% in 2002.
• 46% of respondents to the 2005 survey also stated that they use parks once a month against 39% in 2002.
• Christleton Swimming pool opened in the Autumn of 2005.

Access to Services

• 85% of respondents to a 2005 survey said they would likely to use the telephone to contact the City Council to request a service.
• 81% said they would most likely use the telephone information and advice.

Rural Issues

• 36% (42,054) of the population of the district do not live within an acceptable walking distance of 18 minutes from a pharmacy.

Children & Young People

A recent survey of children found that 67% of 5 to 8 year olds played outside almost every day. Factors affecting the choice that all children like about the places they prefer to play or socialise in are:

• Safe place to play
• Cleanliness (free from glass, litter, dog fouling)
• Large open space to run or play in
• Proximity to home
• Access to nature
• Good place to meet friends
• Simply somewhere to go

Voluntary & Community Sector

Chester CVS has over 350 groups listed in its Network Directory. Research carried out by NCVO in “The Hidden Power” Report concluded that voluntary and community organisations in Cheshire brought tremendous added value in their various activities because of their power to reach out to people and involve active citizens as volunteers. The 3 most common activities for volunteering in Chester are Community participation, Sports and Leisure and supporting people with physical disabilities.

Social Care

Cheshire County Council has reorganised the directorates providing services to Adults and Children. From the 1st Aril 2005 services will be provided by 2 new departments; Adult & Community Services and Children’s Services.

• At March 2005 114 children were looked after by social services in Chester and an additional 30 children in Chester were on the child protection register.
• Abuse and neglect is the most common category of need for children being looked after, accounting for 70% of cases Cheshire wide.

Older People

52% of participants in a Chester Resident Survey Panel ( RSvP ) ‘Ask the Audience’ event believed that more emphasis should be placed on older people in future planning of the community.

Nearly a quarter of the people aged over 65 (110,000) in Cheshire were in receipt of income related benefits (Income Support, Housing Benefit, Pensioner Credits). In Chester District 4 wards (Blacon Hall, College, Hoole and Dee Point) were reported to be in the top 32 wards in Cheshire for the proportion of all older people aged 65 plus living on income related benefit.

Democracy in Chester

This new section gives an outline on all the democratic institutions affecting Chester residents and how to make contact with their elected contacts.

Regulatory Judgments

This is another new section and gives summarised information of the most recent quality audits carried out on the Public Agencies serving the Chester district.

Whilst this report is web based, hard copies can be obtained by contacting the Chester in Partnership office on 01244 402400/ 402365.

You can download the whole report (in pdf format) or if you prefer just a section of it.

 

• Chester Today - Full report 586kb
• Demographics  77kb
• Social Exclusion and Diversity 29kb
• What People Say 30kb
• Community Safety section 53kb
• Environment 48kb
• Health 50kb
• Housing 48kb
• Lifelong Learning 45kb
• Economic Development 43kb
• City Centre - Retail and Tourism 25kb
• Chester in the sub-region 49kb
• Transport 60kb
• Culture and Leisure 51kb
• Access to Services 46kb
• Rural Issues 46kb
• Children and Young People 23kb
• Community and Voluntary Sector 16kb
• Social Care 24kb  
• Older People 12kb