New Approches: Statistics

The following figures describe the social, economic and environmental issues in the area. The figures are based upon ward boundaries.

The West Chester area consists of the new Wards of Blacon Hall, Blacon Lodge, College, Lache Park and part of City and St Anne's. Ward boundaries changed in 1999. Previously the area consisted of the Wards of Blacon Hall, Dee Point, Sealand, College and the Lache Estate.

The Lache Park Area used to lie across the Wards of Curzon and Westminster. Information about these wards does not reflect the true nature of the Lache Park Area as they include other large areas.

Most information is only available for the old wards (denoted by *). However information from the 1991 Census can be aggregated to describe 'West Chester' (denoted by **).

Population

There is a population of 26,700 (Source: 1) in the West Chester Area across 11,500 households (Source:2). This represents 22% of the population of Chester District.

General Deprivation

Table 1: West Chester Wards ranked out of 8,414 English Wards for General Deprivation 2000*

Area	Rank	Position
Blacon Hall	293	Worst 5%
Dee Point	508	Worst 10%
Sealand	1,752	Worst 25%
College	2,236	Worst 30%
Lache	NA	NA

 

Source: 3) Note: NA Not Available

Two of the Blacon Wards are in worst 10% of most deprived wards nationally.

Housing

Table 2: Percentage of Households with Owners or Tenants in West Chester 1991**

Tenure	Percentage Households
Owner Occupied	51.7
Rented Public Agency	37.3
Rented Privately	11

 

Source: 2)

Table 3: West Chester Wards ranked out of 8,414 English Wards for Housing Deprivation 2000*

Area	Rank	Position
Blacon Hall	710	Worst 10%
Dee Point	2,226	Worst 30%
Sealand	2,941	Worst 35%
College	4,219	Worst 50%
Lache Estate	NA	NA

 

Source: 3) Note: NA Not Available

Health

Table 4: Ratio of Long Term Illness Compared to National Average 1991*

Area	Score	Comparison
Blacon Hall	131.4	Higher
Dee Point	133.2	Higher
Sealand	115.2	Higher
College	116.7	Higher
Lache Estate	146.4	Higher
Chester District	92	Lower
National Average	100

Source 4)

Measuring Premature Deaths 1996 1998*

The Wards of Blacon Hall and Dee Point have a higher incidence of premature (under the age of 75) deaths than England and Wales (Source: 5).

Table 5: Blacon wards ranked out of 8,414 English wards for Health Deprivation and Disability 2000*

Area	Rank	Position
Blacon Hall	455	Worst 10%
Dee Point	361	Worst 5%
Sealand	1,966	Worst 25%
College	1,327	Worst 16%
Lache Park	NA	NA

 

Source: 3) Note: NA Not Available

Employment

Table 6: Registered Unemployed as a Percentage of Residents Available for Work  November 2000*

Area	Number	Unemployment Rate
West Chester	400	3.9%
Chester District	1,200	2.2%
Great Britain	960,600	3.4%

 

Source: 6) Note: a) Numbers rounded to nearest hundred, b) West Chester figure does not include Lache

Table 7: West Chester Wards ranked out of 8,414 English Wards for Employment Deprivation 2000*

Area	Rank	Position
Blacon Hall	501	Worst 10%
Dee Point	676	Worst 10%
Sealand	2,070	Worst 25%
College	1,299	Worst 15%
Lache Park	NA	NA

 

Source: 3) Note: Not Available

Income

Table 8: West Chester Wards ranked out of 8,414 English Wards for Income Deprivation 2000 *

Area	Rank	Position
Blacon Hall	206	Worst 5%
Dee Point		Worst 10%
Sealand	2,104	Worst 25%
College	2,258	Worst 30%
Lache	N/a	N/a

 

Source: 3) Note: NA Not Available

Table 9: Number of Claims of Income Support per Thousand Population 1998*

Area	Claim Rate	Ward Ranking in Cheshire
Blacon Hall	128.2	1st
Dee Point	114.1	3rd
Sealand	68.7	34th
College	112.8	4th
Lache Estate	N/a	N/a
Chester District	59.2

 

 

Crime

Table 10: Number of Reported Crimes per Thousand on the Electoral Register October 1999 to September 2000**

Area	Reported Crime Rate
West Chester	226.8
Urban Chester	134.6
Chester District	110

 

 

Source: 8)

The reported crime rate in West Chester is higher than for the District as a whole. Figures include all of City and St Anne's Ward which forms most of the City Centre.

Education, Skills and Training

Table 11: Blacon Wards ranked out of 8,414 English Wards for Education, Skills and Training Deprivation *

Area	Rank	Position
Blacon Hall	681	Worst 10%
Dee Point	263	Worst 5%
Sealand	577	Worst 10%
College	4,138	Worst 50%
Lache Park	NA	NA

 

Source: 3) Note: NA Not Available

Educational statistics relating to performance at school cannot be easily summarised here. For more information please contact the local schools.

Family Stress

Areas of family stress are those with high incidence of social problems relating to children and young people. In 1997 165 areas in Cheshire were ranked on a range of indicators to describe family stress (Source: 9).

The Lache Estate ranked the 5^th highest area in Cheshire for family stress in 1997. The Wards of Blacon Hall, Dee Point and College all ranked in the top 25.

Table 12: Children Receiving Free School Meals per Thousand Population 1997 *

	Free School Meal Rate
Blacon Hall	97.7
Dee Point	45.4
Sealand	42.9
College	18.3
Lache Estate	124.2
Chester District	24.3
Cheshire	21.1

 

 

Source: 9)

Environment

There is a lack of figures relating to the West Chester neighbourhood environments.

Sources

• Cheshire County Council; Research and Intelligence; Population Estimates Mid Year 1997, (Lache Estate, Mid 1995)
• 1991 Census of Population, © Crown Copyright
• Department Environment, Transport and Environment; Index of Multiple Deprivation 2000, © Crown Copyright.
• Cheshire County Council; Research and Intelligence; Economic Disadvantage and Health 1991.
• South Cheshire Health Authority
• Office for National Statistics, © Crown Copyright.
• Cheshire County Council; Research and Intelligence; Benefits Claimants 1998
• Cheshire Constabulary; Management Information Unit.
• Cheshire County Council; Research and Intelligence; Areas of Family Stress 1997.

If you think you can help, or simply have a wish to see things improve, don't hesitate to ask more questions, and to get involved in the changes.

For further information on this profile please contact:

Research and Intelligence, Tel: 01244 402524 Email: research@chester.gov.uk

Michelle Talgam, West Chester Partnerships Manager, Tel: 01244 402241 Email: areaworking@chester.gov.uk

If you would like a copy of the brief in large print, on tape, or in Braille, please contact the Access Team on 01244 401623 Email: disabilityaccess@chester.gov.uk.