Longbridge Area Action Plan: Baseline Studies Socio Economic Baseline Report
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Longbridge Area Action Plan: Baseline Studies Socio Economic Baseline Report January 2008 CONTENTS 1 Introduction 3 1.1 Introduction 3 1.4 Defining the study area 3 2 Policy Context 7 2.1 Overview 7 2.2 National frameworks 7 2.6 Regional context 8 2.13 Local context 11 2.18 Key Implication for Longbridge 12 3 Baseline Assessment 14 3.1 Introduction 14 3.2 Demographics 14 3.13 Local Employment activity and the labour market 19 3.20 Local Skills Profile 23 3.29 Key employment sectors 28 3.41 Quality of life issues 33 4 Local Networks, Projects and Priorities 40 4.1 Local networks and projects 40 4.12 Emerging Priorities 43 LONGBRIDGE AAP, SOCIO-ECONOMIC BASELINE REPORT 3 1 INTRODUCTION Context 1.1 This baseline report analyses the current state of communities based in the proximity of the Longbridge Area Action Plan. The report is concerned with understanding the impact of continued economic transformation on: - Demographics - Local economic activity and the labour market - Local skills profiles - Key employment sectors - Quality of life issues 1.2 The report uses a number of data-sources including NOMIS, Office of National Statistics, Labour Force Survey, Annual Survey of Population, Annual Business Inquiry and the Indices of Multiple Deprivation. 1.3 The report also sets out a series of conclusions and recommendations, which should be considered as part of the development and implementation of the Longbridge Area Action Plan. Defining the study areas 1.4 This report in the main refers to two study areas, namely: Longbridge Context Area 1.5 This consists of an approximate 1km buffer area around the Longbridge AAP site, which is used to consider the impact of the development proposal on the demographics of the Longbridge Ward and its neighbouring wards. It covers the Birmingham Wards of Longbridge, Northfield, Kings Norton, Bournville, Selly Oak, Weoley and Bartley Green as well as the Bromsgrove Wards of Hillside, Beacon and Waseley. The 1km LONGBRIDGE AAP, SOCIO-ECONOMIC BASELINE REPORT 4 buffer is based upon similar studies carried out elsewhere. The Longbridge Context Area is illustrated in Figure 1-1. Figure 1-1 Longbridge Context Area Longbridge Travel to Work Area 1.6 When considering employment, labour markets, skills and deprivation issues a wider study area has been used. The Closure of MG Rover: Economic Impact Assessment Stage 1 Report (Regeneris, 2005) suggests that the economic footprint of the former MG Rover’s employees at Longbridge was concentrated in the area around South West Birmingham, South Black Country and North Worcestershire (see Figure 1-2). The core areas of concentration of MG Rover’s workforce have been adopted as a guideline to establish the Longbridge Travel to Work Area (TTWA) for the development site. The defined Longbridge TTWA is highlighted as an area covered by a blue boundary in Figure 1-2. Further, it is worth noting that the Longbridge TTWA also coincides with a 10 km buffer from the AAP site. LONGBRIDGE AAP, SOCIO-ECONOMIC BASELINE REPORT 5 1.7 It should also be noted that elements of the report have also been updated / supplemented with the findings of ongoing skills and employment research / development work across the South West Birmingham area (1). This work does not exactly mirror the Longbridge Context Area or TTWA in terms of study coverage, but does provide a useful broad insight into current skills, employment and enterprise issues across the South West Birmingham Area. Figure 1-2 South West Employment and Enterprise Partnership (SWEEP) Error! LONGBRIDGE AAP, SOCIO-ECONOMIC BASELINE REPORT 6 1.8 Where possible, the position of Longbridge TTWA has been benchmarked against regional and national comparators. The socio-economic baseline has also been benchmarked against a Wider Context Area – a conurbation which includes the local authorities which fall within the Longbridge TTWA, including Sandwell, Solihill, Walsall and Dudley. As highlighted in The Closure of MG Rover: Economic Impact Report (Regeneris, 2005), it is worth noting that nearly three quarters of the redundant employees at the former MG Rover plant were based in the defined Wider Contact Area. LONGBRIDGE AAP, SOCIO-ECONOMIC BASELINE REPORT 7 2 POLICY CONTEXT Overview 2.1 The future of Longbridge and its surrounding area will continue to be influenced by external policy decisions at a national, regional and local level. The Area Action Plan needs to be strategically aligned to these strategies and policies to ensure its relevance and appropriateness. This brief review considers relevant policy, from a national to local level, in order to provide context and justification for the potential options considered for re-development. The Longbridge site consequently offers one of the largest and most strategically significant development opportunities in the West Midlands for many years. National frameworks 2.2 The Sustainable Communities Plan: Building for the Future (ODPM, 2003) national programme marks a significant step forward towards maintaining and creating sustainable communities across England and bridging the economic gap between London and the other regions. Although the programme has a particular focus on tackling the complexities of housing market dynamics, it is driven forward by broad operating objectives including prosperity for all, reduced inequalities, greater and better employment opportunities, improved public services, better health and education and low levels of crime and anti-social behaviour. The national framework provides the Government’s long term vision to raise the quality of life throughout England and also the tools to build successful, thriving and inclusive communities, which: • Are economically prosperous; • Have access to decent and affordable homes; • Safeguard the countryside; • Enjoy a well-designed, accessible and pleasant living and working environment; and • Are effectively and fairly governed with a strong sense of community. LONGBRIDGE AAP, SOCIO-ECONOMIC BASELINE REPORT 8 2.3 The National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal and the Our Towns and Cities: the Future – Delivering on Urban Renaissance (Urban White Paper) (both 2000) together set out the Government’s approach for the future of towns and cities and the regeneration of deprived neighbourhoods. In particular, the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy promotes holistic approaches to the regeneration of deprived communities, with a particular focus on local enterprise and employment. Other priorities include basic skills improvement, promotion of a learning culture in deprived communities and community cohesion. 2.4 The ODPM’s urban white paper sets out a framework to co-ordinate action to re-vitalise urban areas. By setting out the guiding principle that people must come first, it focuses upon policies, programmes and structures of governance that are based on engaging local people in partnerships for change with strong local leadership. This inclusive approach sets out to tackle social exclusion, and is central to achieving sustainable economic growth. 2.5 The Skills White Paper 21 st Century Skills: Realising Your Potential aims to ensure that employers have the skills to support the success of their business, and that employees have the necessary skills to be both employable and personally fulfilled. The approach is to build a new skills alliance where every employer, employee and citizen plays their part. Regional context 2.6 Connecting to Success the new West Midlands Economic Strategy, was launched on 10th December 2007. This Strategy sets a vision for the West Midlands: ‘To be a global centre where people and businesses choose to connect.’ The Strategy sets out a number of key ambitions including maintaining and enhancing the attractiveness of the West Midlands as a location in which people and businesses choose to invest, work, learn, visit and live. This translates to: LONGBRIDGE AAP, SOCIO-ECONOMIC BASELINE REPORT 9 • Becoming a more prosperous region, but recognising that economic growth must support overall improvements in the quality of life and well-being of all the region’s residents; • Becoming a more cosmopolitan and inclusive region, making full use of the skills and talents of local people and ensuring equality of opportunity, across the region, in relation to the wealth and prosperity generated through continued economic growth; • Becoming a more sustainable region, correctly valuing our natural, historic and cultural assets, • Seeking to minimise the use of the planet’s resources and preparing for a low-carbon future. 2.7 The Strategy also sets out a headline objective of closing the gap between the performance of the West Midlands and that of the UK as a whole. This means tracking GVA. The new West Midlands Economic Strategy supersedes the Delivering Advantage 2004 Economic Strategy. 2.8 The Connecting to Success Strategy sets out a number of strategic objectives including: • Seizing market opportunities - increasing the region’s penetration of existing, attractive markets and capturing share of developing, growth and high-value markets; • Improving competitiveness – continuously aiming to improve business competitiveness, productivity, market profile and local supply chain linkages to enable businesses to take advantage of new product and market opportunities; • Harnessing knowledge - developing and growing knowledge assets and the competitive advantage tied up in the skills and attitudes of local people; • Increasing Birmingham’s competitiveness –the key role the city plays as a major gateway for