West Berkshire District Profile INTRODUCTION

To understand how best to plan and deliver services for the people of West Berkshire, we need to understand the profile of the population and the external influences which play a part in shaping our district. This District Profile acts as a single repository of all key research information, ensuring that relevant and related findings are actively published and readily available. The profile sits alongside and informs the corporate, service and community planning processes as a current‐state headline report. The Profile pulls together different data from a range of sources to build up a picture of West Berkshire and the people living and working in it. It serves as a high‐level description of the district, providing key demographics of the area and focussing on particular key issues and priorities such as education, health, transport, crime and deprivation. The aim is to provide the District Profile as a ‘living’ document – a resource which can be actively mined for use in service planning: providing a high‐level, but relatively detailed overview of the district ‐ highlighting particular issues such as crime, health and community care more generically, and; acting as a conduit for accessing different data from which people can find further information, contacts, or undertake further analysis. The range of data sourced in the Profile is numerous and varied, but includes: Census 2011 data as well as annual population estimates and projections; Analysis of the Indices of Deprivation (2010); Other official government statistics such as the Schools Census, Labour Market Statistics and the Business Demography dataset; Official surveys such as the Annual Business Survey, Annual Population Survey and the Active People Surve; Local qualitative and satisfaction data – from consultation and other research exercises such as the Resident Satisfaction Survey, Leisure Time Survey and Community Safety Survey; Information from service areas and internal policy documents such as client profile data from Community Services and the Local Transport Plan; Additional data collected or produced by partner organisations such as the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA); Other material collected or used by regional / national agencies and other research projects. Throughout the District Profile there has been extensive signposting of, and links through to, supporting datasets, thus providing the profile as an interactive, online resource.

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The District Profile was first produced in 2006 and has been used extensively by officers within the Council, and is referenced in policy documents such as the Local Development Framework, Local Transport Plan, Highways documents, the Local Economic Assessment and is used to help set the scene for the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. It has also been used by external agencies and organisations as well as other interested individuals and other local authorities as an example of best practise. The District Profile has been refreshed on an annual basis to 2013 and is available to download from www.westberks.gov.uk/research Throughout this document data currently sourced from the 2001 census will be replaced by that of the 2011 census, when it becomes available. More detailed breakdowns of Census 2011 data to town, ward and lower super output levels are available at www.westberks.gov.uk/census2011. The Census 2011 interactive tool is available here.

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CONTENTS

Introduction ...... 1 Contents ...... 3 People and Place ...... 8 1. Introducing West Berkshire ...... 8 2. The administrative district ...... 9 3. Geographical Population Profile of West Berkshire ...... 10 4. Age profile of West Berkshire ...... 11 5. Age profile within West Berkshire ...... 13 6. Marital Status ...... 16 7. Household Composition...... 17 8. Ethnic Diversity ...... 18 9. Country of Birth ...... 19 10. Migration ...... 20 11. Population growth over the last decade ...... 21 12. Changing age profile over the last decade ...... 24 13. Population projections over the next decade ...... 28 14. Population profile 1981‐21 ...... 30 15. Deprivation in West Berkshire ...... 31 16. The Child Well‐Being Index 2009 ...... 34 Education and Lifelong Learning ...... 37 17. Local Authority Interactive Tool ...... 37 18. The Profile of our School Population ...... 37 19. School Provision and Access ...... 38 20. Vulnerable Groups ...... 40 21. Free School Meals ...... 40 22. Early Years Foundation Stage ...... 41 23. Key Stage 1 for 7 year olds ...... 42 24. Key Stage 2 for 11 year olds ...... 43 25. Key Stage 4 (GCSEs) ...... 45 26. School Inspections ...... 48 27. Post 16 Education, Beyond compulsory education ...... 49 Housing ...... 53

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1. Types of Housing ...... 53 2. House Prices ...... 53 3. Affordability ...... 55 4. Affordable Housing ...... 55 5. Homelessness ...... 56 6. Tenure ...... 57 7. Council Tax Bands ...... 58 8. Condition of Housing Stock ...... 59 9. Fuel Poverty ...... 60 10. Housing Deprivation across the District ...... 60 11. Rural Housing and Deprivation ...... 62 Economic Well‐Being ...... 65 12. Economic Assessment ...... 65 13. Employment and Unemployment ...... 65 14. Job Seeker’s Allowance Claimants ...... 67 15. Employment Deprivation ...... 70 16. Job Density ...... 70 17. Hours Worked...... 71 18. Earnings ...... 72 19. Employment by Occupation ...... 74 20. Employment across Different Sectors ...... 75 21. Qualifications of People of Working Age ...... 75 22. Enterprise Births, Deaths and Survival Rates...... 76 23. Commercial and Industrial Floorspace ...... 79 24. West Berkshire Economy in Relation to the South East and Europe ...... 80 Community Safety ...... 84 25. Crime ...... 84 26. Youth Crime ...... 86 27. Neighbourhood Wardens and Street Rangers ...... 88 Health and Social Well‐being ...... 91 28. Adult Health and Social Care: General Health ...... 91 29. People Living with a Disability ...... 92 30. Mortality Rates ...... 94 31. Cause of Death and Long Term Conditions ...... 95 32. Life Expectancy at Birth ...... 98

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33. Clients Receiving a Service from Adult Social Care ...... 100 34. Estimated Demand for Services from Adult Social Care ...... 101 35. Substance Misuse ...... 104 36. Child Poverty and Wellbeing ...... 105 37. Disability and Limiting Long Term Illness among Children ...... 106 38. Child Deaths ...... 106 39. Childhood Obesity ...... 107 40. Sexual Health ...... 109 41. Alcohol and Smoking ...... 111 42. Substance Misuse ...... 112 43. Young People as Carers ...... 114 44. Child Protection ...... 114 45. Looked After Children ...... 114 46. Referrals to Children’s Social Care ...... 114 Transport and Access ...... 117 47. Overview ...... 117 48. Economy and Transport ...... 118 49. Distance Travelled to Work ...... 118 50. Mode of Travel to Work ...... 119 51. Predicted Growth in Travel ...... 121 52. Access to Services ...... 122 53. Access to cars ...... 123 54. Community Transport Services ...... 125 55. Active Travel to Work and School ...... 125 56. Cycling ...... 126 57. Sustainable Travel – Passenger Transport ...... 128 58. Bus Travel ...... 128 59. Rail Travel ...... 129 60. Transport and the Environment ...... 129 61. Congestion ...... 130 Culture and leisure ...... 133 62. Overview ...... 133 63. The Heritage of West Berkshire ...... 133 64. Tourism ...... 135 65. Libraries ...... 136

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66. Arts Activity in West Berkshire ...... 137 67. Sport and Physical Activity in West Berkshire ...... 140 68. Countryside, Parks and Open Spaces ...... 144 69. Overview of the Commons and Nature Reserves Managed by WBC ...... 146 Environment ...... 149 70. Character of the Area ...... 149 71. Energy Consumption in West Berkshire...... 150 72. Waste Management ...... 152 73. Waste Collection ...... 152 74. Waste Disposal ...... 152 75. Recycling Centres ...... 153 76. Waste Awareness ...... 153 77. Waste Statistics ...... 154 78. Waste Satisfaction ...... 155 79. Cleanliness of West Berkshire ...... 155 80. Air Quality ...... 155 81. Contaminated Land ...... 156 82. Water Quality ...... 156 83. Flooding ...... 157

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Contents:

Throughout this document data currently sourced from the 2001 census will be replaced by that of the 2011 census, when it becomes available. More detailed breakdowns of Census 2011 data to town, ward and lower super output levels are available at www.westberks.gov.uk/census2011. The Census 2011 interactive tool is available here.

People and Place ...... 8 1. Introducing West Berkshire ...... 8 2. The administrative district ...... 9 3. Geographical Population Profile of West Berkshire ...... 10 4. Age profile of West Berkshire ...... 11 5. Age profile within West Berkshire ...... 13 6. Marital Status ...... 16 7. Household Composition ...... 17 8. Ethnic Diversity ...... 18 9. Country of Birth ...... 19 10. Migration ...... 20 11. Population growth over the last decade ...... 21 12. Changing age profile over the last decade ...... 24 13. Population projections over the next decade ...... 28 14. Population profile 1981‐21 ...... 30 15. Deprivation in West Berkshire ...... 31 16. The Child Well‐Being Index 2009 ...... 34

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PEOPLE AND PLACE

1. INTRODUCING WEST BERKSHIRE

1.1 West Berkshire makes up over half of the geographical area of the county of Berkshire ‐ covering an area of 272 square miles. It lies on the western fringe of the South East region, centrally located, at a crossroads where the South East meets the South West and where the south coast comes up to meet the southern Midlands. 1.2 As such, the district lies at the convergence of two key road arteries in the south – the M4 and the A34. Both provide direct road links in all directions, with all the key urban centres in southern England (London, Reading, Southampton, Portsmouth, Bristol, Oxford, Swindon) within an hour’s drive. 1.3 The district has good rail links, with London less than an hour by train and further connections, via Reading, to all the mainline routes throughout the country. The area also has very good links to international transport hubs: Heathrow and Southampton airport are 40 miles away, as are the ferry terminals in Southampton and Portsmouth, providing links with the continent.

1.4 The district is primarily made up of chalk Downlands, loosely centred along the lower reaches of the River Kennet, which rises in Wiltshire and flows through to join the Thames at Reading. 1.5 The flat floodplain of this river is bordered by fairly steep slopes on each side. Most people within the district live within this valley. To the south, the land rises steeply to line of scarps which form the border with Hampshire. The majority of the district however, lies to the north of the Kennet where the land rises to the Berkshire and Marlborough Downs. This is an area of gently rolling, chalk Downlands, classified as part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB); and

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includes parts of all the five National Character areas. This area is famous for its involvement in horse racing and the consequent ever‐present training gallops.

2. THE ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT

2.1 The district is administered by West Berkshire Council. The Council was created as a single tier (unitary) authority after the dissolution of Berkshire County Council in 1998. The boundary of the district corresponds with that of the former Newbury District Council. 2.2 The Council has 52 elected councillors. A leader and cabinet (known as the Executive) model was adopted in May 2001. West Berkshire Council is a Conservative‐run authority: the political composition (as of the 2011 local elections) is Conservative ‐ 39; Liberal Democrat ‐ 13. 2.3 The district of West Berkshire is made up of 30 Wards, each returning a (or a number of) elected members to the Council. The map below shows how these are organised across the district. Map showing the distribution of wards across West Berkshire

2.4 A lot of the analysis provided throughout this profile is broken down to ward level. Wards can be further sub‐divided into smaller areas called Super Output Areas (SOAs). They each represent areas of about 1,500 people and are used to report smaller area statistics. SOAs are a common means of capturing and presenting information about specific, small areas. Their most common use is in showing Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and more recently census data. These are discussed throughout this profile and introduced in more detail later in this section.

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2.5 There is a statistical mapping facility, called ‘Stats on Maps’ – available through www.westberks.gov.uk/research which allows you to view and interrogate census data (2001 data is available: 2011 data will be provided in due course), the Indices of Multiple Deprivation and other key statistical information about West Berkshire on a map of the district. This is a way of looking at and presenting data and seeing how different areas of the district differ and compare.

3. GEOGRAPHICAL POPULATION PROFILE OF WEST BERKSHIRE

3.1 The (2011) census showed West Berkshire with a population of just under 154,000. 3.2 70% (around 108,000) of people live in settlements along the Kennet Valley and in the suburban areas just to the west of Reading borough. 3.3 The largest urban area in the district is Newbury / Thatcham, where around 67,000 (44%) of West Berkshire residents live. 3.4 16% of residents live in the suburban area adjoining Reading borough. 3.5 Other significant towns in the district are Hungerford with just under 6,000 residents and Theale with a population of just under 3,000.

Town / area Population Newbury 40,537 Thatcham 25,267 Suburban area adjoining Reading borough 25,878 Hungerford 5,767 Theale 2,835 West Berkshire 153,822 Source: Census 2011, ONS 3.6 The remainder of the population are dispersed in small rural settlements across the district. West Berkshire has one of the most dispersed populations in the South East with 253 people per hectare. 3.7 The graph below shows the distribution of population across individual wards within the district. Calcot and Birch Copse, in the suburban area to the east of the district, are the largest wards in West Berkshire with just under 9,000 and 8,000 people respectively. The smallest wards represent around 3,000 people.

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Source: West Berkshire Council ‐ Census 2011 Data

4. AGE PROFILE OF WEST BERKSHIRE

4.1 The average age of people in England and Wales in 2011 is 39.4 years: slightly higher in the South East at 40.0 years of age. West Berkshire’s average age is exactly the same as nationally at 39.4 years. 4.2 The chart below plots the overall population profile for West Berkshire compared to that for the South East. 4.3 This shows that West Berkshire has a broadly comparable proportion of young people – aged both under 10 years old and 0‐19. 4.4 However, striking is the drop in proportion of people aged 20‐34 (16% of the total population of the district, compared to around 1 in 5 elsewhere). In absolute terms,

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this represents a drop of around 2,300 people between the ages of 15‐19 and 20‐24. This is largely thought to be the result of young people leaving home at this age or going to university. 4.5 Conversely, the proportion of people in the older working age groups (35‐64) is higher than elsewhere (43% of the total population compared to 39% nationally).

4.6 West Berkshire has a marginally smaller proportion of people aged over 65 than compared to the South East or England and Wales. 4.7 The table below shows the graph above more numerically. It breaks down the population by 5 year age bands, in absolute numbers, as well as a proportion of the total. Proportionate figures are also provided for Berkshire as a whole, the South East and nationally.

Population by age (2011) West West England Berkshire Berkshire Berkshire South East and Wales Age (nos) (%) (%) (%) (%) 0 ‐ 4 10,065 7% 7% 6% 6% 5 ‐ 9 9,017 6% 6% 6% 6% 0‐9 19,082 12% 13% 12% 12% 10 ‐ 14 9,914 6% 6% 6% 6% 15 ‐ 19 9,633 6% 6% 6% 6% 0‐19 38,629 25% 26% 24% 24%

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Population by age (2011) West West England Berkshire Berkshire Berkshire South East and Wales Age (nos) (%) (%) (%) (%) 20 ‐ 24 7,341 5% 6% 6% 7% 25 ‐ 29 8,506 6% 7% 6% 7% 30 ‐ 34 9,306 6% 8% 6% 7% 20‐34 25,153 16% 21% 19% 20% 35 ‐ 39 11,109 7% 8% 7% 7% 40 ‐ 44 12,595 8% 8% 7% 7% 45 ‐ 49 12,486 8% 7% 8% 7% 50 ‐ 54 10,965 7% 6% 7% 6% 55 ‐ 59 9,506 6% 5% 6% 6% 60 ‐ 64 9,753 6% 5% 6% 6% 35‐64 66,414 43% 40% 40% 39% 65 ‐ 69 7,406 5% 4% 5% 5% 70 ‐ 74 5,543 4% 3% 4% 4% 75 ‐ 79 4,337 3% 3% 3% 3% 80 ‐ 84 3,253 2% 2% 3% 2% 85 ‐ 89 2,065 1% 1% 2% 1% 90 ‐ 94 795 1% < 1% 1% 1% 95 ‐ 99 204 < 1% < 1% < 1% < 1% 100 and over 23 < 1% < 1% < 1% < 1% 65+ 23,626 15% 13% 17% 16% 85+ 3,087 2% 2% 3% 2% Source: West Berkshire Council ‐ Census 2011 Data

5. AGE PROFILE WITHIN WEST BERKSHIRE

5.1 The age distribution of people across the district is not universal and there is a degree of concentration of people in particular age groups in different parts of the district. 5.2 The graph and table below shows the proportion of people across all wards in West Berkshire in different age groups, ranked by wards’ average (or median) age. 5.3 The ‘youngest’ wards are Thatcham North and Chieveley, with an average age of less than 36 years. This compares with areas such as Aldermaston and Speen whose average age is some 7 years higher.

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5.4 Noticeable is the prevalence of the Thatcham wards in the top half of the table – Thatcham as a whole has an average age of just 37.1 years.

Source: West Berkshire Council ‐ Census 2011 Data 5.5 In West Berkshire, a quarter of people are aged under 20 years of age. The table below shows 3 areas with around a third of people of this age group: Cold Ash, Chieveley and Bucklebury – this is attributable to boarding schools located within these boundaries. Noticeable is that these areas do not show significantly higher proportions of people in the younger (0‐4 and 0‐9) categories, so these areas show a particularly high prevalence of young people in their teenage years.

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Age distribution by ward (2011) Mean Ward Pop’n 0‐4 0‐9 0‐19 20‐34 35‐64 65+ 85+ age Thatcham N. 5,870 8% 15% 29% 17% 43% 10% 1% 35.5 Chieveley 2,890 7% 15% 33% 14% 40% 13% 1% 35.9 Greenham 5,682 8% 14% 27% 19% 42% 11% 1% 36.3 Clay Hill 6,827 8% 14% 25% 24% 39% 12% 1% 36.4 Thatcham S. & Crookham 6,974 9% 15% 26% 20% 43% 11% 1% 36.6 Cold Ash 3,458 5% 11% 36% 9% 40% 15% 2% 37.5 Calcot 8,785 7% 12% 25% 19% 44% 12% 1% 37.8 Bucklebury 6,730 6% 12% 33% 11% 42% 14% 2% 37.9 Thatcham W. 6,390 6% 12% 25% 19% 44% 12% 1% 38.2 Thatcham C. 6,033 7% 13% 24% 20% 42% 14% 2% 38.3 Theale 2,835 7% 13% 24% 19% 42% 14% 2% 38.6 Burghfield 5,955 7% 13% 27% 15% 44% 14% 2% 38.7 Compton 3,164 6% 13% 27% 14% 46% 13% 1% 38.7 Victoria 4,852 7% 10% 16% 34% 36% 15% 3% 38.9 Sulhamstead 2,953 7% 14% 26% 14% 46% 15% 1% 39.4 WEST BERKSHIRE 153,822 7% 12% 25% 16% 43% 15% 2% 39.4 Northcroft 5,354 7% 12% 21% 22% 41% 16% 3% 40.0 Downlands 3,115 5% 12% 25% 11% 49% 14% 1% 40.4 Mortimer 5,732 7% 14% 26% 13% 43% 18% 2% 40.5 Birch Copse 7,789 5% 11% 24% 14% 45% 16% 1% 40.6 Falkland 6,361 6% 12% 25% 13% 44% 18% 2% 41.2 Pangbourne 2,978 6% 11% 27% 13% 41% 20% 3% 41.2 Kintbury 5,034 6% 13% 23% 12% 48% 16% 2% 41.5 Basildon 3,103 5% 12% 25% 10% 48% 17% 2% 41.6 Lambourn Valley 5,575 6% 12% 22% 15% 45% 18% 2% 41.6 Westwood 2,756 5% 12% 25% 13% 43% 20% 1% 41.6 Purley on Thames 6,548 5% 11% 22% 14% 47% 17% 1% 41.7 St Johns 5,799 6% 11% 22% 17% 41% 20% 4% 42.0 Hungerford 5,767 7% 11% 21% 16% 44% 20% 4% 42.4 Speen 5,662 7% 12% 22% 14% 42% 21% 4% 42.8 Aldermaston 2,851 4% 10% 22% 11% 47% 19% 2% 43.1 Source: Census 2011, ONS

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5.6 Most wards are within 3 percentage points of the district average for 0‐19 year olds, with the exception of Victoria ward in central Newbury which has only 16% of its population (750 people) aged under 20. 5.7 At the other end of the age range, 15% of the district’s population are aged 65 or over. Areas with more than 20% (1 in 5) of its population of retirement age are Speen, St Johns, Westwood, Hungerford and Aldermaston. This proportion is halved in areas such as Thatcham North, Thatcham South and Greenham.

6. MARITAL STATUS

6.1 The table below shows the proportion of adults living as a couple across West Berkshire, the South East and nationally. The number in brackets shows how the proportion has changed since the 2001 census. 6.2 West Berkshire has a much higher proportion of people living as a couple than either regionally, or nationally: 66%, compared to 61% across the South East. The proportion of married couples has declined by 3 percentage points over the last ten years, compared to 5 percentage points regionally, whilst the proportion of couples cohabiting has increased marginally. 6.3 The proportion of people not living in a couple – having never married ‐ is relatively static in West Berkshire at around 1 in 5, although has increased more markedly elsewhere.

Marital Status (2011) West South East England & Berkshire Wales Living in a Married / same sex civil 54% (‐3%) 49% (‐5%) 46% (‐5%) couple partnership Cohabiting 12% (+1%) 12% (+2%) 12% (+2%) Total 66% 61% 60% Not living in a Never married 20% (+1%) 23% (+2%) 26% (+3%) couple Married / remarried / separated 8% (+1%) 9% (+1%) 9% (0%) / divorced Widowed 6% (0%) 6% (‐1%) 6% (‐2%) Total 34% 38% 41% Source: Census 2011, ONS

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7. HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION

7.1 The proportion of household types in the district, compared regionally, or nationally is shown in the table below. West Berkshire has a lower proportion of single person households than elsewhere, although has seen a similar proportionate growth since 2001. 7.2 As described above the district has a higher proportion of people living as a couple and this extends to couples living without any dependant children (22%, against 19% across the South East) as well as those with dependant children (24%, against 21% across the South East).

Household composition (2011) Single person Single parent All (not (with dep. Couple ‐ no Couple ‐ with Couple ‐ no All aged over households pensioner) children) children children dep. children 65 Eng & Wales 18% (+2%) 7% (+1%) 17% (‐1%) 19% (‐2%) 6% ( ‐ ) 21% (‐3%) South East 16% (+2%) 6% (+1%) 19% (0%) 21% (‐1%) 6% ( ‐ ) 22% (‐2%) West Berkshire 62,340 15% (+2%) 5% ( ‐ ) 22% (0%) 24% (‐1%) 6% (‐1%) 19% (‐1%)

Aldermaston 1,192 15% 3% 24% 20% 5% 24% Basildon 1,200 11% 3% 25% 28% 7% 20% Birch Copse 2,951 9% 5% 20% 26% 10% 21% Bucklebury 2,387 11% 5% 23% 28% 6% 20% Burghfield 2,272 12% 5% 24% 28% 6% 16% Calcot 3,551 16% 8% 21% 23% 8% 15% Chieveley 938 7% 3% 26% 34% 4% 19% Clay Hill 2,785 19% 8% 22% 21% 6% 13% Cold Ash 1,090 8% 3% 25% 29% 8% 19% Compton 1,224 12% 6% 24% 28% 7% 16% Downlands 1,239 12% 5% 25% 26% 5% 18% Falkland 2,511 8% 4% 21% 27% 8% 25% Greenham 2,271 17% 8% 20% 24% 6% 14% Hungerford 2,600 18% 5% 22% 18% 6% 25% Kintbury 2,046 12% 4% 26% 24% 7% 19% Lambourn Valley 2,416 17% 3% 23% 20% 5% 21% Mortimer 2,326 13% 5% 22% 23% 6% 24% Northcroft 2,470 21% 5% 19% 19% 5% 21% Pangbourne 1,227 15% 4% 19% 21% 6% 27% Purley on Thames 2,642 13% 4% 22% 24% 8% 21% Speen 2,362 13% 6% 20% 20% 7% 26%

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Household composition (2011) Single person Single parent All (not (with dep. Couple ‐ no Couple ‐ with Couple ‐ no All aged over households pensioner) children) children children dep. children 65 St Johns 2,474 16% 4% 18% 21% 6% 25% Sulhamstead 1,188 14% 7% 23% 25% 6% 17% Thatcham C 2,619 18% 6% 19% 23% 6% 20% Thatcham N 2,194 15% 7% 19% 30% 8% 12% Thatcham S. & Crookham 2,754 15% 6% 21% 28% 7% 14% Thatcham W 2,504 13% 5% 22% 25% 9% 15% Theale 1,252 21% 7% 20% 19% 5% 18% Victoria 2,587 32% 4% 20% 13% 2% 18% Westwood 1,068 7% 4% 19% 25% 10% 26% Source: Census 2011, ONS

7.3 Looking at the initial single person household column, we can see that this makes up 15% of all households across the district (or around 9,350 households). Victoria ward in central Newbury has the most significant proportion of households as single person (a third). The other area with a higher proportion of single person households is Theale (one in five). 7.4 Overall, about 5% of households are single parent (or about 3,300). No areas are significantly different from this average. Calcot, Clay Hill and Greenham are areas with the highest proportion – around 8%. 7.5 In terms of pensioner households, areas such as Pangbourne, Speen, Westwood, St Johns and Hungerford have the highest concentration ‐ at more than 1 in 4 households with all members aged 65 or over.

8. ETHNIC DIVERSITY

8.1 The 2011 Census shows that when compared nationally, there is a significantly lower proportion of people in West Berkshire who define themselves as coming from a black or minority ethnic (BME) background ‐ 5% of West Berkshire residents as a whole, compared to 14% of people in England and Wales more generally, reflecting the spatial concentrations of ethnic minorities in the UK. Although this is a relatively small proportion of the total population, this amounts to some 8,000 residents in the district. 8.2 The proportion of people classifying themselves as ‘white’ has declined by 2 percentage points between 2001‐11, compared to 5 percentage points across England and Wales as a whole. The largest increase in ethnic group over the last decade is

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‘Asian or Asian British’, an increase of 1.7 percentage points, compared to an increase twice that in England and Wales.

Ethnic Origin (2011)

West Berkshire South East England & Wales

White 95% (‐2%) 91% (‐4%) 86% (‐5%) Mixed 1.6% (+.7%) 1.9% (+.8%) 2.2% (+.9%) Asian or Asian British 2.4% (+1.7%) 5.2% (+2.5%) 7.5% (+3.5%) Black or Black British 0.9% (+.4%) 1.6% (+.9%) 3.4% (+1.3%) Other 0.2% (‐.4%) 0.6% (+.2%) 1% (+.1%)

Source: Census 2011, ONS

9. COUNTRY OF BIRTH

9.1 91% of people in West Berkshire were born in the UK, compared to 87% nationally. The proportion of Irish people mirrors that of England and Wales more generally (just over 1,000 people). 9.2 1.4% of the population in West Berkshire were born in one of the EU accession countries (Malta, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania), equating to just over 2,000 people. This compares to 2% of the population nationally.

Country of Birth West South East Eng & Berkshire Wales UK 91% 88% 87% Ireland 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% Other pre‐accession EU countries 1.5% 1.9% 1.6% EU accession countries (2004 and 2007) 1.4% 1.8% 2.0% Other 5.5% 7.7% 9.0% Source: Census 2011, ONS

9.3 Aside form the UK, the most common countries of birth are India, Poland, South Africa, Ireland and Germany.

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Country of birth Nos of residents Country of birth Nos of residents India 1,187 France 301 Poland 1,133 Kenya 259 South Africa 1,056 Portugal 235 Ireland 1,007 Pakistan 208 Germany 917 Italy 203 United States 542 China 187 Zimbabwe 501 Philippines 174 Australia 375 Spain 151

10. MIGRATION

10.1 With the further expansion of the EU at the beginning of 2007, the number of migrant workers in the district increased. This has already manifested itself in providing workers in certain sectors – notably in horseracing – and in other areas where recruitment is difficult. 10.2 As such, there are thought to be significant numbers of people who have come from overseas to meet the demand for nursing, mental health and child care. There are significant numbers of people from central Europe and Russia employed in the horse racing industry in the Lambourn area. In addition, some of the services on the M4 corridor attract migrant workers to short term work. 10.3 Figures are available to show the numbers of non‐UK nationals in West Berkshire in 2010/11 who have registered for National Insurance, although it is important to note that these numbers cannot be definitive as not all migrants register. Nonetheless it enables us to provide a comparison to both the national picture and to other Berkshire authorities. 10.4 The graph below shows the number of registrations since 2002 in each unitary area in Berkshire. For West Berkshire, the number of registrations rose from 2004/5 to a high of around 1,250 in 2006/7. This has since fallen to 760 registrations in 2011/12. As we would expect, numbers are significantly higher in the conurbations of Slough and Reading. This would reflect not only job availability and accessibility, but also lower costs of living and better transport infrastructure, particularly public transport links.

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Registrations to adult overseas nationals entering the UK

4 Bracknell Forest Reading 3 Slough (thousands)

West Berkshire 2 RBWM Wokingham

Registrations 1

0 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12

Year

Source: Department for Work and Pensions, 2012.

11. POPULATION GROWTH OVER THE LAST DECADE

11.1 The population of West Berkshire has grown by 6% over the last decade (or just over 9,000 people). This compares with an 8% increase across Berkshire as a whole. However, this county‐wide figure is skewed slightly by the increase in population in Slough (18%). If Slough was removed from the Berkshire total, then the rate of increase would fall to 6%. 11.2 West Berkshire’s population growth is around 1.5 percentage points below that for the South East more generally, and nationally.

Population change (2001‐2011) Change in population 2011 Number Percent Bracknell Forest 113,200 +3,583 +3.3% Reading 155,700 +12,604 +8.8% RB of Windsor and Maidenhead 144,600 +10,974 +8.2% Slough 140,200 +21,133 +17.7% West Berkshire 153,800 +9,317 +6.4% Wokingham 154,400 +4,171 +2.8%

Berkshire 861,900 +61,782 +7.7%

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Population change (2001‐2011) Change in population 2011 Number Percent

South East 8,634,800 +634,250 +7.9% England & Wales 56,075,900 +4,033,984 +7.8% Source: Census 2011, ONS

11.3 The graph below shows the change in population between 2001 and 2011, by ward. Thatcham South has seen by far the largest growth (37%), as a result of the houses built on the Kennet Heath estate. More significant increases in population (over 10%) are also evident in Victoria in central Newbury, Clay Hill, Greenham, Bucklebury and Mortimer. 11.4 At the other end of the spectrum, the graph shows areas which have seen a decline in population notably in the suburban area in the east of the district: Birch Copse, Westwood and Calcot and a marginal fall in population in central Thatcham.

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11.5 The table below shows the data in more detail, with wards brought together into geographical areas. Overall, between 2001 and 2011 there has been a growth in the population of Newbury of 11% (4,000 people). This is largely driven by an increase in the number of residents in Victoria (central Newbury), Clay Hill (north east Newbury) and Greenham to the south east of the town centre. 11.6 Thatcham has seen a similar proportionate increase in population. Thatcham South and Crookham have seen by far the largest increase across the district – as a result of the Kennet Heath development. 11.7 By contrast, the suburban eastern fringe of the district adjoining Reading borough has seen a slight decline in population. 11.8 Of the remaining, more rural, areas, most have seen a relatively modest increase in population.

Population change by ward, West Berkshire, (2001‐11)

Ward 2001 census 2011 census Diff (nos) Diff (%) Clay Hill 5,705 6,827 1,122 20% Falkland 5,885 6,361 476 8% Greenham 4,843 5,682 839 17% Northcroft 4,881 5,354 473 10% St Johns 5,529 5,799 270 5% Speen 5,653 5,662 9 0% Victoria 3,958 4,852 894 23% Newbury 36,454 40,537 4,083 11% Thatcham Central 6,119 6,033 ‐86 ‐1% Thatcham North 5,257 5,870 613 12% Thatcham South and 5,074 6,974 1,900 37% Crookham Thatcham West 6,374 6,390 16 0% Thatcham 22,824 25,267 2,443 11% Birch Copse 8,157 7,789 ‐368 ‐5% Calcot 9,093 8,785 ‐308 ‐3% Purley on Thames 6,435 6,548 113 2% Westwood 2,863 2,756 ‐107 ‐4% Suburban area adjoining Reading borough 26,548 25,878 ‐670 ‐3% Theale 2,771 2,835 64 2% ‘Eastern’ planning area (suburban ‘east’ and Theale) 29,319 28,713 ‐606 ‐2%

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Population change by ward, West Berkshire, (2001‐11)

Ward 2001 census 2011 census Diff (nos) Diff (%) Aldermaston 2,602 2,851 249 10% Basildon 2,841 3,103 262 9% Bucklebury 5,922 6,730 808 14% Burghfield 5,894 5,955 61 1% Chieveley 2,710 2,890 180 7% Cold Ash 3,206 3,458 252 8% Compton 3,045 3,164 119 4% Downlands 2,968 3,115 147 5% Hungerford 5,559 5,767 208 4% Kintbury 4,898 5,034 136 3% Lambourn Valley 5,445 5,575 130 2% Mortimer 5,089 5,732 643 13% Pangbourne 2,981 2,978 ‐3 0% Sulhamstead 2,726 2,953 227 8% Rural areas 55,886 59,305 3,419 6% West Berkshire 144,483 153,822 9,339 6% Source: Census 2011, ONS

12. CHANGING AGE PROFILE OVER THE LAST DECADE

12.1 The graph below shows the population pyramid for West Berkshire for 2011 (shaded bars), compared with that for 2001 (outline).

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12.2 This shows the relative size of different age bands in relation to one another – i.e. how the proportion of people in each age group has changed (rather than absolute numbers have shrunk or grown) – over the decade up to 2011. 12.3 At a glance, this most obviously shows the effect of an aging population – a significant reduction in the relative proportion of younger people of working age (i.e. 25‐39) compared to 2001 referred to previously. This is counterbalanced by the growth in people aged over 60 as a proportion of the total population. 12.4 In absolute terms, the table below shows the change in the number of people in different age bands in West Berkshire, and how this compares to Berkshire as a whole, regionally and nationally.

Change in Population by age in West Berkshire 2001‐11 Eng & West Berkshire Berkshire South East Wales Pop’n Change Change Change Change Change Age 2011 (nos) (%) (%) (%) (%) 0‐4 10,065 1,259 14% 22% 13% 13% 5‐9 9,017 ‐481 ‐5% 1% ‐4% ‐5% 0‐9 19,082 778 4% 11% 4% 4% 10‐14 9,914 133 1% ‐1% ‐1% ‐5% 15‐19 9,633 477 5% 6% 12% 10% 0‐19 38,629 1,388 4% 7% 5% 3% 20‐24 7,341 287 4% 2% 16% 22% 25‐29 8,506 ‐832 ‐9% ‐1% 6% 12% 30‐34 9,306 ‐2,283 ‐20% ‐2% ‐9% ‐8% 20‐34 25,153 ‐2,828 ‐10% ‐1% 3% 7% 35‐39 11,109 ‐1,181 ‐10% ‐4% ‐9% ‐9% 40‐44 12,595 1,244 11% 12% 12% 12% 45‐49 12,486 2,356 23% 24% 26% 24% 50‐54 10,965 ‐20 0% 2% 0% 0% 55‐59 9,506 751 9% 9% 6% 7% 60‐64 9,753 3,161 48% 33% 39% 33% 35‐64 66,414 6,311 11% 11% 10% 10% 65‐69 7,406 1,801 32% 17% 21% 17% 70‐74 5,543 802 17% 7% 7% 5% 75‐79 4,337 482 13% 9% 4% 1% 80‐84 3,253 599 23% 20% 14% 14% 85‐89 2,065 547 36% 26% 21% 22%

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Change in Population by age in West Berkshire 2001‐11 Eng & West Berkshire Berkshire South East Wales Pop’n Change Change Change Change Change Age 2011 (nos) (%) (%) (%) (%) 90‐94 795 162 26% 33% 27% 26% 95‐99 204 77 61% 54% 36% 36% 100+ 23 2 10% 41% 40% 31% 65+ 23,626 4,472 23% 15% 13% 11% 85+ 3,087 788 34% 29% 24% 24% All 153,822 9,343 6% 8% 8% 8%

12.5 The number of 0‐9 year olds has increased at about the same rate as elsewhere at around 4% (the Berkshire‐wide figure is skewed by the rapid growth in population in Slough). Similarly, the increase in numbers of people aged 0‐19 is broadly in line with that seen regionally. More specifically, we have seen a more significant increase in pre‐school aged children (14%), reflecting a national trend and suggesting a mini ‘baby boom’, although the numbers of 5‐9 year olds has shrunk slightly. Put together, this means there are just short of 1,400 more people aged 0‐19 living in the district compared to 2001. 12.6 The numbers of younger people of working age (20‐34) has fallen in absolute terms by nearly 3,000 between 2001 and 2011, representing a 10% reduction. This is not reflected elsewhere however, which has seen a proportionate increase in populations of this age. 12.7 The absolute number of people aged over 65 has increased by almost a quarter between 2001 and 2011, noticeably more acute than that seen across the region more generally. 12.8 The graph below plots this data – cut into broader age groups to show the absolute change in broad age groups between 2001 and 2011, against the proportionate change for West Berkshire and the South East. 12.9 The first bar shows the increase in the number of people aged 0‐19 between 2001 and 2011 in West Berkshire. This represents a 4% increase in the number of people of this age group (green line), compared to a regional average of a 5% increase (red line). 12.10 Perhaps more significantly, the second bar shows the decline in the number of people aged 20‐39 living in West Berkshire of 10%. The South East as a whole saw a decline of 1%. 12.11 The last decade has seen the number of people of older working ages (i.e. 40‐64) increase by some 7,500 (or 16%). This is broadly in line with the regional average of 15%. 12.12 However, the number of people aged over 65 has risen by just under 4,500 (or 23%). This compares with a 13% increase in the South East more generally.

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12.13 The graph below compares the rate of change in each of the broad age bands, across Berkshire more generally. This shows a marked difference in the changing populations between Reading and Slough, on the one hand, and Bracknell, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham and West Berkshire on the other. Wokingham has seen the largest swings in population with a 14% fall in the number of 20‐39 years, but a 32% increase in the number of people aged over 65.

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13. POPULATION PROJECTIONS OVER THE NEXT DECADE

13.1 The latest (2011) population projections by the Office for National Statistics, in predicting population growth across the country, estimate the population of West Berkshire to be 170,100 by 2021 – an increase of some 10%. This compares with an average increase in population across the South East of 9.3%. 13.2 Changes in population will not be universal across the age bands. Most graphically, the population pyramid below shows how the age profile of West Berkshire is expected to change over the next decade. The solid outline shows West Berkshire’s population profile in 2011, whilst the shaded area represents the district’s new population profile in 2021. Projected population age profile for West Berkshire, 2011‐2021

Source: ONS, Interim 2011 sub‐national population projections 13.3 Noticeable, is that, almost without exception, the reduction in the relative size of age groups under the age of 65. The district’s ‘waist band’ remains reflecting a significant number of people leaving the district at around 20 years of age, but then returning over the proceeding two decades. 13.4 If the pyramid above shows how the relative size of age bands will change in relation to one another over the next decade, the table below describes this in absolute terms. 13.5 This estimates the number of 0‐9 year olds living in West Berkshire to have grown by 3,300 by 2021 (or 17%). This compares to a similar expected growth across the South East of around 15%. The numbers of 10‐19 year olds is anticipated to have increased by around 1,500 (or 8%), which is in line with the projected growth rate for the district as a whole. 13.6 At the other end of the age spectrum, the figures show an anticipated growth in the over 65 population of 34% (or 8,000 people) compared to 26% regionally. Breaking this down, the most significant growth is in the oldest age groups (75+).

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Projected change in population 2011‐21 – by age West Berkshire Berkshire South East England Change in Pop’n pop’n Change in Change in Change in Change in 2021 (nos) pop’n (%) pop’n (%) pop’n (%) pop’n (%) 0‐4 10,516 418 4% 5% 6% 9% 5‐9 11,961 2,911 32% 27% 24% 23% 0‐9 22,477 3,329 17% 15% 15% 16% 10‐14 11,797 1,851 19% 19% 11% 9% 15‐19 9,509 ‐304 ‐3% 1% ‐6% ‐8% 0‐19 43,783 4,876 13% 13% 8% 8% 20‐24 6,221 ‐1,060 ‐15% 0% ‐4% ‐4% 25‐29 8,499 114 1% 6% 7% 9% 30‐34 10,267 941 10% 7% 11% 16% 20‐34 24,986 ‐6 0% 4% 5% 7% 35‐39 11,314 342 3% 6% 5% 9% 40‐44 11,613 ‐959 ‐8% 0% ‐8% ‐8% 45‐49 11,688 ‐782 ‐6% ‐2% ‐9% ‐10% 50‐54 12,505 1,460 13% 15% 13% 11% 55‐59 12,070 2,547 27% 29% 30% 26% 60‐64 10,201 417 4% 8% 3% 2% 35‐64 69,390 3,024 5% 8% 4% 4% 65‐69 8,401 833 11% 12% 7% 7% 70‐74 8,497 2,992 54% 41% 43% 37% 75‐79 6,386 2,009 46% 29% 32% 26% 80‐84 4,258 955 29% 24% 19% 18% 85‐89 2,757 662 32% 36% 28% 26% 90+ 1,664 629 61% 75% 63% 62% 65+ 31,963 8,080 34% 29% 26% 24% 85+ 4,421 1,291 41% 50% 40% 39% All 170,123 15,975 10% 11% 9% 9% Source: ONS, Interim 2011 sub‐national population projections

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14. POPULATION PROFILE 1981‐21

14.1 The table and graph below show the change in West Berkshire’s age profile from 1981 and projected into the future in 2021.

West Berkshire 1981 1991 2001 2011 2021 0‐9 17,200 18,900 18,300 19,200 22,477 0‐19 39,200 38,200 37,300 38,900 43,783 20‐34 27,800 32,000 27,800 25,000 24,986 35‐64 41,100 51,400 60,300 66,400 69,390 65+ 14,600 17,200 19,200 23,900 31,963 85+ 1,100 1,700 2,300 3,100 4,421 Total 139,900 157,700 162,900 173,400 170,123

Change in Population in West Berkshire by broad age banding (1981‐2021)

70,000

60,000

0‐9

50,000 0‐19

20‐34 40,000 people 35‐64 of

Nos 30,000 85+

65+ 20,000

10,000

0 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021

14.2 This shows quite graphically how the overall population is projected to have grown by around a fifth (or 30,000 people) over these 40 years. However, within this figure he number of children (0‐9) is projected to have increased by around a third (or 5,000 people), young people more generally by less than the average increase (0‐19s increase by 12% or ,4500 people). 14.3 The number of ‘younger’ working age people (20‐34), having increased in the 1980s, fell back again in the 1990s to have reduced by around a tenth (or 3,000 ) over this 40 year time frame. Conversely, ‘older ‘ working age people (aged 35‐64) is set to have increased by around 2/3s compared to 1981 (or 30,000 people).

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14.4 The number of people aged 65 is set to more than doubled from just over 14,500 to 32,000, whilst the number of people aged over 85 will have tripled.

15. DEPRIVATION IN WEST BERKSHIRE

15.1 The Department for Communities and Local Government’s (CLG) Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) are used to gain a better understanding of the scale and type of deprivation experienced by people in different areas across the country. The indices measure a number of factors (income, employment, health, education, barriers to services, the environment and crime) to capture the spread of issues which contribute to people’s quality of life. Individual aspects of deprivation in any one area can then be separated out and measured individually. 15.2 A more detailed explanation of the indices – as well as the indices themselves is available through the West Berkshire Council research webpages at westberks.gov.uk/research or from the CLG’s website at communities.gov.uk. 15.3 Overall, the district of West Berkshire ranks 288 out of 326 local authority areas – i.e. is the 38th least deprived district in England. Note that the IMD measures areas smaller than wards ‐ called Super Output Areas (SOAs) – so areas of deprivation shown below are for parts of wards, rather than wards as a whole. (See Section 2.6 above for a more detailed description of SOAs.) More information is available through stats on maps at westberks.gov.uk/research. 15.4 West Berkshire’s average ‘score’ for all SOAs, 9.98, is well below the national average of 19.15, and compares well with the South East (14.14). West Berkshire’s results within the individual domains of the IMD are generally high. The only one which is relatively weak is ‘barriers to housing and access to services’. This may reflect problems with housing affordability and the distances some of our rural residents have to travel to access essential services. 15.5 As with other areas, there are differences in the extent of deprivation across the district. The map below gives an indication of this ‐ the darker the area the ‘higher’ the rank and the more deprived. (Click on the map to view the IMD 2010 data on Stats on Maps.)

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Source: Department for Communities Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2010

15.6 Areas ranked as being more deprived are, overall, largely clustered around Newbury – with other areas in Calcot, and to the east of the district, Lambourn, Thatcham and Aldermaston. Areas classed as less deprived, include some of the suburban areas around Newbury, Purley and Pangbourne along the River Thames and some of the rural areas in the centre of the district. 15.7 The table below shows our areas of highest deprivation in relation to the rest of England. For example, the Nightingales estate in Greenham is ranked as the most deprived area in West Berkshire. In relation to the rest of England, this area is ranked 6,258 out of 32,482 areas across the England – or nationally, in the 19th percentile. 15.8 More specifically, Greenham is particularly deprived in terms of income and education, ranked only in the 17th and 5th percentile nationally. Similarly Lambourn, Clay Hill and areas of Calcot and Thatcham all score poorly with education. A more detailed break down of West Berkshire’s most deprived SOAs is provided in the table below.

Overall SOA – Ward Deprivation theme National national Percentile percentile 19% The Nightingales and Equine Way ‐ Income 17% Greenham Employment 27% Education 5% 32% Royal Ave ‐ Calcot Education 16% Crime 13%

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Overall SOA – Ward Deprivation theme National national Percentile percentile 34% Park Ave and The Henrys ‐ Income 23% Thatcham North Education 19% 35% Newbury town centre – Victoria Income 33% Crime 4% 35% London Road, Faraday Road – Victoria Income 34% Education 27% Living Env. 31% 37% Brummell Road ‐ Speen Income 28% Education 19% 44% Hospital / Gaywood Drive ‐ Clay Hill Income 34% Education 13% 45% Walton Way / Curling Way ‐ Clay Hill Income 35% Education 15% 46% West Fields – Northcroft Crime 17% 46% Roman Way – Thatcham West Education 19% Crime 22%

15.9 In terms of rural deprivation in West Berkshire, generally the district fares well. The Index of Multiple Deprivation identifies only 10% of the most deprived areas in England as rural ones. However, the proportion of deprived people living in rural areas is significantly greater than this proportion of areas might suggest. Also, the majority of deprived people do not actually live in deprived areas. For example, across England, only 23% of working aged people who received DWP benefits were living in the most deprived 10% of areas (OCSI 2010). 15.10 Of the rural areas in West Berkshire none fall within the 30% most deprived areas in England as a whole, however, Lambourn Valley (around Mill Lane area) is the most deprived rural area, with Sulhamstead (Englefield) and Aldermaston (Aldermaston village and Soke), two areas of Downlands and Sulhamstead being the top 3 rural deprived areas in West Berkshire. 15.11 The table below gives the top 10 most deprived rural areas in West Berkshire with IMD rank and percentile for each of these areas.

The most deprived rural areas in West Berkshire according to IMD 2010 LSOA area IMD Rank National Percentile Lambourn Valley (Nr.Mill Lane) 16,231 50% Sulhamstead (Englefield)) 20,126 62% Aldermaston (Aldermaston Village & Soke) 20,593 63% Speen (Stockcross, Wickham Heath, Winterbourne) 21,034 65% Hungerford (Priory Road and Hungerford Common) 21,063 65%

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The most deprived rural areas in West Berkshire according to IMD 2010 LSOA area IMD Rank National Percentile Downlands (Nr. Brightwalton) 21,123 65% Burghfield (Clay Hill Rd, Burghfield Common) 21,503 66% Compton (Hamstead Norreys, Ashampstead, Yattendon) 21,604 67% Downlands (Leckhampstead, Peasemore, Stanmore, Beedon, 21,623 67% East Illsley) Lambourn Valley (Hungerford Hill, Lambourn Woodlands, 21,821 67% Woodlands St, Mary, Eastbury)

16. THE CHILD WELL‐BEING INDEX 2009

16.1 The Child Well‐Being Index, published in January 2009 – similar to the IMD ‐ is an index of some of the major areas ‐or domains ‐ of a child’s life that affect their well‐being. 16.2 The index is not comprehensive as it does not include more subjective sources of information such as relationships with family, behaviour and risks as this data is captured by surveys and thus cannot be used for small area analysis. However it is a good indication of the major factors impacting on a child’s life and is hence an index of well‐being rather than strictly deprivation as it includes variables that are outside of the normal definition of ‘deprivation’. 16.3 The data used in the index is from National Indicators, many of which also relate to the general indices of deprivation. The data has been divided into 7 areas – or domains: material well‐being, health, education, crime, housing and the environment as well as children at risk. 16.4 Each domain has a number of associated indicators, for example, secondary school absence rate, burglary rate and overcrowding. Information is available at lower level Super Output Area (SOA) and is based on 2005 data. Average scores are also provided at district and county levels. West Berkshire has an overall average ranking of 34 out of 354 ranked authorities. 16.5 Within West Berkshire there are 10 SOAs that are overall ranked below the 50th percentile nationally. The table below gives the ward in which these SOAs are and a description of the area to which the SOA relates.

National Ward Area Percentile Greenham The Nightingales / Equine Way 22% Thatcham North Park Ave / The Henrys 33% Lambourn Valley Nr Mill Lane 35%

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National Ward Area Percentile Clay Hill Gaywood Drive 35% Aldermaston Aldermaston Village and Soke 39% Speen Brummell Road 42% Calcot Royal Ave 43% Clay Hill Walton Way 44% Victoria Town Centre 46% Kintbury Enborne 49%

16.6 Links to the summary report by the CLG and excel data files can be found on the West Berkshire research webpages at www.westberks.gov.uk/research.

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Contents:

Education and Lifelong Learning ...... 37 1. Local Authority Interactive Tool ...... 37 2. The Profile of our School Population ...... 37 3. School Provision and Access ...... 38 4. Vulnerable Groups ...... 40 5. Free School Meals ...... 40 6. Early Years Foundation Stage ...... 41 7. Key Stage 1 for 7 year olds ...... 42 8. Key Stage 2 for 11 year olds ...... 43 9. Key Stage 4 (GCSEs) ...... 45 10. School Inspections ...... 48 11. Post 16 Education, Beyond compulsory education ...... 49

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EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING

17. LOCAL AUTHORITY INTERACTIVE TOOL

17.1 Throughout this section, a lot of data is drawn from the Local Authority Interactive Tool (LAIT). This brings together a consistent set of local authority (LA) performance and data items including:  Inspectorate judgments  Contextual information about individual LAs, including number and type of schools, social deprivation factors  Pupil attainment, health, looked‐after children, post‐16, etc. 17.2 The LAIT includes baseline and time‐series data for more than 180 different data items allowing comparisons to be made both over time and, for benchmarking purposes, against national, regional and statistical neighbour groups. The information is presented in interactive tables and charts with the LA's rank out of the 152 local authorities, and quartile position included to indicate performance in the national context. 17.3 The LAIT data is continuously updated when new data is released so that users always have access to the very latest information.

18. THE PROFILE OF OUR SCHOOL POPULATION

18.1 Overall, there are around 25,000 pupils in West Berkshire. The chart below displays the split among boys and girls in our school population, indicating the natural variation in birth rates across genders. The growing numbers entering our primary school intakes (years are pre‐Reception ‐3 to ‐1, Reception yr 0 and curriculum years 1 – 6) can also be seen.

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18.2 Not all our pupils are residents from the West Berkshire authority area. Of the numbers on our schools rolls over 3000 (13%) are from neighbouring authorities. We currently host pupils from 8 other authorities, over 2500 of them (>10% of the total students) coming from Reading borough. 18.3 A growing number of pupils do not speak English as a first language. In West Berkshire this accounts for 5% of our primary pupils in 2012, steadily growing from 2% in 2006, compared to 17% nationally in 2012. The most common spoken language other than English by pupils of West Berkshire is Polish. 18.4 The figure for secondary schools is lower at 3.5% for West Berkshire schools in 2012. Again this is an increasing trend since 2006 when it was 2%. This compares to 6.6% within our statistical neighbours and 13% nationally in 2012. 18.5 In the January 2012 school census there were 251 children identified from service families. Of these, 152 were registered at primary schools, 93 at secondary and 2 at other schools. 18.6 Further information on school rolls and other data is available from westberks.gov.uk/Education_School_Census_Analysis.

19. SCHOOL PROVISION AND ACCESS

19.1 Serving a wide and diverse geographical area, there are a range of schools, covering both rural and urban areas. There is a mixed primary school system, including ‘all through’ primary schools, infant schools and junior schools. Out of the 66 primary schools there are currently 8 infants schools catering for pupils up to academic Year2 (5 ‐7 year olds), and 7 junior schools taking pupils from academic years 3‐6 (age 7‐ 10).

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Type of establishment No of pupils No of schools Nursery 198 2 Primary 12481 66 Secondary 12040 10 Independent 3338 13 Special 318 2 Pupil Referral Unit 46 2 Totals 28421 95

19.2 Of the 82 non‐independent schools, 34 have a religious character: faith schools or schools with a religious character receive supplementary funding from religious bodies. At a ‘Voluntary Aided’ school the Church pays for 10% of projects, while at ‘Voluntary Controlled’ schools the Church contributes the building only. This contribution to costs means the Church retains a stake in the governance and admittance policy of the school. Often the Church will also set the ethos of the school.

Religious Schools Voluntary Controlled Voluntary Aided Catholic Primary School 0 3 Church of England Primary School 20 11

19.3 There is one secondary Voluntary Aided school, without a religious character, and there is also a secondary Foundation school. A Foundation school is a state funded school where the governing body has greater freedoms than in a Community school. On occasion, Foundation school building stock or land is owned by a Foundation or Trust. 19.4 All West Berkshire secondary schools have a 6th form. All secondary schools have a specialism.

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Secondary schools with specialist status Name Specialist Status Denefield School Technology and Training The Downs School Languages John O’Gaunt Community Technology Technology College Technology, Theatre Arts and Modern Kennet School Foreign languages Little Heath School Science and Maths Park House School and Sports College Sports St Bartholemew’s School Business and Enterprise Theale Green Community School Arts and Science Trinity School Performing Arts The Willink Languages

19.5 In line with government education reforms we have a number of academies. Academies differ in that they are funded directly from central government, and are independent of direct local authority control. An academy may receive additional support, either financial or other types, from corporate or personal sponsors, and have other types of freedoms, but must still deliver the National Curriculum and its subjects and they remain subject to Ofsted inspections.

20. VULNERABLE GROUPS

20.1 If children have a learning difficulty or disability they may have Special Educational Needs (SEN), and require extra support at school. While some children only require help for a short time others may need longer term support. 20.2 Nationally about 20% of children have special needs at some time, while in West Berkshire this figure is around 16% in 2012. There are currently 830 children with a confirmed special need for support, and 2966 children receiving extra school support without a statement. 20.3 Latest figures for GCSE Attainment of SEN children indicate that 49% of SEN students gain 5 A*‐G GCSE passes in 2011. This means West Berkshire SEN children do better than others in the region or nationally. WBC ranks 34th on this measure and falls into band A.

21. FREE SCHOOL MEALS

21.1 West Berkshire has a low proportion of children under 16 in poverty: 11.6 % in this category in 2010 compared to 21% nationally.

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21.2 Qualification for free schools meals (FSM) indicates households with less financial resources and thus a potential barrier to a positive learning environment. In West Berkshire 8% of our pupils qualify for free school meals: 6.5% of secondary school pupils; 9% of primary. 21.3 At Key Stage 4, 18% of those qualifying for FSM gained 5 or more A*‐C (inc English and Maths), while of those not FSM 62% reached this level of achievement.

22. EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE

22.1 The Foundation Stage is the first measured stage of children’s development and covers the period of development before children have to attend compulsory schooling. Children who achieve a score of 78 points or more across the 13 assessment scales score an average of 6 points per scale. When a child who achieves this overall score also achieves a score of 6 or more in each of the PSE (Personal, Social, Emotion) and CLL (Comprehension, Language and Literacy) scales, that child is deemed to be reaching a good level of overall achievement. This measure is used to assess the progress made by local authorities in improving outcomes, a duty placed on local authorities by the Childcare Act of 2006. 22.2 Since the introduction of national comparators, the Foundation Stage provisions in West Berkshire have reported a continuing rising trend in children's aptitude in line with the national trend. 22.3 The chart below shows a higher proportion of West Berkshire pupils aged 5 achieving the 78 point standard. With 68% of WB pupils achieving this standard compared to 64% nationally. West Berkshire pupils have continued to improve since 2006 (36%). This figure ranks West Berkshire 26th of 152 local authorities nationally, and in band B.

Source: Department for Education

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22.4 West Berkshire’s statistical neighbours (comparator areas) currently consists of: Central Bedfordshire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Bracknell Forest, Cambridgeshire. Cheshire East, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Wiltshire, and Surrey. 22.5 The attainment gap between the lowest achieving 20% in the Early Years Foundation Stage and the rest in West Berkshire continues a downward overall trend, with West Berkshire outperforming most of the country. The table below shows the gap has been reduced from 37% in 2005 to 25% in 2012. This trend outperforms the national and neighbour figures over the same period. West Berkshire ranks 4th in the country.

Source: Department for Education

23. KEY STAGE 1 FOR 7 YEAR OLDS

23.1 Key Stage 1 for 6 and 7 year olds: Assessment Phonics Decoding has been introduced as a new assessment in 2012 for pupils in academic year 1. Phonics is a method of teaching reading and writing of the English language by developing a persons ability to hear, identify and manipulate phonemes or sounds, and to relate these to graphemes or spelling patterns. 23.2 For West Berkshire, 57% of pupils achieved the expected ‘working at’ level compared to 58% nationally and 58% amongst our statistical neighbours. This figure ranks WBC 78th of 152 local authorities. 23.3 West Berkshire 7 year olds are assessed across a range of subject areas. The table below shows the proportion of pupils achieving the expected level 2 or higher standard during 2012, in comparison to national and statistical neighbour results, and displays West Berkshire ranking in the 152 local authorities.

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KS1 Attainment Stat National National WBC % Neighbours mean % rank mean % Reading 92 89 87 1 Writing 89 86 83 2 Maths 93 92 91 7 Science 95 92 89 1 Speaking and Listening 93 90 88 5

Source: Department for Education

24. KEY STAGE 2 FOR 11 YEAR OLDS

24.1 Key Stage 2 is assessed for 11 year olds at the end of primary school in academic year 6. The assessments cover a variety of core subjects where pupils are expected to have attained level 4 or better. The table below shows the results of West Berkshire pupils against statistical neighbours and national figures.

KS2 attainment level 4+ Stat National WBC % Neighbours National rank mean % mean % English 87 87 85 34

Reading 87 88 87 54 Writing 83 83 81 35 Maths 82 85 84 103 Science 87 89 87 62

Source: Department for Education 24.2 When assessed together, 79% of West Berkshire pupils attain level 4 or better in both English and Maths. This has risen from 74% in 2011. In 2012 80% of pupils within WB statistical neighbour group and nationally attained level4 in both subjects. On this measure WBC is ranked 77th in band C. 24.3 Key stage 2 pupils are also assessed on progress from KS1. This new measure accounts for all pupils. Pupils are expected to make 2 or more levels of progress in English and Maths.

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24.4 Progress in English has improved in 2012 with 88% of West Berkshire pupils making 2 levels of progress between KS1 and KS2; this is up from 84% in 2011 and is comparable with the national figure, and local and statistical neighbours. West Berkshire is ranked 109th amongst local authorities and places WBC in band D.

Source: Department for Education 24.5 In Maths West Berkshire figures are lower than the national figure of 87% at 83% for 2012. West Berkshire is ranked 142nd on this measure and sits in band D.

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Source: Department for Education

25. KEY STAGE 4 (GCSES)

25.1 Over the 5 years of secondary school life pupils will prepare and progress to study for qualifications at key stage 4. The range of qualifications is varied to suit learners of different abilities and aspirations. 25.2 The proportion of pupils gaining 5 or more A*‐C grades has increased from 75% in 2011 to 76.7% in 2012. There has also been a small rise at national level and with WBC’s statistical neighbours (79% ‐ 81%), West Berkshire now sits ranked 136th nationally in band D on this measure. 25.3 The proportion of pupils gaining 5 or more A*‐C grades (including English and Maths) has dropped from 60% in 2011 to 56.5% in 2012. While there has also been a slight drop off at national level and with WBC statistical neighbours (62% ‐ 61%), West Berkshire now sits ranked 99th nationally in band C on this measure.

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Source: Department for Education

5 or more A*‐C grades at GCSE including English and Maths (End of Key Stage 4) 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 West Berkshire 49.6 51.6 53.4 52.9 54.9 60.7 60.1 56.5 Central Bedfordshire ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ 50.0 54.2 59.4 56.9 Cambridgeshire 49.6 50.1 49.6 53.6 56.2 58.9 59.3 56.9 Oxfordshire 45.3 47.5 48.1 50.5 52.9 57.3 57.4 57.2 Hampshire 49.3 50.2 51.3 53.8 55.4 58.9 60.8 57.8 Wiltshire 49.4 48.5 49.6 53.2 55.4 55.8 60.5 58.8 Bracknell Forest 42.5 47.2 48.4 51.5 51.3 56.9 59.7 61.2 Cheshire East ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ 57.3 62.5 64.4 61.4 Surrey 50.6 52.7 54.0 56.8 58.8 62.0 63.5 62.9 Hertfordshire 51.2 53.7 55.9 58.1 59.3 64.1 66.9 65.3 Buckinghamshire 58.6 59.1 60.5 63.4 65.4 66.9 69.7 69.4 Statistical Neighbours 49.6 51.1 52.2 55.1 56.2 59.8 62.2 60.8 England 44.7 45.6 46.3 47.6 49.8 53.5 59.0 58.6 Source: Department for Education

25.4 More students have gained 5 or more A*‐G grades (including English and Maths) than ever before. This figure has risen from 95% in 2011 to 96% in 2012. West Berkshire now sits 3rd in their statistical family and is ranked 16th nationally in band A on this measure.

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Source: Department for Education 25.5 Qualifications at GCSE and their equivalents are central to Department for Education (DfE) inspections, and local authority performance is also recorded with performance measures of ‘Average Capped score per pupil’ and ‘Average point score per pupil’. (NB: A capped APS only counts the top 8 scores, while uncapped counts all scores for all subject results. This allows for proper comparison where pupils are expected to study at least 8 subjects) 25.6 Over the period 2005 to 2012 the Capped Average points score has risen from 305 to 340. This is in line with national trends. This can be seen in the chart below.

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Source: Department for Education

26. SCHOOL INSPECTIONS

26.1 A new school inspection framework (introduced January 2012) has resulted in fewer schools nationally now being judged good or better. The Framework was revised again in September 2012 with a further "raising of the bar" in that the acceptable standard is now good. 26.2 If a school does not reach this standard it is deemed to either ‘require improvement’ or can be designated as a school causing concern with either ‘serious weaknesses’ or ‘special measures’. A school judged to be ‘requiring improvement’ has 4 years to improve to good or it will then be judged as inadequate and in a category of ‘special measures’. 26.3 76% of WBC schools currently hold a judgement of ‘good’ or better under the Ofsted framework. 26.4 As schools are inspected throughout the year so these figures change. Those schools classed as ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’ will not be inspected as frequently as those ‘Requiring Improvement’. Source: Ofsted

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27. POST 16 EDUCATION, BEYOND COMPULSORY EDUCATION

27.1 The numbers of students sitting examinations in year 12 has increased in 2012 to 1086 from 1019 in 2011; this represents a 6.5% rise.

3+ A grades at GCE/Applied GCE A Level and Double Awards 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Bracknell Forest 8.0 7.9 8.3 9.8 7.7 Central Bedfordshire ‐ 5.8 6.6 6.9 8.1 Cheshire East ‐ 11.2 10.0 11.5 8.9 West Berkshire 10.2 13.0 12.8 11.6 9.3 Surrey 8.6 9.2 9.3 9.9 9.7 Oxfordshire 9.6 8.8 8.3 10.1 10.0 Hampshire 10.8 11.0 12.1 12.4 11.6 Hertfordshire 11.1 12.0 11.4 12.4 12.4 Wiltshire 12.5 13.1 13.2 14.2 12.9 Cambridgeshire 15.1 13.7 13.4 14.5 13.1 Buckinghamshire 19.2 18.6 21.3 21.1 20.2 Statistical Neighbours 11.9 11.1 11.4 12.3 11.5 England 12.1 12.7 12.8 13.1 12.5

27.2 The government has developed 2 specific performance measures; Average point score per student (APS), and Average point score per entry (APE). These indicators are based on a standard points value of the various types of qualification. . APS totals the scores in different subjects and thus a student taking more A levels is likely to gain a higher score than a pupil taking less, given similar performance within a subject. APE indicates how well students are choosing their subjects as well as how well they are completing them as the score reflects the points gained from a single subject. 27.3 When assessed by APS, West Berkshire has performed better than either their statistical neighbours or the national average for the last seven years. Although results have fallen across most authorities due to stricter marking regimes introduced this year, West Berkshire remains above its comparators in 2012.

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GCE/A/AS Level ‐ Average Point Score per candidate 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Bracknell Forest 633.2 671.7 684.3 700.4 689.7 717.9 659.7 Oxfordshire 682.6 714.3 724.6 722.4 721.3 708.0 703.6 Cheshire East ‐ ‐ ‐ 724.8 716.3 724.9 704.0 Cambridgeshire 754.0 766.0 797.6 763.2 764.0 755.0 714.2 Hertfordshire 695.3 713.6 732.4 730.9 741.9 736.6 715.1 Surrey 713.9 712.8 729.7 720.8 725.6 727.4 718.3 West Berkshire 769.4 738.3 759.1 787.8 764.9 754.1 730.7 Hampshire 766.3 783.0 796.4 787.0 794.2 779.2 740.1 Wiltshire 741.6 738.0 748.6 755.1 774.2 765.3 752.4 Central Bedfordshire ‐ ‐ ‐ 741.1 739.7 750.3 759.5 Buckinghamshire 802.2 801.0 792.0 790.1 816.4 822.8 807.5 Statistical Neighbours 723.6 737.6 750.7 743.6 748.3 748.7 727.4 England 721.5 731.1 739.8 739.1 744.8 745.9 717.7 Source: Department for Education.

27.4 The table above is ranked by score and WBC is placed slightly better than mid table. West Berkshire APS figure has dropped 23 points from 2011, but this is less than the national figure which has fallen by 28 points. West Berkshire remains in the upper quartile banding and is ranked nationally 31st overall. 27.5 When assessed by Average points per entry the situation is less clear for West Berkshire.

27.6 The table below shows West Berkshire is placed slightly below mid place of its statistical neighbours. For 2012 WBC recorded a figure of 208, dropping by 5 points from 2011. However all authorities showed reduced figures for 2012.

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GCE/A/AS Level ‐ Average Point Score per entry 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Bracknell Forest 191.8 199.0 201.6 207.7 211.2 213.1 203.1 Central Bedfordshire ‐ ‐ ‐ 199.1 202.1 207.2 204.9 Oxfordshire 204.8 207.6 208.0 210.5 211.8 213.0 207.6 West Berkshire 205.4 200.4 208.3 214.8 212.4 213.9 208.8 Hampshire 207.5 209.3 210.8 213.3 213.9 214.5 209.9 Cambridgeshire 208.3 209.5 212.0 211.0 213.0 215.3 210.1 Surrey 204.8 205.7 209.3 210.3 213.5 214.9 212.8 Cheshire East ‐ ‐ ‐ 212.4 215.7 218.5 213.2 Wiltshire 209.3 208.0 208.7 210.9 214.3 215.9 213.6 Hertfordshire 204.9 207.1 210.2 211.5 215.0 218.3 215.6 Buckinghamshire 217.7 217.4 219.2 219.6 226.2 229.2 225.0 Statistical Neighbours 206.1 208.0 210.0 210.6 213.7 216.0 211.6 England 206.2 207.5 209.4 211.7 214.4 216.2 211.8 Source: Department for Education

27.7 West Berkshire is ranked nationally 55th for APS in 2012, and sits in band B of the quartile banding.

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Contents:

Housing ...... 53 1. Types of Housing ...... 53 2. House Prices ...... 53 3. Affordability ...... 55 4. Affordable Housing ...... 55 5. Homelessness ...... 56 6. Tenure ...... 57 7. Council Tax Bands ...... 58 8. Condition of Housing Stock ...... 59 9. Fuel Poverty ...... 60 10. Housing Deprivation across the District ...... 60 11. Rural Housing and Deprivation ...... 62

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HOUSING

1. TYPES OF HOUSING

1.1 West Berkshire covers an area of approximately 272 square miles or about half of the County of Berkshire. 74% of the district lies within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) with major urban areas of Newbury, Thatcham and the east bordering Reading. 1.2 Due to its rural nature West Berkshire has a much higher proportion of detached and semi‐detached houses than the rest of the country.

Types of housing (2011) West West South East England & Berkshire Berkshire (%) Wales (nos) (%) (%) Detached 21,875 34% 28% 23% Semi‐detached 21,198 33% 28% 31% Terraced 11,542 18% 22% 25% Flat 9,323 15% 21% 22% Caravan or other mobile / 719 1% <1% <1% temporary structure Source: 2011 Census, ONS

1.3 The table above shows that a third of dwellings are semi‐detached – roughly in line with national proportions. 1.4 However, markedly, 1 in 3 houses in the area are detached ‐ significantly greater than the national average (less than 1 in 4). Noticeable also is the lower proportion of terraced houses and flats in West Berkshire: 15% of properties in the district compared to just over 20% in the South East and nationally. 1.5 Housing type varies across the different areas in the district. As one would expect there is a dominance of terraced houses and flats in the Victoria and Northcroft wards in central Newbury. Similarly, there is a greater prominence of detached housing in areas such as rural Basildon and Bucklebury, Lambourn and Cold Ash, as well as some of the more affluent suburban areas such as Purley and Westwood on the Reading fringe.

2. HOUSE PRICES

2.1 House prices in West Berkshire rose by over 194% between 1995 and 2013 placing it as one of the more expensive places to buy a house outside of London. Whilst house prices have fallen as a consequence of the economic downturn, house prices in West Berkshire are still higher than the national average and are now very similar to their 2007 values.

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Average house price variance (Jan 2000 – Jan 2012) Average price (£) Average price (£) % variance SE v January West Berkshire South East WB 1995 80,800 71,758 ‐13%

1996 80,321 69,932 ‐15% 1997 85,032 74,549 ‐14% 1998 97,189 84,978 ‐14%

1999 106,372 90,725 ‐17% 2000 125,731 107,729 ‐17% 2001 145,568 121,077 ‐20%

2002 160,884 137,742 ‐17% 2003 185,607 169,516 ‐9% 2004 194,114 181,152 ‐7% 2005 208,678 194,518 ‐7% 2006 208,589 196,165 ‐6% 2007 226,503 212,640 ‐7% 2008 243,352 227,610 ‐7% 2009 215,479 190,898 ‐13% 2010 216,919 206,868 ‐5% 2011 226,876 206,051 ‐10% 2012 221,685 206,037 ‐8% 2013 233,906 211,054 ‐11% Source: Land Registry

2.2 As at January 2013, the average house price in West Berkshire was £233,906 compared to £162,441 for England and £211,054 for the South East. This reflects a trend where historically West Berkshire is above the national average: in 2001 the average house price in the district was £145,568 which, at the time, was £58,422 above the average. The graph below illustrates the trend in house prices from 1995 for the district compared with the regional and national averages.

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2.3 The table below provides a breakdown of property prices within the district and a comparison with the South East and England and Wales averages as of August 2012. West Berkshire prices are higher than both South East and England and Wales average prices for each property type with the exception of flats and maisonettes, for which the England and Wales average is slightly higher. However, this property type is less common in West Berkshire than the South East and England and Wales (see Section 2.1).

Property type (August 2012) West Berkshire South East England & average (£) average (£) Wales average (£) Flat / Maisonette 150,006 130,521 152,023 Terraced House 181,165 164,831 125,329 Semi‐detached House 218,931 209,041 154,774 Detached House 382,391 367,673 255,562 All 229,051 211,050 163,376 Source:, Land Registry

3. AFFORDABILITY

3.1 Good transport links, proximity to London and employment opportunities make West Berkshire a highly desirable area to live. Like many areas in the South East, affordable housing is therefore a critical strategic concern as our accommodation costs are consistently among the highest in the country. 3.2 A single income household would need to earn considerably above the average wage to receive a 90% mortgage on an average flat, which would therefore be out of reach of many wage earners without some form of assistance. This has a major impact on the ability to find and retain younger staff in general and key workers in particular and a growing impact with the escalation in the projected need for care workers in the community. The problem is compounded in rural areas by the strict countryside protection policies, tending to keep the available housing stock prices high.

4. AFFORDABLE HOUSING

4.1 Absolute prices are an issue for many people and affordability is a significant issue in West Berkshire in terms of recruiting and retaining key workers. Affordable housing covers a range of tenure types ‐ as well as the traditional social rented accommodation, affordable housing also includes low cost home ownership ‐ e.g. through shared ownership. 4.2 From April 2013, a new Affordable Rent tenancy has been introduced that offers accommodation through Registered Providers at up to 80% of open market rents. It is likely that rents for affordable rent tenancies will need to be between 60 and 70%

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of open market rents to be affordable to local residents. In addition, social and affordable tenancies can now be offered on a fixed‐term basis. 4.3 Delivery of new units has been severely impacted by the economic downturn. The Council has enabled the delivery of 185 new affordable homes in West Berkshire in 2012/13, up from 7 in 2011/12 with a further 133 units forecast in 2013/14. 4.4 As of 1st April 2012 there were 4076 households registered on the Common Housing Register, increased from 2,785 at 1st April 2006. There are a high number of local people who either need a home of their own or require more suitable accommodation. The highest number of households registered is for one bedroom accommodation which reflects the increasing numbers of single person households trying to get on the property ladder. However, the greatest demand in terms of new affordable housing is for family‐sized accommodation, which has much lower levels of turnover. 4.5 The Council seeks to ensure that a proportion of the housing built will be affordable housing. The new Core Strategy reduced the threshold for affordable housing from fifteen units to five units or over, maintaining the contribution level at 30% for Brownfield sites, but increasing it to 40% for Greenfield sites. The new policy should increase the overall contributions of affordable housing through the planning system. 4.6 A shortage of affordable housing in rural areas which are popular and attractive places to live is a particular problem. Demand for new houses is high with local people competing with new residents such as commuters and the retired to purchase houses. This can create unbalanced communities, drive up house prices and deny local people the chance of securing a home of their own. 4.7 The Rural Housing Enabler project was established in 2006 and works with rural parishes to undertake Local Housing Needs Surveys. Since the introduction of the project, five rural exception sites have been delivered. The Council also has a target to deliver at least 25% of the affordable housing programme in rural areas, which has been consistently delivered. Source: Affordable Housing

5. HOMELESSNESS

5.1 Many people can be threatened with homelessness for a number of reasons including the break down of a family unit or economic downturn. West Berkshire Council works closely with its partners in preventing homelessness. In 2011/12, the Council prevented 419 households from becoming homeless, an increase of 12% on the previous year. 5.2 Whilst preventions have increased, so too has the number of households approaching the Council as homeless, with 53 acceptances in 2011/12 compared to 14 in 2010/11. The main reasons people approach the Council and are accepted as homeless are:  Being asked to leave the homes of family or friends (59%)

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 End of Assured Shorthold Tenancy and loss of tied accommodation (10%) and  Non‐violent relationship breakdown (8%). 5.3 Around 2% of homelessness acceptances are due to mortgage arrears and 10% are experiencing domestic abuse or fleeing violence. 5.4 The number of rough sleepers in West Berkshire is anecdotally reported to be very low compared to national statistics. This is in part down to the provision of hostel overnight accommodation. 5.5 West Berkshire Council has also worked towards reducing the number of households living in temporary accommodation. In 2004 there were 198 families living in temporary accommodation, this has been reduced to 30 as at 1st April 2012. 5.6 To find out more about Housing strategy and services in West Berkshire, see the Housing pages on the West Berkshire website.

6. TENURE

6.1 Between 2001 and 2011 the number of households in West Berkshire has increased to 62,340 (9% from 2001). 6.2 In this time, the number of homes owned outright has increased to just under 19,500. This is an increase of 19% since 2001. The proportion of homes owned outright in West Berkshire in 2011 was 31% ‐ compared to 28% in 2001. This represents a proportionate increase of 3 percentage points between 2001‐11 compared to a more marginal increase elsewhere. 6.3 Noticeable, is the fall ‐ in absolute terms – in the number of homes purchased through a mortgage. In 2001, just over 26,000 homes were owned in this way, compared to just under 24,000 in 2011 (a fall of 8%). As a consequence, the proportion of households bought on a mortgage is now 39%, compared to 46% a decade ago. Similar proportionate drops have been experienced across the South East more generally, and nationally. 6.4 Counterbalancing this is the number of properties rented privately from a landlord. This has increased by 84% to a total of just under 7,500 homes. This now represents 12% of all homes in West Berkshire, although is marginally less than elsewhere. 6.5 The number of homes rented through a Registered Social Landlord has increased by some 700 over the last decade, although the proportion of the overall housing stock remains relatively static.

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Home ownership (2011) West West Berkshire Berkshire West South East England & 2001 (nos) 2011 (nos) Berkshire (%) (%) Wales (%) Owned: Owned outright 16,297 19,455 31% (+3%) 33% (+1%) 31% (+1%) Owned: Owned with a 26,188 23,980 39% (‐7%) 35% (‐7%) 33% (‐6%) mortgage or loan Shared ownership (part 407 695 1% (‐) 1% (‐) <1% (‐) owned and part rented) Social rented 7,927 8,628 14% (‐) 14% (‐1%) 17% (‐2%) Private rented: Private 4,054 7,457 12% (+5%) 15% (+6%) 15% (+6%) landlord or letting agency Private rented: Other 977 1,098 2% (+2%) 2% (+1%) 1% (‐) Living rent free 1,510 1,027 2% (‐1%) 1% (‐1%) 1% (‐1%) Total 57,360 62,340 Source: Census (2011):

6.6 Unsurprisingly, it is the relatively affluent areas of the district such as Westwood, Basildon, Purley, Pangbourne, Aldermaston and Cold Ash which have the largest proportion of houses owned outright. Interestingly however, it is not necessarily these same areas with the lowest proportion of rented houses. For example, over 40% of houses in the relatively prosperous area of Aldermaston are owned outright, although this same area also has a significant amount – almost a quarter ‐ of rented accommodation. Rented accommodation is also predominant in urban areas such as Victoria and also in rural areas such as Compton, Downlands, Lambourn and Sulhamstead. More detailed breakdowns of Census 2011data to town, ward and lower super output levels are available at www.westberks.gov.uk/census2011.

7. COUNCIL TAX BANDS

7.1 The graph below shows the proportion of houses in the district within each council tax band, compared to the region and nationally. The proportion of houses in the higher brackets in West Berkshire is relatively similar to the region as a whole with about 30% of houses in bands E to H. However this is a higher proportion compared to nationally, where 19% of properties fall into these higher bands. It is noticeable that there are markedly fewer properties in the lower bands A and B in West Berkshire than compared to either the South East, or England. The highest proportion of properties is in the middle bands C and D – significantly more than the regional or national average.

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Source: The Valuation Office 2011 7.2 The average council tax bill for a band D property in West Berkshire in 2008/9 was £1,416, and the average for 2012/13 is £1,482.07, which compares to a national average of £1,444 for a band D. In England the average council tax per dwelling will be £1,201, an increase of 0.4% on 2011/12. The average calculation includes the precept set by parish councils, the police and fire services. Source: www.gov.uk

8. CONDITION OF HOUSING STOCK

8.1 The West Berkshire Private Sector House Condition Survey was updated in 2008. The survey estimated 62,580 private sector (including Housing Association) dwellings in West Berkshire. The way in which condition of stock is assessed has changed from the Fitness Standard to the Decent Homes Standard. The Decent Homes Standard contains four broad criteria that a property should be: above the legal minimum standard for housing; in a reasonable state of repair; have reasonably modern facilities and services; and should provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort. 8.2 The Housing Investment Programme (HIP) returns show that as at 1st April 2012, there were 1,863 vacant dwellings in the district, of which 371 had been empty for 6 months or longer. The Council adopted an Empty Homes Strategy in 2008, which offers Flexible Home Improvement Loans to owners of empty homes who wish to bring them back into use. The Strategy also sets out the use of enforcement actions, for example, Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs).

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9. FUEL POVERTY

9.1 Fuel poverty (i.e. where a household would have to spend 10% or more of their net household income on heating and hot water to give an adequate provision of warmth and hot water) damages the health of those living in cold homes and affects their quality of life. The old, children and those who are disabled or have a long‐term illness are especially vulnerable. The main cause of fuel poverty in the UK is a combination of poor energy efficiency in homes and low incomes. The Private Sector House Condition Survey (2008) estimated that 6,100 (9.7%) dwellings in West Berkshire are in fuel poverty, compared to approximately 13.9% in England. 9.2 The House Condition Survey looked at fuel poverty across three sub‐areas: Thatcham; Newbury; and other towns and rural. Unsurprisingly, the sub‐area which incorporated rural areas had the highest incidence of fuel poverty at 10.8%. Tackling fuel poverty in rural areas can be particularly difficult, as many households do not have access to gas, the cheapest fuel for heating homes, and people in rural areas are less likely to claim benefits to which they are entitled. This also prevents them from accessing energy efficiency grants such as 'Warm Front'.

10. HOUSING DEPRIVATION ACROSS THE DISTRICT

10.1 Within the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) the domain ‘Barriers to Housing and Services’ looks at the physical and financial accessibility of housing and key local services. The domain includes indicators around household overcrowding, homelessness and housing affordability. This is the worst performing domain of the IMD, with 20 of West Berkshire’s output areas being within the bottom third in the country. The map below gives an indication of the spread of deprivation throughout the District, with the darker colours representing the more deprived areas.

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Source: www.gov.uk ‐ Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2010 10.2 As we can see from the map, it is the rural areas of West Berkshire which are the more deprived in terms of facing barriers to housing and services. Areas within Burghfield, Kintbury, Cold Ash and Basildon are the most deprived areas, coming within the 17th to 21st percentile respectively. 10.3 There is also a domain concerned with living environment. This domain looks at the quality of people’s immediate surroundings both within and outside the home. In relation to the home, it includes indicators on housing in poor condition and houses without central heating. The domain also takes into account air quality and road traffic accidents. The map below gives the spread of deprivation across West Berkshire.

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Source: www.gov.uk ‐ Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2010 10.4 Again, we can see that although West Berkshire is not as deprived within this domain as the barriers to housing, there are still some darker areas within the map – which include the more rural areas as well as some areas within Newbury. Four of West Berkshire’s areas are within the bottom third in the country:  Hampstead Norreys and Ashampstead (21st percentile),  East Fields, Kings Road and Mill Lane in Newbury (26th percentile),  Stockcross, Wickham Heath and Winterbourne in Speen (28th percentile),  London Road, Faraday Road and Hambridge Road in Newbury (31st percentile).

11. RURAL HOUSING AND DEPRIVATION

11.1 Oxford Consultants for Social Inclusion (OCSI) undertook a piece of research in 2010 looking at rural deprivation in West Berkshire, and how this compares nationally. One area that was looked into was housing. The following points were highlighted in their report. 11.2 Across rural West Berkshire:  1,065 rural households lack central heating, 45.7% of all such households across West Berkshire.  890 households are overcrowded, 33.2% of all such households across West Berkshire.  There are 3,135 households living in social rented accommodation in rural areas, 39.5% of all such stock across West Berkshire.

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11.3 In comparison with other rural areas in England:  4.5% of households in rural areas in West Berkshire have no central heating, lower than levels in rural areas in England as a whole (6.3%).  3.8% of households in rural areas in West Berkshire are overcrowded, higher than the average across rural England (2.9%).  Social housing levels are higher in rural areas in West Berkshire (13.3%) than across rural areas as a whole (11.7%). Source: The rural share of deprivation in West Berkshire, OCSI (2010 ) via CCB.

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Contents:

Economic Well‐Being ...... 65 1. Economic Assessment ...... 65 2. Employment and Unemployment ...... 65 3. Job Seeker’s Allowance Claimants ...... 67 4. Employment Deprivation ...... 70 5. Job Density ...... 70 6. Hours Worked...... 71 7. Earnings ...... 72 8. Employment by Occupation ...... 74 9. Employment across Different Sectors ...... 75 10. Qualifications of People of Working Age ...... 75 11. Enterprise Births, Deaths and Survival Rates...... 76 12. Commercial and Industrial Floorspace ...... 79 13. West Berkshire Economy in Relation to the South East and Europe ...... 80

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ECONOMIC WELL‐BEING

12. ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT

12.1 A Local Economic Assessment of West Berkshire was carried out in 2011 in order to provide a commonly agreed picture of the economy in West Berkshire and to inform strategy, policy and programme development. It looks at how the economy functions and interacts with other aspects of life in West Berkshire, such as its society and environment as well as more information on business and business support in West Berkshire. It is available to download from the West Berkshire website.

13. EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT

13.1 The table below shows 82.6% of the working age population in West Berkshire are economically active (i.e. are either employed, or unemployed but available to start work, looking for work, or waiting to start a job) this is a slight decrease on 2010/11 (82.9%); however, still higher than the rate for both the region and nationally. As well as having a higher proportion of people economically active, the district also has a significantly larger proportion of people in employment – and as a consequence, a lower proportion of people unemployed (i.e. available to start work and had either looked for work, or were waiting to start a job).

Overall employment & unemployment – seasonally adjusted (Oct 2011 – Sep 2012) West Berkshire South East (%) UK (%) (%) Economically active 82.6 79.3 76.7 In employment † 78.8 74.6 70.5 Employees † 66.9 63.4 60.5 Self‐employed † 11.7 10.8 9.6 Unemployed § 4.6 5.8 7.9 Economically inactive 17.4 20.7 23.3 † numbers are for those aged 16 and over, % are for those aged 16-64 §numbers and % are for those aged 16 and over. % is a proportion of economically active Source: ONS, Annual Population Survey (www.nomisweb.co.uk)

13.2 As we can see from the table, proportionately, West Berkshire has more people in paid employment (i.e. employees) than either regionally or compared across the country. West Berkshire has a self employment rate of 11.7%. This is a slight increase on 11.3% in 2010/11; there has also been a slight increase in the proportion of people who are self‐employed regionally (10.8%) and nationally (9.6%), during the same time period. 13.3 The high level of economic activity evident in West Berkshire spans both genders. 89% of males of working age are economically active compared to 83% across the United Kingdom. Similarly, 75% of women are economically active. This is in contrast to a lower rate in the South East, and across the country more generally. Both males

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and females are less likely to be unemployed in West Berkshire than across the south east and Great Britain.

% Comparative male & female unemployment (Oct 2011 ‐ Sep 2012) Males Females West South East UK (%) West South East UK (%) Berkshire (%) Berkshire (%) (%) (%) Economically active 91.0 85.5 83.0 74.4 73.2 70.5 In employment † 86.0 80.6 75.9 71.8 68.8 65.2 Unemployed § 5.5 5.7 8.4 3.5 6.0 7.4 † numbers are for those aged 16 and over, % are for those aged 16-64 §numbers and % are for those aged 16 and over. % is a proportion of economically active Source: ONS, Annual Population Survey (www.nomisweb.co.uk)

13.4 There has been an interesting change over the last year, as the chart below illustrates. In 2009/10, a significantly higher proportion of men were unemployed as were women – the rates had been fairly similar levels (although data is not available in some years for both sexes). In 2010/11, there was a change, as more women than men became unemployed in West Berkshire; against regional and national trends. However, during 2011‐2012, this has reverted to the norm.

Source: (www.nomisweb.co.uk)

13.5 The total number of economically inactive people in West Berkshire accounts for about 18% of the total population of working age (economic inactivity is defined here as people who are neither in employment, nor unemployed. This group will

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typically include for example, those who are looking after a home, those in education, or retired). This is lower than the national or regional average. 13.6 The proportion of residents in West Berkshire, who are economically inactive is notably lower than the national and regional average. From 2004 to 2008 the downward trend in West Berkshire is noticeable in comparison to the more static line of the South East and National trends; however there was a sharp rise between 2010 and 2011, which has since levelled off.

Source: ONS, Annual Population Survey (www.nomisweb.co.uk) 13.7 Of all economically inactive people, approximately a third are men and two thirds women. As a proportion of men of working age (16‐64), 11% are economically inactive. This proportion rises to 1 in 4 women of working age. These proportions are relatively small in comparison to the rest of the South East and UK more generally.

Economic inactivity – (Oct 2011 – Sep 2012) Nos. in West West South East UK (%) Berkshire Berkshire (%) (%) Economically inactive 17,300 17.4 20.7 23.3 all male 4,400 9.0 14.5 17.0 female 12,900 25.6 26.8 29.5 Source: ONS, Annual Population Survey (www.nomisweb.co.uk)(nomisweb.co.uk)

14. JOB SEEKER’S ALLOWANCE CLAIMANTS

14.1 The Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA) is payable to people under pensionable age who are available for, and actively seeking work. In January 2008 0.8% of working age

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people within West Berkshire were claiming JSA, this increased to 2.1% by February 2009 but dropped to 1.8% in October 2010 and has remained at 1.8‐1.9% to August 2012. This remains a lower proportion than in the South East and the country as a whole (in August 2012 2.5% and 3.8% respectively). Source: (www.nomisweb.co.uk) 14.2 The chart below shows the proportion of people claiming JSA since August 2006 in West Berkshire, the South East and nationally. As we can see there was a sharp rise towards the end of 2008 and start of 2009 as the recession stated to bite, which peaked at around 2% for West Berkshire (2,469 people). This peak in unemployment was significantly lower than the South East or National figures, which were around 2.5% and 4% respectively. JSA claimant numbers began to decrease slowly again around April 2010 – for West Berkshire this began slightly earlier ‐ around July 2009 and have continued in a generally static level.

Source: (www.nomis.co.uk) 14.3 Within this data showing males claiming for longer than 6 months, we can see that the proportion of younger claimants is similar to those in the South East and nationally, however for those aged 25 and over, there are significantly less.

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Male claimant count – (April 2013) Nos. in West West South East England & Berkshire Berkshire (%) (%) Wales (%) Aged 18‐24, claiming for 125 7.8 7.4 8.9 over 6 months Aged =>25, claiming for 320 18.8 20.6 23.3 over 1 year Aged =>25, claiming for 130 7.8 9.10 10.9 over 2 years Source: (www.nomisweb.co.uk)

14.4 In comparison, the majority of female claimants in West Berkshire are under 25 and claim for less than 6 months (15.4% in April 2013). As with the male population, there are generally fewer longer female claimants in West Berkshire than either regionally or nationally.

Female claimant count – (October 2012) Nos. in West West South East England & Berkshire Berkshire (%) (%) Wales (%) Aged 18‐24, claiming for 35 5.3 6.0 8.1 over 6 months Aged =>25, claiming for 100 14.9 17.4 19.8 over 1 year Aged =>25, claiming for 40 6.2 6.9 8.3 over 2 years Source: (www.nomisweb.co.uk)

14.5 Economic activity for those aged 16‐18 is captured in NEET (not in education, employment or training). With the exception of 2009/10, West Berkshire compares favourably with the south eastern and national proportions.

% NEET (16‐18 year olds not in education, employment or training): 2008‐ 2012 (From 2011, relates to young people resident in the local area. Previous data related to the area in which the young person was attending school or college)

2008/9 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12

West Berkshire 4.7% 5.2% 4.1% 4.4% South East 5.7% 5.8% 5.4% 5.8% England 6.7% 6.4% 6.0% 6.1% Source: (DoE ‐ LAIT)

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15. EMPLOYMENT DEPRIVATION

15.1 Lack of or inability to work is a facet of deprivation and the employment domain within the Indices of Multiple Deprivation looks at a number of different indicators which factor into unemployment. These include Job Seeker’s Allowance claimants, Incapacity Benefit and Participants in the New Deal scheme. 15.2 The darker areas on the map show the areas with higher levels of deprivation in this domain. Generally, West Berkshire is not particularly deprived in this respect, with only one area – Greenham – which sits within the lowest 3rd of areas in the country. The more deprived areas are concentrated around Newbury, Thatcham (notably the more rural area of Thatcham South and Crookham) and the Reading fringe as well as the more rural towns of Lambourn and Hungerford.

Source: (www.communities.gov.uk)

16. JOB DENSITY

16.1 The density figure represents the ratio of total jobs to working population. In 2010 West Berkshire had a figure of 1.02, compared to 0.80 for the South East and 0.77 for the UK as a whole. This meant there was 1 job (employed, self‐employed, government supported) for every resident of working age in West Berkshire in 2010 (latest available data from www.nomisweb.co.uk ). The density over the last year is increasing for West Berkshire but decreasing both regionally and nationally in comparison.

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17. HOURS WORKED.

17.1 A much lower proportion of jobs in West Berkshire are part time – a quarter, compared to almost a third in the South East and nationally.

Employee Jobs 2008 West West South East Great Britain Berkshire Berkshire (%) (%) Total (%) Full‐time 61,600 73.1 69.2 68.8 Part‐time 22,700 26.9 31.0 31.2 Source: ONS annual business inquiry 2008 (www.nomisweb.co.uk)

17.2 According to the 2011 census, just under 8,000 people worked on a part time basis, 15 hours or less. This represents just under 10% of all people working, broadly in line with the proportions seen elsewhere. Marginally fewer proportion of people working, do so for between 16‐30 hours a week (16%, compared to 20% nationally). A broadly comparable proportion of people working do so full time, for 31‐48 hours. However, strikingly the proportion of people working more than 49 hours a week in West Berkshire is 3 percentage points higher than experienced nationally.

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Hours worked West West South East England and Berkshire Berkshire (%) Wales Total (%) (%) Part time: 15 hours or less 7,843 9.6% 10.3% 9.6% Part time: 16‐30 hours 13,435 16.4% 18.3% 19.5% Full‐time: 31‐48 hours 47,282 57.9% 56.8% 57.7% Full time: 49+ hours 13,119 16.1% 14.6% 13.2% Source: ONS, Census 2011

18. EARNINGS

18.1 Earnings across Berkshire have historically been higher than the South East and national averages. However, between 2008 and 2009 the district experienced a decrease in gross weekly pay which has not yet fully recovered; whereas in the South East and Great Britain generally, weekly pay continues to gradually increase.

Source : nomisweb.co.uk 18.2 The table below shows significant disparity in earnings by gender, both in West Berkshire and across the country. Women workers continue to earn less than male workers, about 25% less based on gross weekly pay, in West Berkshire (down from 35% in 2008), compared to about 19% nationally.

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Pay – compared by gender (2011)

West Berkshire £ South East £ Great Britain £

Gross weekly pay Full‐time workers ‐ all 574.9 554.4 503.1 Male full‐time workers 639.4 607.4 541.7 Female full‐time 493.6 474.3 446.3 workers Source: nomisweb.co.uk

18.3 Looking within the district more closely, the map below shows income deprivation across the district according to Department of Communities and Local Government Indices of Multiple Deprivation. This is a measure of the proportion experiencing income deprivation.

Source: Department for Communities Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2010 18.4 The darker colours show the more deprived areas in the district. Significant in this map is the spread of the lightest areas (i.e. the least deprived). However, in contrast to this there are substantial pockets of deprivation – particularly within the Newbury area, some more urban areas near the Reading fringe, areas in Thatcham and in the rural west of the district around Hungerford and Lambourn.

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18.5 In terms of economic deprivation in the rural areas of West Berkshire, the district compares favourably with rural areas in England as a whole. In their report ‘The rural share of deprivation in West Berkshire’ (2010) Oxford Consultants for Social Inclusion (OCSI) highlight the following economic comparisons: 18.6 7.1% of the population living in rural areas in West Berkshire are receiving some form of DWP benefit, lower than the rate of 10.3% in rural areas nationally. 18.7 In rural areas of West Berkshire, 7.9% of children live in income deprived households, which is lower than England as a whole (11.0%). 18.8 9.3% of children in West Berkshire are living in households where all adults are out of work, again, lower than across rural areas nationally (10.7%). 18.9 A higher proportion of people in rural area in West Berkshire are economically active (73.5%) compared with rural areas across England as a whole (68.1%). 18.10 7,110 people in rural areas are employed in senior occupations, 46.5% of all such occupations across West Berkshire. 18.11 By comparison, 2,765 people are employed in elementary occupations, 37.5% of all such occupations across West Berkshire. The rural share of deprivation in West Berkshire, OSCI (2010)

19. EMPLOYMENT BY OCCUPATION

19.1 In comparison to England and Wales as a whole, West Berkshire has a much higher proportion of people in senior management and senior occupations: 47% compared to 41% of working age people in employment across England and Wales. 19.2 This is balanced by a slightly smaller proportion of people working in sales and customer services and process, machinery operative roles and elementary occupations. Occupation (2011) West England & Berkshire South East Wales 1. Managers, directors and senior officials 13% 12% 11% 2. Professional occupations 20% 19% 17% 3. Associate professional and technical occupations 14% 14% 13% Categories 1‐3 47% 44% 41% 4. Administrative and secretarial occupations 12% 12% 12% 5. Skilled trades occupations 11% 11% 12% 6. Caring, leisure and other service occupations 9% 9% 9% 7. Sales and customer service occupations 7% 8% 8% Categories 4‐7 39% 40% 41% 8. Process, plant and machine operatives 5% 6% 7% 9. Elementary occupations 8% 10% 11% Categories 8‐9 14% 15% 18% Source: ONS, Census 2011

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20. EMPLOYMENT ACROSS DIFFERENT SECTORS

20.1 The table below shows the broad industry that people who live in West Berkshire work within. To note, this does not necessarily describe the economic base of the district as a number of people will commute out of the district to work elsewhere. 20.2 Immediately noticeable is the higher proportion of residents who work in IT, finance and insurance activities: 14% of those in work, compared to 10% regionally, or 8% across England and Wales more generally. Equally, there is a lower proportion of residents working in public administration, education or health (24% compared to 28% elsewhere). Employee jobs by industry West South England & Berkshire East Wales Manufacturing 8% 7% 9% Construction 8% 8% 8% Retail / wholesale 16% 16% 16% Public utilities (electricity, gas, water) 2% 1% 1% Information and communication, finance and insurance 14% 10% 8% activities Public admin, education and health 24% 28% 28% Professional, scientific and technical activities 8% 8% 7% Accommodation and food service activities 4% 5% 6% Transport and storage 4% 5% 5% Other 13% 13% 12% Source: ONS, Census 2011

21. QUALIFICATIONS OF PEOPLE OF WORKING AGE

21.1 In 2011, a third (or just under 39,500) residents’ highest qualification was level 4 or above (i.e. a degree). This compares with 30% of people in the South East and 27% nationally. This also represents a proportionate increase of 9 percentage points from 23% of residents in 2001, higher than that experienced elsewhere. 21.2 The working population of West Berkshire is relatively well qualified when compared to either the south east of England, or England & Wales. The table below shows the qualifications of people of working age in the district. 21.3 In 2011, there were just over 21,000 people with no qualifications. This amounts to 17% of the adult population, a fall from 22% in 2001 (or 23,300 people).

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Qualifications (2011) West West Berkshire Berkshire South East England & Highest level of qualification (nos) (%) (%) Wales (%) No qualifications 21,065 17% (‐5%) 19% (‐5%) 23% (‐6%) Level 1 qualifications 17,378 14% (‐4%) 14% (‐4%) 13% (‐3%) Level 2 qualifications 19,880 16% 16% 15% (‐2%) (‐2%) (‐1%) Apprenticeship 4,778 4% 4% 4% Level 3 qualifications 14,916 12% (+4%) 13% (+4%) 12% (+4%) Level 4 qualifications & above 39,406 32% (+9%) 30% (+8%) 27% (+7%) Other including foreign 5,308 4% (‐2%) 5% (‐2%) 6% (‐1%) Source: ONS, Census 2011

22. ENTERPRISE BIRTHS, DEATHS AND SURVIVAL RATES.

22.1 In 2010 West Berkshire had 8,390 active enterprises. This is an increase of 570 enterprises since 2004 when there were 7,820 active enterprises; however after continuous growth since 2004, there was a decrease during 2010.

Source: ONS business demography 22.2 Within Berkshire, West Berkshire’s proportion of active enterprises accounts for just over a fifth of all enterprises. The chart below shows the breakdown of enterprises in the Berkshire Unitary Authority areas.

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Source: ONS Business Demography Dataset

22.3 In 2010 in West Berkshire there were 800 ‘births’ or new business start‐ups. This is a significant drop since 2004 when there were 940 births. However, in 2010 there were 895 ‘deaths’ of businesses, 25 less than the highest number since 2004. The chart below illustrates the trends in births and deaths of businesses in West Berkshire since 2004 and compares this with the Berkshire average, revealing that the number of new businesses is falling and the number of existing businesses that are failing is increasing.

Source: ONS Business Demography Dataset

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22.4 As we can see from the chart, West Berkshire had more births of enterprise in 2004 and 2005 than Berkshire on average, and a significant decrease in new enterprises in 2006, which was recovered in 2007, but has since been gradually decreasing, becoming closer to the Berkshire average. 22.5 In terms of new business survival, the Business Demography Dataset measures the 5 year survival rates of businesses from 2005 onwards. The table below shows the survival rate from 2005 for a 5 year period for all the Berkshire Authorities and the South East and England.

Percentage of new business formed in 2005 – surviving each year for the 5 year period

1 year 2 year 3 year 4 year 5 year

Great Britain 95.9 79.8 64.6 53.7 44.2 South East 96.2 81.7 67.4 56.4 46.8 Bracknell Forest 96.0 81.2 67.7 56.1 45.4 Reading 96.5 78.9 67.2 55.9 45.0 Slough 95.2 78.1 65.1 54.4 41.7 West Berkshire 96.9 80.3 68.3 57.2 47.3 Windsor and 96.7 84.1 69.2 58.1 46.6 Maidenhead Wokingham 96.0 81.2 67.8 57.4 48.2 Source: ONS business demography (ons.gov.uk)

22.6 In West Berkshire just under a half of all new businesses which formed in 2005 survived for 5 years. This is in line with the national average and just under the South East regional average, as well as being in line with other unitary authority areas in Berkshire. 22.7 Survival rates of new businesses in West Berkshire appeared to be improving up until 2007 (obviously it is not possible to measure longer term survival rates). Percentages of new businesses started up in 2006 and surviving the first, second and third years increased on those set up the previous year, with 98% surviving the first year. However, new start‐ups in 2007 did not fare as well in the first and second years and the rate of survival of businesses starting up in 2008 was a significant drop on 2006 start‐ups at 91% and slightly below the South East average of 93%. 22.8 The longevity of businesses in West Berkshire mirror both regional and national trends where a large proportion of young/start‐up firms last less than two years, however those firms that survive do so for a long period of time.

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Source: ONS business demography (ons.gov.uk)

23. COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL FLOORSPACE

23.1 The latest figures (2008) show that West Berkshire has a slightly lower proportion of retail floor space used for offices – 15% compared to 20% in the South East. The district does have a significantly larger proportion of office space (27%) compared with both South East and more notably nationally (17%) which reflects the higher proportion of employees working in the finance, IT and business sector.

Floor‐space ‐ as a percentage of all commercial and industrial floor‐space (2008)

West Berkshire South East Great Britain

Retail 15% 20% 18% Office 27% 22% 17% Industrial 54% 54% 61% (Factories/warehouses) Source: ONS Physical environment (nomisweb)

23.2 Overall, West Berkshire is a relatively expensive place for businesses to locate, compared either regionally, or nationally ‐ £80p/m2. However, breaking this down

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by the 3 key industrial units shows that with respect to offices ‐ the district’s key sector – space is relatively cheap – even when compared nationally. However, industrial space is significantly more expensive.

Rateable value per m2 (2008)

West Berkshire £ South East £ Great Britain £

All Bulk Classes 80 78 66 Retail Premises 140 138 130 Offices 95 109 121 Industrial 50 40 29 Source: ONS Physical environment (nomisweb)

24. WEST BERKSHIRE ECONOMY IN RELATION TO THE SOUTH EAST AND EUROPE

24.1 West Berkshire shares in the overall affluence of the South East, being second in the country, after Inner London. www.epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu 24.2 The cities, towns and urban areas of the South East play a central role in the success of the economy, yet nearly a quarter of all businesses in the South East are based in rural areas. 24.3 In broad terms the South East economy can be categorised as being advanced, high cost, high income, broadly based and service orientated. 24.4 Within the South East region, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire invest heavily in research and development (R&D) contributing 3.24% to Europe’s total GDP through R&D expenditure. 10% of the labour force in these areas are in the high‐tech sector. (www.epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu). 24.5 In 2011, the South East was home to an estimated 745,000 businesses (Department of Business, Innovation and Skills ) and 16 universities, including the University of Oxford. 24.6 The South East is the second largest economic contributor among the regions of England and countries of the UK. Its local authorities have some of the highest levels of productivity after London. 24.7 The South East is responsible for nearly 15% of the UK’s gross value added (GVA)1. The region’s headline GVA was £186.9 billion in 2010. The latest sub‐regional data (2009) show that a third of the region’s economic output is generated in the counties and unitary authorities of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. 24.8 Productivity, as measured by GVA per hour worked, was 8% above the UK average in 2010. Outside of London, Berkshire and Surrey had the highest productivity in 2009 with levels of 20% or more above the UK average. The employment rate for the

1 Gross Value Added (GVA) measures the contribution to the economy of each individual producer, industry or sector in the United Kingdom. See the National Statistics Guide for further explanation.

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region’s residents was 74.2% in Q4 2011 compared with the UK average of 70.3%. The unemployment rate was 6.3% for the same period, compared with 8.4%. 24.9 Gross disposable household income (GDHI) of South East residents was also the second highest, after London, at £17,600 per head. There was a wide range within the region, with GDHI lowest in Portsmouth at £12,170 per head, compared with £21,500 in Surrey. 24.10 The South East generated the second largest contribution to the UK’s GVA for the information and communication sector at 22% in 2009. Wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles activities accounted for 17% of the UK total from this sector, also larger than the region’s share of total GVA (15%). 24.11 In 2010 businesses in the region spent £5.6 billion on research and development. This was 22 per cent of the UK total and the highest regional spend in the UK.(www.ons.gov.uk)

Inner London - West

Inner London - East

Berkshire

Surrey

Outer London - West and North West

Sw indon

Buckinghamshire CC

Luton

Hamps hire CC

Derby

100 110 120 130 140 150 160 GVA per hour worked (UK=100)

24.12 The South East economy provides more than 4 million jobs and the labour market is holding up relatively well during the recession. Data published in September 2012, shows that the employment rate remains higher in the East of England, South West and South East than the rest of the UK at 75%, 74.8% and 74.7% respectively. Source: (www.ons.gov.uk) 24.13 The 2008 Eurostat figures rank the area of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire 16th highest in the whole of the EU in terms of Regional GDP per head of population. The three leading regions in the ranking of regional GDP per inhabitant in 2008 were Inner London in the United Kingdom (343% of the average), the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (279%) and Bruxelles/Brussels in Belgium (216%).

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Regional GDP per inhabitant in the EU27 2008 (in PPS, EU27 = 100) 1 Inner London (UK) 343 2 Luxembourg (LU) 279 3 Bruxelles‐Cap. / Brussels Hfdst. (BE) 216 4 Groningen (NL) 198 5 Hamburg (DE) 188 6 Praha (CZ) 172 7 Île de France (FR) 168 8 Stockholm (SE) 167 9 Bratislavský Kraj (SK) 167 10 Wien (AT) 163 11 Oberbayem (DE) 162 12 Bremen (DE) 158 13 Utrecht (DE) 157 14 North Eastern Scotland (UK) 157 15 Darmstadt (DE) 156 16 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire 154 Source: Eurostat ‐ (www.epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu) (It should be noted, however, that in some regions the GDP per inhabitant figures can be significantly influenced by commuter flows. Net commuter inflows in these regions push up production to a level that could not be achieved by the resident active population on its own. The result is that GDP per inhabitant can be overestimated in these regions and underestimated in regions with commuter outflows. The relatively low commuter travel patterns in the area – when compared to the large metropolitan cities – perhaps makes this figure even more impressive. ) 24.14 As is the case generally across the UK, some of the largest employer organisations in the West Berkshire area are those responsible for essential public services such as health and social care, public safety and education. Major private sector employers in the West Berkshire area include:

 Arlington Securities  AWE  Bayer  Matsushita Communications  ADP  Quantel  Vodafone

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Contents:

Community Safety ...... 84 1. Crime ...... 84 2. Youth Crime ...... 86 3. Neighbourhood Wardens and Street Rangers ...... 88

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COMMUNITY SAFETY

25. CRIME

25.1 Overall, West Berkshire is a relatively safe place to live. Thames Valley Police crime data for West Berkshire for 2010/11 and 2011/12 show a downward trend in all crime committed. 25.2 Across Thames Valley there was also a reduction in all crime over these 2 years. 25.3 At the end of 2011/12 there had been a 13.0% reduction in all crime in West Berkshire on the previous year which means there were 1,465 less crimes compared to 2010/11 (11,267 crimes in 2010/11). 25.4 At the end of 2011/12 across Thames Valley there had been a 13.1% reduction in all crime on the previous year. 25.5 At the end of 2011/12 in West Berkshire there were reductions in:

Reductions in crime (2011‐12)

Dwelling Burglaries 4.3% reduction 25 less crimes Non‐Dwelling Burglaries 13.3% reduction 149 less crimes Robbery of Business Property 40.0% reduction 4 crimes Robbery of Personal Property 41.9% reduction 31 less crimes Theft of Vehicle 11.8% reduction 22 less crimes Theft from Vehicle 18.9% reduction 175 less crimes Theft from the Person 18.4% reduction 16 less crimes Shoplifting 6.4% reduction 69 less crimes Criminal Damage 11.2% reduction 202 less crimes Interfering with a Motor Vehicle 31.3% reduction 26 less crimes

Source: 2001 Census, ONS

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25.6 Crime trends from 2009 are shown in the graph below.

Key: Serious Acquisitive Crime (SAC): Burglary Dwelling, Robbery, Theft of Vehicle, Theft from Vehicle Total Violence: All violence related crime ‐ Violence with Injury and Assaults (with no injury), Harassment, Public Order, Threats, Weapon Possession Violence with Injury: Violent crimes resulting in physical injury, such as Homicide, Attempted Homicide, Wounding GBH, Causing Death by Driving, Assaults (with slight injury). 25.7 Information on crime and performance can be found on the Thames Valley Police and more general Police service websites: 'Your Neighbourhood' section ‐ Thames Valley Police and www.police.uk Source: Safer Communities Partnership Team

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26. YOUTH CRIME

26.1 The number of young people who offended and received a formal outcome from the police or courts decreased from 209 (2010) to 135 (2011), a decrease of 35%. 26.2 The number of offences leading to a formal outcome for young people decreased from 445 in 2010 to 323 in 2011, a decrease of 27%. 26.3 The number of young people entering the formal youth justice system for the first time decreased from 120 in 2010 to 66 in 2011, a decrease of 45%. 26.4 Offences of violence continue to be the most prevalent offence by young people, being 24% of the total offences leading to a formal outcome. However, the numbers of such offences fell from 126 in 2010 to 76 in 2011, a reduction of 35%. Offences of theft and handling have fallen by 39% in the same time period. 26.5 In 2011 boys were responsible for 66% of the offending. The peak age for offending in the time‐scale was 17 years, with 73% of all the offences being committed by 15‐ 17 year olds. 26.6 Re‐offending has reduced with 70% of young people tracked in 2011 not re‐ offending, compared with 61% in 2010. However, the proportion of young offenders in full‐time education, training or employment has reduced from 69% in 2010/11 to 62% in 2011/12, with the reduction relating to young people who have left school, and are feeling the impact of the recession, with fewer jobs available, more competition for them and more pressure on college places. Source: Youth Offending Team ‐ Youth Justice Plan 2 2013 26.7 The map below shows the Vulnerable Localities Index; this was created by the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Sciences UCL and seeks to show those areas of a district that warrant further examination due to the risk of offending happening in these areas. The calculation shows areas of higher risk, in red, based upon educational attainment, population demographics, crime rates, income and employment.

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Source: (Jill Dando Institute) 26.8 The map below shows crime across the district according to Department for Communities and Local Government's Indices of Multiple Deprivation (2010). 26.9 There is also information available on our website at: www.westberks.gov.uk. This measures the incidence of crime for the four major crime themes (burglary, theft, criminal damage and violence) and represents the occurrence of personal and material victimisation 26.10 The darker areas show the more deprived areas of the district in terms of crime. These are mainly concentrated in the more urban areas of Newbury, Thatcham and the Reading fringe. However, there are some rural areas of the district which are ranked higher including around Theale, Bucklebury, the Leckhampstead and Peasemore area, Speen, the Lambourn Valley and Burghfield.

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Source: www.gov.uk ‐ Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2010

27. NEIGHBOURHOOD WARDENS AND STREET RANGERS

27.1 West Berkshire’s three Neighbourhood Warden teams, and the Newbury Town Centre BID (Business Improvement District) Street Rangers provide a uniformed patrolling presence in the community. The aim of the Neighbourhood Wardens and Street Rangers is to reduce crime and the fear of crime, address environmental issues, engage in positive ways with young people, provide reassurance to the elderly and vulnerable, and promote community cohesion. 27.2 Wardens respond to a wide range of issues which affect quality of life, such as:  Reducing crime and the fear of crime  Challenging anti‐social behaviour  Reporting suspicious behaviour  Discouraging drug dealing  Resolving neighbourhood disputes  Addressing environmental problems such as:

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o Abandoned shopping trolleys o Fly‐tipping o Discarded drugs paraphernalia o Graffiti; and o Vandalism  Reporting maintenance problems such as: o Street lamps which aren’t working o Loose paving slabs; and o Damaged drain covers  Addressing vehicle related issues such as: o Abandoned vehicles o Untaxed vehicles o Inconsiderately parked vehicles; and o Vulnerable vehicles  Reporting neighbourhood nuisance problems such as: o Noise; and o Dog‐fouling  Caring for the community and developing a strong sense of community spirit  Working with local community groups, and developing a range of community engagement initiatives  Developing a range of diversionary activities to engage with young people  Maintaining contact with vulnerable residents  Acting as the “eyes and ears” of the community 27.3 The Neighbourhood Wardens and Street Rangers work in partnership with a wide range of agencies, as well as the public; such as; Town and Parish Councils; Police; RBFRS (Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service) and Housing Associations 27.4 For further information, visit: www.sovereign.org.uk/wardens

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Contents:

Health and Social Well‐being ...... 91 1. Adult Health and Social Care: General Health ...... 91 2. People Living with a Disability ...... 92 3. Mortality Rates ...... 94 4. Cause of Death and Long Term Conditions ...... 95 5. Life Expectancy at Birth ...... 98 6. Clients Receiving a Service from Adult Social Care ...... 100 7. Estimated Demand for Services from Adult Social Care ...... 101 8. Substance Misuse ...... 104 9. Child Poverty and Wellbeing ...... 105 10. Disability and Limiting Long Term Illness among Children ...... 106 11. Child Deaths ...... 106 12. Childhood Obesity ...... 107 13. Sexual Health ...... 109 14. Alcohol and Smoking ...... 111 15. Substance Misuse ...... 112 16. Young People as Carers ...... 114 17. Child Protection ...... 114 18. Looked After Children ...... 114 19. Referrals to Children’s Social Care ...... 114

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HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELL‐BEING

28. ADULT HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE: GENERAL HEALTH

28.1 For further detailed information, please reference the West Berkshire Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) 2012/13. 28.2 People in West Berkshire consider themselves relatively healthy. According to the 2011 Census, over 86% of people stated that their health was ‘good’ or ‘very good’ ‐ compared with 84% of people in the South East and 81% of people nationally. 28.3 On average, 3% of people in West Berkshire stated that they were in ‘bad’ or ‘very bad health’, compared to almost 6% of people in the UK. Across the district, Newbury’s Speen, Northcroft, Victoria and Thatcham central wards are the areas with the highest proportion of people who claimed their health was either ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’. 28.4 The map below uses Department of Communities and Local Government’s Indices of Multiple Deprivation (2010) to show relative levels of deprivation across the district in terms of selected social care factors. These include relative ages of residents, proportion of people with a limiting long term illness, proportion of people whose health is “not good” and numbers of unpaid carers providing 20 hours or more care per week. (See References section for more information on IMD).

Source: Department for Communities Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2010

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28.5 Areas shaded darker show the more deprived areas in the district in terms of health deprivation. We can see these are concentrated in some of the more urban areas in Newbury and Thatcham as well as the Reading fringe areas around Calcot and Purley on Thames. There are some more rural areas across the district which are ranked higher for health deprivation, including around Mortimer, Aldermaston and the Lambourn Valley. 28.6 In terms of differences between rural West Berkshire and its more urban areas, OCSI (2010) found that health in rural areas does compare well. Well under a half of the West Berkshire population (41.7%) live in rural areas, and these areas account for 39.1% of all people with a limiting long‐term illness in the district and a third of people receiving Disability Living Allowance. 28.7 Current tobacco use is measured in the Integrated Household Survey and national smoking prevalence is 21%, whereas smoking prevalence in West Berkshire is 19%. This would suggest that over 22,000 people aged 18 or over smoke in West Berkshire. This is compared to 22% in Reading and 15% in Wokingham. 28.8 West Berkshire residents are estimated to be as likely to engage in increasing and higher risk drinking as the national average and this is comparable to Reading and Wokingham. Modelled estimates suggest that 19% of the West Berkshire population engage in increased risk drinking. This would equate to over 20,000 people in West Berkshire risking damage to their health through the misuse of alcohol. Higher risk drinking is the level of drinking that has the greatest risk of health problems and is quantified as more than 50 units a week for men and more that 35 units a week for women. Modelled estimates suggest that 7% (almost 9,000 people) of the West Berkshire population engage in higher risk drinking, seriously damaging their health.

29. PEOPLE LIVING WITH A DISABILITY

29.1 It is very difficult to provide accurate, definitive figures on the number of people with a disability in the district. There is no universal definition of disability and any information available could have been compiled in very different ways, depending on how it was collated and the definition used. 29.2 For example, the Disability and the Equality Act 2010, clearly includes people with mental health problems within the definition of “disabled people”, whereas other surveys may only count people with a physical disability. The Social Model of Disability, favoured by many groups of disabled people, takes a very different approach to how people become disabled by the barriers facing them, rather than any medical condition, which suggests that any categorisation or grouping by disability is not helpful for disabled people. 29.3 The Department of Health asks councils with social service responsibilities who are supporting adults (aged 18 and over) to categorise into four main groups:  “adults with a physical or sensory disability”;  “adults with a learning disability”;  “adults with mental health problems”; and

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 “older people” (for all people aged 65 and over, irrespective of the nature of their disability or care need). 29.4 Each individual West Berkshire Council works with is placed in just one of these categories. This has the advantage of making sure we do not “double‐count” anyone, but it fails to reflect those people with multiple disabilities who actually receive support from a variety of different specialists. Therefore, whilst we can produce accurate information on the number of people we support as a council, it is much more difficult to confidently extrapolate this out to the overall prevalence of disabilities across the district. 29.5 Given this caveat, the numbers of people supported through social care services (SCS) arranged by West Berkshire Council during 2011/12 are shown in the table below, together with comparative numbers from previous years:

Number of people supported through SCS arranged by WBC during 2011/12 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 Adults with a physical/sensory 565 546 489 disability Adults with a learning 363 374 375 disability Adults with mental health 639 713 644 problems Older people 3,315 3,250 3,096 Total 4,882 4,883 4,604 Source: RAP P1 2011/12 (available on NASCIS)

29.6 An alternative measure is to take account of the numbers of people who self‐report having a long term health problem or disability within the 2011 Census. Taken as a whole, health status is improving although over 8,000 residents (5%) reported they had a long term health problem or disability that limited their day‐to‐day activity.

Long‐term health problem or disability (2011) West Berkshire South East (%) UK (%) (%) Day‐to‐day activities limited a lot 5% 7% 9% Day‐to‐day activities limited a little 8% 9% 9% Day‐to‐day activities not limited 87% 84% 82% Source: 2011 Census, ONS

29.7 Alternatively, a proxy measure of disabled people could be used based on Disabled Persons Parking Permits (Blue Badges) which are administered by West Berkshire Council. Badges are valid for three years and at the end of March 2011, 6,115 badges had been issued to individuals in West Berkshire, an increase of 4% on the previous year.

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29.8 Another measure is to look at the number of disabled people receiving Disability Living Allowance to help with extra costs that they incur as a result of their disability. Significantly fewer people aged less than 65 in West Berkshire LA (3.42%, 4,465 people) are receiving Disability Living Allowance than the national and regional averages. Residents in Northcroft and Victoria are more likely than the NHS Berkshire West average to be claiming Disability Living Allowance.

30. MORTALITY RATES

30.1 The all‐age death rates for England for both men and women are falling. West Berkshire has a lower rate, which is falling in line with the national trend for men and falling more steeply than the national trend for women. 30.2 The chart below shows the trend in the overall mortality rate for West Berkshire since 1993 compared with the South East and National averages. Since 1993 the rate of deaths per 100,000 population in West Berkshire has fallen from 688 to 496 per 100,000 in 2008. 30.3 The male mortality rate in West Berkshire in 2008 was 592 per 100,000, which compares with 723 per 100,000 in the South East region and 790 per 100,000 nationally. The female mortality rate in 2008 was 414 per 100,000, which compares with 443 per 100,000 in the South East region and 487 per 100,000 nationally. The chart below illustrates these results.

Source: JSNA data tool

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30.4 Premature mortality is defined as mortality in people aged less than 75 years. The directly age/sex standardised mortality rate in this age group in West Berkshire is significantly lower (223 per 100,000) than national and regional averages. The rate of premature mortality varies within West Berkshire with figures ranging from 192 per 100,000 to 387 per 100,000. Mortality is significantly lower than the West Berkshire average in Cold Ash, Pangbourne, Thatcham South and Crookham, and is significantly higher in Downlands, Thatcham West and Theale.

All cause mortality aged under 75 West Berkshire LA West Berkshire LA 600

500 000

, 400

300 er 100 er p 200

Rate Rate 100

ot ill h n d ry ft s n e a n on ry d ey s m rd er ee od o d p se As ey ne ad l h eal st sil Calc ld erfo ll rtim es Sp tra rth estT Clay H g Kintbu orthcro m n Victori rma Ba Chievel Co Compto wnlandFalklanreenha Mo N a St John rch CoBucklebuBurghfiel o G Westwo Bi D Hun Pangbour ha Alde Sulhamsteam Ce tch hatcham No Thatcham W Lambourn Va h a T Purley on Th T Ward m South and Crook ha Source: www.berkshirewest.nhs.uk ‐ JSNA data tool

31. CAUSE OF DEATH AND LONG TERM CONDITIONS

31.1 With the increased age profile of the district there is also an expected increase in long term conditions that will have an impact on services. Based on national population estimates the table below shows the predicted increases in long term conditions between 2006 and 2029.

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Predicted increase in long term conditions to 2029 West Berkshire Reading Wokingham Coronary Heart Disease 42% 21% 41% Heart Failure 48% 16% 49% Stroke 45% 20% 45% Hypertension 24% 15% 23% Diabetes 27% 16% 26% Lung Disease 37% 18% 36% Epilepsy 0% 5% 4% Cancer 23% 12% 20% Hypothyroidism 28% 13% 24% Mental health 1% 8% 5% Asthma 6% 5% 9% Source: Berkshire West PCT Strategic Plan 2008‐13

31.2 An emergency admission is an admission made at short notice because of an immediate clinical need. There is an average of 10,116 emergency admissions to hospital each year for West Berkshire residents. People from West Berkshire are significantly less likely to be admitted to hospital as an emergency (6,133 per 100,000) than the NHS Berkshire West average. There is variation in admissions within West Berkshire with people resident in Aldermaston, Calcot, Greenham, Lambourn Valley, Sulhamstead and Victoria more likely to be admitted to hospital as an emergency than the NHS Berkshire West average. 31.3 Cardiovascular disease (CVD) refers to all diseases that involve the heart and blood vessels. Heart attacks and strokes are the most common form of CVD. An average of 171 males and 162 females from West Berkshire die from cardiovascular disease each year. West Berkshire residents are significantly less likely to die from a circulatory disease than the national and regional averages. 23% of all deaths from circulatory disease in West Berkshire were amongst people aged less than 75 years of age. Premature mortality from cardiovascular disease in West Berkshire has decreased by 62% since 1995 which is a greater percentage decrease than the national rate of decline (56%). 31.4 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) encompasses a group of conditions previously known as bronchitis or emphysema. The main cause of COPD is smoking, which accounts for 85% of cases. As with CHD; there is a significant link between its prevalence and lower socio‐economic groups, where levels of smoking are likely to be higher. Other socio‐economic factors will compound COPD, including poor diet and housing. On average, 43 people from West Berkshire die from COPD each year. This is a rate of 27 per 100,000 for males and 12 per 100,000 females. 39% of these deaths were in people aged less than 75 years of age. People from West Berkshire LA are not significantly more or less likely to die from COPD than the national, regional, and NHS Berkshire West area average.

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31.5 On average, 316 people from West Berkshire die of cancer each year. This equates to a rate per 100,000 of 174 males and 135 females. Nationally males are significantly more likely to die from cancer than females. West Berkshire residents are significantly less likely to die from cancer than the national and regional averages. Males in West Berkshire are significantly less likely to die prematurely from cancer than the National average. Premature mortality from cancer in West Berkshire has decreased by 40% since 1995 which is a greater rate of decrease than the national average (25%). 31.6 Although mortality rates from diabetes are not as high as for other long term conditions, the effect of diabetes on a person’s quality of life and the complications it can bring if not properly managed can be catastrophic. Complications from diabetes include damage to the retina, foot complications which can lead to amputation, and miscarriage. In addition, diabetes is one of the nine main risk factors for cardiovascular disease and one of the two main risk factors for chronic kidney disease. 31.7 An estimated 6,583 people are living with diabetes in West Berkshire. The prevalence of diabetes is expected to rise nationally by almost 27% between 2011 and 2030. This rise is also expected in NHS Berkshire West with 8% of the population expected to be living with diabetes by 2030. There is likely to be a significant problem of undiagnosed diabetes in the community. There are approximately 2,000 cases of diabetes that are expected in West Berkshire but that are not recorded. The number of people recorded as having diabetes compared to the number of expected cases can be expressed as a ratio of 0.64 which is lower than the national ratio of 0.88 and the regional ratio of 0.78. Therefore, not all cases of diabetes are identified in primary care and these ratios suggest that only 64% of cases of diabetes in West Berkshire have been identified in primary care compared to a national proportion of 88%. 31.8 For further information on mortality, causes of death and long term conditions, see the West Berkshire Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) 2012/13. 31.9 The table below details the percentage change in numbers of people with Long Term Conditions (LTC) using population projections from 2006 ‐2029 for the Berkshire West PCT area.

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% change in the predicted number of people with long term conditions (2006 – 2029) West Berkshire Reading Wokingham Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) 42% 21% 41% Heart Failure 48% 16% 49% Stroke 45% 20% 45% Hypertension 24% 15% 23% Diabetes 27% 16% 26% Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 37% 18% 36% Epilepsy 0% 5% 4% Cancer 23% 12% 20% Hypothyroidism 28% 13% 24% Mental Health 1% 8% 5% Asthma 6% 5% 9% Projected pop change1 4.3% 5.2% 8.6% 1 Based on 2004‐based Subnational population projections Source: Berkshire West Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2010

31.10 Based on these projections, West Berkshire can expect to see nearly 50% increase in Heart Failure by 2029 and increases in CHD and Strokes at only a slightly lower level. West Berkshire’s increase in these Long Term Conditions is at similar levels to Wokingham. For more detailed information on any of these conditions and diseases in the Berkshire West area please refer to the JSNA for 2012.

32. LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH

32.1 Life expectancy is considered to be the ultimate measure of the health and wellbeing in an area and as a tool for identifying health inequality. It is the overarching outcome of the proposed Department of Health Public Health Outcomes Framework. 32.2 The average life expectancy at birth for West Berkshire residents is 80.1 years for males and 83.6 years for females. Both men and women in West Berkshire are expected to live longer on average than men and women nationally and regionally. Life expectancy has increased in West Berkshire as it has nationally. This increase has been most dramatic for females. 32.3 Within West Berkshire male life expectancy ranges from 75 years in Victoria to 88 years in Falkland. Female life expectancy ranges from 80 years in Theale and Victoria to over 92 years in Chieveley. This is beginning to show a correlation between deprivation and lower life expectancy with people living in the areas with highest relative deprivation also expected to not live as long as those from the least deprived areas. 32.4 Men in West Berkshire who live in the most deprived areas of the local authority are estimated to live seven and a half years less than men in the least deprived areas.

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Women in West Berkshire who live in the most deprived areas are estimated to live four and a half years less than women in the least deprived areas. 32.5 The tables below, based on data from a rolling previous three year cycle (last updated February 2011), show that the overall life expectancy of residents is rising steadily in line with national trends.

Source: ONS Life Expectancy at Birth

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33. CLIENTS RECEIVING A SERVICE FROM ADULT SOCIAL CARE

33.1 Nationally, the demands on Adult Social Care are increasing year on year due to:  Increased life expectancy: In the 1940’s, average life expectancy was 66 for men and 71 for women, today it is 78 for men and 82 for women (national average).  Living in an aging society: there are now more people over the age of 65 than under the age of 18.  People with disabilities are living longer, for example, life expectancy for people with Down’s syndrome has almost doubled in recent years.  The demand for services is increasing: by 2026, expect over 1.7 million more adults to have a need for care and support. 33.2 Locally, this is reflected in West Berkshire by an increase of 18% in the number of new contacts to social care when comparing 2011/12 to 2010/11. Of these new contacts, there was an increase of 27% in the number dealt with at first point of contact (where people are given information, advice and may be signposted to an organisation that can offer additional help or support). 33.3 West Berkshire Council Adult Social Care provided services as shown below during 2011/12:

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Social Care Services provided to 18‐64 year olds by West Berkshire Council (2011/12) Community Adults aged 18‐64 Total Clients Residential Care Nursing Care Based Services Physical Disability 489 487 <5 <5 Mental Health 644 638 8 <5 Learning Disability 375 320 72 <5 Other Vulnerable People 6 6 0 0 Substance Misuse 7 7 0 0 Total 1521 1458 84 5 Source: RAP P1 2011/12 (available on NASCIS)

Social Care Services provided to adults aged 65 and over by West Berkshire Council (2011/12) Community Adults aged 65 and over Total Clients Residential Care Nursing Care Based Services Physical Disability 2480 2320 120 113 Mental Health (incl. Dementia) 563 447 116 94 Learning Disability 30 25 6 <5 Other Vulnerable People 20 19 <5 0 Substance Misuse <5 <5 0 0 Total 3096 2995 243 208 Source: RAP P1 2011/12 (available on NASCIS)

34. ESTIMATED DEMAND FOR SERVICES FROM ADULT SOCIAL CARE

34.1 Based on admission since 2000/01,the average age of admission into long term care has increased and based on current trends, this will continue to increase to an average age of admission into residential of 87 in 2011/12 and an average age of admission into nursing of 85.

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Source: West Berkshire Performance, Research and Consultation Team 2012 34.2 Dementia is the term used to describe a group of illnesses that cause a progressive decline in memory, reasoning, communication skills and the ability to carry out daily activities. Dementia not only has an impact on those with the disorder but also families who provide care. Modelled estimates of dementia prevalence predict a rise in prevalence nationally. Numbers are expected to rise in West Berkshire by almost 60% by 2025 with the number estimated to be living with dementia rising to over 2,000. The rate of increase is expected to be higher in West Berkshire than the rate of increase nationally and across the west of Berkshire.

Source: West Berkshire Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) 2012/13

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34.3 Older people are more likely to be living alone then the rest of the population. Older people living alone in the community are more likely to suffer from feelings of isolation and depression and from poorer physical health. In 2011, 8,654 people aged 65 and over were predicted to be living alone with 14,722 projected to be living alone in West Berkshire by 2030. We can see from the chart below that the number of people aged 65 and over predicted to be living alone will increase across all of the UK. However, the chart shows that the increase of 70% expected in West Berkshire is more dramatic than that expected across the UK and South East as a whole. Service commissioning needs to consider how these older people will be identified and supported.

Older people living alone Percentage 2011 2015 2020 2025 2030 change 8,694 9,911 11,241 13,059 14,772 69.91% West Berkshire LA 24,257 27,372 30,341 34,674 38,762 59.80% Berkshire West PCT 560,512 620,354 687,498 781,666 874,651 56.05% South East 3,246,422 3,560,755 3,908,138 4,400,692 4,886,689 50.53% England And Wales 8,694 9,911 11,241 13,059 14,772 69.91% Source: www.berkshirewest.nhs.uk ‐ JSNA data tool

34.4 According to the 2011 Census, 14,288 West Berkshire residents (9.3% of the population) provide unpaid care to family, friends or neighbours. This is slightly lower than the regional or national average. Just over 2,500 people provide unpaid care of more than 50 hours per week. 34.5 The extent of unpaid care provision is an indication of the welfare and well‐being of people in the district. It is often directly related to health, both in terms of those people who need care, and in terms of those people on whom responsibility is placed to provide it ‐ many of them providing care on a full time basis.

Unpaid care (2011) West England & South East % Berkshire % Wales % Providing unpaid care 9.3 9.8 10.3 Providing unpaid care >50 hours per week 1.6 2.0 2.4 Source: 2011 Census, ONS

34.6 In 2011/12, the number of West Berkshire Adult Social Care service user deaths fell by 9% across all ages compared to the previous year 2010/11. The declines were seen in the 65 and over (‐11%) and 75 and over (‐22%) age groups. The chart below shows the results by age group from April 2006.

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Source:West Berkshire Performance, Research and Consultation Team 2012

34.7 The overall decrease in death rates demonstrates the positive impact of timely social care interventions but also increases both the demographic and financial pressures on Adult Social Care as support is provided to clients to live longer with more complex needs which require more costly packages.

35. SUBSTANCE MISUSE

35.1 The West Berkshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) is responsible for the local implementation of the 10 year National Drugs Strategy “Tackling Drugs” (1998, amended in 2002). The DAAT receives funding from the NHS and Home Office to commission a range of local services to provide treatment, advice and information services for the community of West Berkshire. 35.2 The West Berkshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) is a multi‐agency, strategic partnership in West Berkshire and is made up of representatives from the Police, Probation, Youth Offending Team, Primary Care Trust, Education, Social Services and Housing providers. 35.3 The key points from the West Berkshire Adult Drug and Alcohol Action Team Profile are:  272 adult residents were in treatment, of which 96% were new triages in 2010/11 (261 individuals)  250 adult clients were Opiate and/or Crack Users (OCUs), 92% of the adult treatment population.

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 232 adult clients (aged 18+) in treatment per 100,000 population, significantly lower than the South East rate of 305 per 100,000.  71% of adult clients in treatment were male and 29% were female.  31% of adult clients resident in West Berkshire were aged 18‐29, 61% were aged 30‐ 44 and 8% were aged 45+.  29% (78 individuals) of adult clients were currently injecting drug users, 27% (73 individuals) had never injected  111 adults were discharged from treatment, 49 discharges were successful (i.e. treatment completed drug free, occasional user or treatment completed).

36. CHILD POVERTY AND WELLBEING

36.1 The Child Well‐Being Index 2009 (most recent available) is an index of some of the major areas or domains of a child’s life that affect their wellbeing. It provides a good indication of the major factors impacting on a child’s life. The data used in the index is from National Indicators, many of which also relate to the general indices of deprivation. The data has been divided into 7 domains: material well‐being, health, education, crime, housing and the environment as well as children at risk. Although West Berkshire scores better on the index than the national and NHS Berkshire West averages, the chart below shows that there is much variability between wards. Areas which stand out as scoring worse than the NHS Berkshire West average are Aldermaston, Calcot, Clay Hill, Greenham, and Lambourn Valley.

36.2 Further exploration of the seven domains would suggest that West Berkshire LA scores lower on the environmental domain which includes indicators such as serious accidents and distance from sports, recreational facilities and schools. Source: Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2012/3

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37. DISABILITY AND LIMITING LONG TERM ILLNESS AMONG CHILDREN

37.1 The 2011 census will provide data about the number of households that have a child with a limiting long term illness. This data is not yet available and will be added to this profile when available.

38. CHILD DEATHS

38.1 This is the fourth year since all six local authorities joined together to form a Child Death Overview Panel in Berkshire (CDOP). Every LSCB is required by law to establish a CDOP in order that the causes of all child deaths can be analysed and recommendations made to reduce deaths in the future. The Panel gathers and reviews data on the deaths of all children and young people from birth (excluding those babies who are stillborn) up to the age of 18 years. This enables themes to be established in the circumstances leading to deaths. 38.2 Neonatal Mortality is defined as the rate of death in infants aged less than 28 days. Neonatal reviews have identified the need for co‐ordinated multi‐agency action to reduce the numbers of extremely premature and premature babies. These currently account for between 31% and 47% of all child deaths in Berkshire. 74% of these cases were pre term babies, 35% were delivered before or at the edge of viability (23 weeks). 52.7% were among babies born to Black African women compared to 22% amongst white/other groups. West Berkshire’s rates of neonatal mortality remain below the South East and England rates. 38.3 The two graphs below show child death rates for both children and infants. Infant mortality rate is defined as deaths at less than one year of age per 1000 births. Child mortality rate is defined as deaths at less than 15 years of age per 100,000 population. The infant mortality rate for West Berkshire is lower than both the South East and England averages. The Child Mortality rate is slightly above the South East Average.

Child mortality rate 2010 1.00 England South East 0.90 0.80 0.70 0.60 0.50 0.40 0.30 0.20 0.10 0.00 Berkshire Berkshire Reading LA West Wokingham Bracknell LA Slough LA Windsor and West PCT East PCT Berkshire LA Maidenhead LA LA

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Infant mortality rate 2010

9.00 England South East 8.00 7.00 6.00 5.00 4.00 3.00 2.00 1.00 0.00 Berkshire Berkshire Reading LA West Wokingham Bracknell LA Slough LA Windsor and West PCT East PCT Berkshire LA Maidenhead LA LA

38.4 At a local level these numbers are too small to breakdown any further for population monitoring though we know from national figures that children in areas of poverty have shortened life expectancy and children under the age of 14 living in poverty are more likely to die in an accident. Sources: Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2012/3 and Local Children Safeguarding Board Annual Report.

39. CHILDHOOD OBESITY

39.1 Obese children and adolescents are at increased risk of health problems, and are also more likely to be obese as adults. Obesity has been rising rapidly in children in England over the past 20 years. Although evidence of effective treatment of obesity in children is limited, it is considered preventable by increasing physical activity and encouraging a well‐balanced and healthy diet. 39.2 The charts below shows the percentage of children classified as obese or overweight in Reception (aged 4‐5 years) and Year 6 (aged 10‐11 years) compared to those of some of our statistical neighbours as well as the South East/England averages. West Berkshire has a lower percentage in Reception and a similar percentage in Year 6 classified as obese or overweight compared to the England average.

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39.3 Nationally the health inequalities in obesity prevalence are growing, with obesity prevelance remaining constant for children in the least deprived parts of the country yet increasing in children in the more deprived parts of the country. Obesity prevalence has increased amongst boys of Indian ethnicity and prevalence has increased in year 6 girls who are classed as White British, Bangladeshi and any other Asian background. Source: Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2012/13 and Child and Mental Health Observatory

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40. SEXUAL HEALTH

40.1 Teenage pregnancy is a significant public health issue in England. Teenage parents are prone to poor antenatal health, lower birth weight babies and higher infant mortality rates. Their health, and that of their children, is likely to be worse than average. Teenage mothers are less likely to finish their education, less likely to find a good job, and more likely to end up both as single parents and bringing up their children in poverty. The children themselves run a much greater risk of poor health, and have a much higher chance of becoming teenage mothers themselves. 40.2 The teenage pregnancy strategy set to halve the number of teenage conceptions from 1998 to 2010. There were 238 conceptions to females aged less than 18 between 2008 and 2010, a rate of 22 per 1,000. The national average of under 18 conceptions was 38 per 1,000. The rate in West Berkshire is also significantly lower than the regional average and the NHS Berkshire West average of 30.5 and 26 per 1,000 respectively. The teenage conception rate in West Berkshire has decreased by 28% since the year 2000 representing a more marked decreased than nationally (16%) and regionally (17%). The target of the strategy of a 50% reduction has however not been met nationally and has not been met in West Berkshire. 40.3 Electoral Ward level analysis reveals that there are areas within West Berkshire where conception rates are higher than the local authority and comparator area averages. 40.4 The table and graph below show the conception rate for West Berkshire alongside those of its comparator authorities, and demonstrates how this has changed over the past 5 years. Figures for England and the South East are also provided for comparison purposes.

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Teenage Conception Rates for West Berkshire and Comparator Authorities 2006 ‐2010 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 England 46.6 41.8 40.5 38.2 35.4 South East 33.2 32.9 33 30.1 28.3 West Berkshire Council 23.7 19.9 25.8 21.3 19.4 Bracknell Forest 27.8 22 25.1 17.9 18.2 Buckinghamshire 21.3 24.1 24.5 24.2 20.2 Cambridgeshire 26.3 26.7 24.8 28.4 24.7 Central Bedfordshire 31.4 34.8 31.6 32.5 35.7 Cheshire East 30 35.2 35 29.3 32.2 Hampshire 32.5 31.7 34 28.9 25.2 Hertfordshire 26.2 26.2 24.3 23.5 23.9 Oxfordshire 25.8 29.6 29.5 22.6 22.0 Surrey 25.8 23.6 22.8 20.7 20.8 Wiltshire 30.9 31.7 30.4 29.7 26.4 Source: Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2012/13 and Child and Mental Health Observatory

40.5 As well as information on the number of conceptions, it is important to consider the outcome of these pregnancies. Those living in socially disadvantaged areas are less likely to opt for an abortion. This could have serious consequences, particularly if the teenage mother is unsupported. The proportion of conceptions leading to abortion provides some insight into the degree of unplanned conceptions and is an indication of the need for improved sex and relationship education and/or access to effective contraception and advice. Nationally, just fewer than 50% of conceptions

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to under 18 year olds result in an abortion with this figure increasing by 13.87% since 2000. This increase has also been mirrored across the South East region. In West Berkshire there has not been the same increase in the proportion of conceptions leading to abortion. As the numbers of conceptions has declined, so has the number of abortions. 44% of conceptions in West Berkshire resulted in abortion during 2007 to 2009.

Percentage of conceptions to under 18 year olds resulting in abortion (2000‐2009) 2000 2009 Nos % Nos % % change England And Wales 54865 43% 60060 49% 14% South East 7108 46% 7730 51% 11% Berkshire West PCT 432 46% 354 47% 2% Reading LA 165 39% 163 47% 20% West Berkshire LA 135 48% 104 44% ‐8% Wokingham LA 132 58% 87 52% ‐11% Source: www.berkshirewest.nhs.uk ‐ JSNA data tool

40.6 Chlamydia is the most commonly diagnosed sexually transmitted disease (STI) in sexual health clinics both nationally and locally. National pilots of Chlamydia screening in 2002 found that over 10% of sexually active women and 13% of men aged under the age of 25 tested positive for Chlamydia. 40.7 In 2009 West Berkshire performed very poorly in relation to Chlamydia screening rates, the poorest of all 152 PCT areas. The Foundation Trust worked hard to resolve the issue and in 2010/11 the update of the screening programme improved. Update in this year was around 16.1% of the 15‐24 population, against a national target of 35%. Positive screens have been around 5% overall in Berkshire West but have varied significantly depending on the screening location. A decision was made for 2011/12 to aim for an increase in the number of positives detected rather than a large increase in the number of screens – refocusing the programme on higher risk groups. Source: Association of Public Health Observatories (2010) and Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2012/13

41. ALCOHOL AND SMOKING

41.1 The early use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco products is correlated with later use in adulthood particularly in the case of smoking which is rarely initiated later in life. The consumption of alcohol can also be related to other risky behaviour such as unprotected sex. Understanding and addressing substance use and misuse at an early age is therefore vital to future public health. 41.2 The Berkshire West Tobacco Control Alliance was formed in 2010 and has co‐ ordinated a partnership approach to delivering the objectives mirrored in the

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41.3 Tobacco Control Strategy for England. This has included the publication of the Berkshire West Tobacco Control Delivery Plan 2011‐2013. The following results are taken from a survey conducted in 2012 of 2,000 young people conducted on behalf of the Berkshire West Tobacco Control Alliance Partnership.  22% of 11‐17 year old pupils said that they have smoked.  16% buy their own cigarettes  56% get given cigarettes by friends or family  64% of pupils have drunk alcohol  8% drink alcohol more than once a week.  81% said they were given alcohol by parents  52% said they drank at family parties and 45% at parties of friends.  32% said older family members or friends bought it for them.  9% said they drank in parks or recreational grounds. 41.4 This year, West Berkshire and Wokingham Trading Standards Services, assisted by young volunteers, have attempted 34 purchases of cigarettes. 7 premises made illegal sales, a failure rate of 21%. 41.5 There are currently ten JUICE clinics open to young people in NHS Berkshire West offering free, confidential health advice and support from qualified nurses and youth workers to anyone under 19. They are available at different settings including schools, hospitals, Connexions and youth clubs. Young people attend JUICE clinics for help and advice on a range of topics including sexual health, drugs, alcohol, smoking, relationships and body image. 41.6 4,834 attendances have been made by young people over the past two years. 40% of visits were made by people who had visited the clinics before. The majority of all visits (70%) were made by females though almost 1,500 visits were from males. The main reasons for attending were for sexual health and relationship advice followed by advice about drugs and alcohol including the stop smoking advice. Source: Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2012/13 and West Berkshire Children and Young People’s Data Report

42. SUBSTANCE MISUSE

42.1 The Edge is a small team that works across the whole of West Berkshire. The team works with young people up to the age of 21 and their families/carers who are affected by drugs or alcohol. During the 12 month period between April 2011 and March 2012, the Edge received 112 new referrals and had a total of 132 active cases. 78% of the new referrals were from males and just 22% from females. An age breakdown of the new referrals is given in the pie chart below.

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42.2 The second pie chart (below) gives a breakdown of new referrals by substance. The most frequently accounted substances are cannabis and alcohol.

Source: The Edge Annual Report (2011/12)

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43. YOUNG PEOPLE AS CARERS

43.1 The 2011 census will provide information on the number of children aged 15 or under who act as carers to family members in West Berkshire. This information will be added to the District Profile when published. 43.2 Young carers are young people between the ages of 5 and 18 who do a number of tasks within a family because a family member is ill or has a disability. They are often left alone to do things like washing, cooking, shopping, dressing and much more. They may give medicines, take care of household budgets and look after younger sisters and brothers. Sometimes young carers are unable to go out with their friends, go to school, or go to clubs because they are helping to care for someone at home. 43.3 The Young Carers Support Service in West Berkshire is run by the Castlegate Outreach Team; this was taken over from crossroads in 2006. They have a Young Carers Coordinator who supports young people who care for someone at home. Through the service young carers are able to make contact with other youngsters in the same situation. The Young Carers Coordinator provides support in a one to one situation or in a group. As well as this, the young carer has access to information, training and enjoyable leisure activities. There are youth groups for both junior and secondary school age. Other activities have included young carer festivals, discos, karaoke competitions, bowling, ice skating, cinema, etc.

44. CHILD PROTECTION

44.1 During the year ending March 2012, a total of 104 young people in West Berkshire became the subject of a Child Protection Plan. A Child Protection Plan is produced when a multi‐agency group of professionals decide that a plan is needed to keep a child safe from harm. The child is deemed to be at significant risk of physical, emotional, sexual abuse or neglect. The most common reasons for a child protection plan are Neglect (69%) and Emotional Abuse (23%). Issues commonly encountered in the context of Child Protection Conferences include domestic abuse (45%), parental drug misuse (19%) and parental alcohol misuse (15%).

45. LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN

45.1 During the year ending March 2012, a total of 61 young people came in to the care of West Berkshire Council. A child becomes looked after when their birth parents are unable to provide ongoing care. This can be in either a temporary or permanent capacity. Children can be looked after either as part of a voluntary agreement with their parents or as a result of a care order.

46. REFERRALS TO CHILDREN’S SOCIAL CARE

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46.1 During the year ending March 2012, a total of 1380 referrals were made to children’s social care services. Although numbers fluctuate over time, domestic abuse represents a significant proportion (approximately 30% in 2011/12) of these. There is now a strong body of evidence to suggest that children and young people who witness domestic abuse are more likely to suffer psychological and behavioural problems. Some also suffer impairments to cognitive functions.

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Contents:

More detailed breakdowns of Census 2011 data to town, ward and lower super output levels are available at www.westberks.gov.uk/census2011 . The Census 2011 interactive tool is available here .

Transport and Access ...... 2 1. Overview ...... 2 2. Economy and Transport ...... 3 3. Distance Travelled to Work...... 3 4. Mode of Travel to Work ...... 4 5. Predicted Growth in Travel ...... 6 6. Access to Services ...... 7 7. Access to cars ...... 8 8. Community Transport Services ...... 10 9. Active Travel to Work and School ...... 10 10. Cycling ...... 11 11. Sustainable Travel – Passenger Transport ...... 13 12. Bus Travel ...... 13 13. Rail Travel ...... 14 14. Transport and the Environment ...... 15 15. Congestion ...... 15 TRANSPORT AND ACCESS

1. OVERVIEW

1.1 The district’s position in central southern England and its good links to the transport network have been key factors in West Berkshire’s success at attracting businesses to the area. The district lies at the crossroads of the M4 and A34 strategic roads providing key linkages in all directions, and with good rail access with direct trains to Reading and London. These strategic transport networks provide excellent links to a number of key urban centres. 1.2 Local transport networks in the district are valuable assets that help to support the local economy and enable people access to services and facilities. Furthermore, the extensive rural highway and Rights of Way network, including the Kennet & Avon Canal towpath provide both residents and visitors with significant leisure walking and cycling opportunities. 1.3 West Berkshire’s Transport Links:

Source: WBC – Transport Policy Team 1.4 The Local Transport Plan for West Berkshire 2011-2026 (LTP) has a timeframe that is consistent with both the Local Development Framework (LDF) and the Sustainable Community Strategy. It sets out a Transport Vision Statement that provides a focus for transport and travel in the District: “To deliver effective transport solutions for all by increasing choice and minimising congestion” Source – West Berkshire Local Transport Plan 2011-2026 1.5 To support the delivery of this statement, the LTP contains a set of area transport visions that reflect the wider economic, environmental and social issues that affect the lives of all who live, work and visit West Berkshire. To help guide future transport needs at the local level, these area transport visions have been developed for each of the four geographic areas identified in the LDF Core Strategy (i.e. Newbury & Thatcham, the North Wessex Downs AONB, the Eastern Area and the East Kennet Valley). Source: Local Transport Plan 1.6 There are a number of transport challenges and opportunities across the district that are identified in the Local Transport Plan (LTP). These provide the focus for the rest of the data and information set out in this section.

2. ECONOMY AND TRANSPORT

2.1 The role of transport in contributing to and enhancing the economy is a high priority both nationally and locally. The district forms part of the prosperous Thames Valley area, the economic success of which has been due in part to its proximity to London and Heathrow Airport and good connectivity to strategic transport networks.

3. DISTANCE TRAVELLED TO WORK

3.1 The chart below shows the average distances travelled by people to get to work. A similar proportion of people (15%) in West Berkshire travel approximately 2kms or less to work as compared to either the South East, or nationally. 3.2 People in West Berkshire have a higher propensity to travel further to work however. This reflects the pattern across the South East region where approximately 8% of working residents (similar figure in West Berkshire) travel more than 40kms to work. This compares with 5% nationally.

Distance travelled to work (2011)

England and Wales (%) Less than 2km 2 - 5km 5 - 10km 10 - 20km 20 - 30km

South East% 30 - 40km 40 - 60km More than 60km Work from home Other

West Berkshire %

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Source: Neighbourhood Statistics - ONS, Census 2011 3.3 65% of the West Berkshire workforce lives and works in the area. According to the 2001 Census, over 11,000 West Berkshire residents work in Reading. This is by far the largest group reflecting Reading’s status as the main urban centre in the area and bordering directly with the district. Other significant areas people travel from to West Berkshire include the Basingstoke area and Wokingham where over 2,000 people commute each day. 3.4 In terms of commuting the other way round, the main area people commute from is the Basingstoke area to the south, with more than 7,000 people travelling each day to West Berkshire. Just less than 5,000 people travel from Reading into West Berkshire (although data does not show the extent to which people commute just over the border, or more substantially within the district) and over 2,000 people travel from Wokingham. The other key commuting route is south along the A34 from South Oxfordshire. In addition, flows along A34 north from West Berkshire are likely to increase with the continued expansion of the Science Vale area in Oxfordshire. 3.5 Significantly, despite these distances, average travel to work time is relatively low when compared to Berkshire more generally. The average journey takes 20 minutes in West Berkshire compared to 23.5 minutes in Berkshire as a whole and 21.9 minutes in the South East more generally (ONS, Labour Force Survey, 2007). 3.6 This is not to compound the increasing congestion felt on West Berkshire roads at hotspots in peak hours however, both in terms of local traffic as well as cars and freight travelling through the district en route elsewhere. Congestion levels are also compounded by commuters travelling through the district along the M4 and A34.

4. MODE OF TRAVEL TO WORK

4.1 The 2011 census shows that for West Berkshire, 65% of residents drive to work. This is broadly consistent with the other Berkshire unitary authorities, with the exception of Reading Borough where the figures are substantially lower. Although the level of bus use for work trips is similar across Berkshire (apart from Reading & Slough), the level of train use is slightly lower than most of the other Berkshire unitaries, which are closer to London.

Mode of travel to work (2011) We st Bracknell Windsor Berkshire Forest Reading Slough Mdnhead Wokingham (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) Work mainly from home 7.6% 5.9% 4.7% 3.1% 8.7% 8.0% Underground, metro, light 0.2% 0.2% 0.3% 1.1% 0.5% 0.2% rail, tram Train 4.9% 4.8% 9.6% 7.0% 9.0% 7.1% Bu s, minibus, coach 3.6% 2.0% 11.0% 7.5% 1.4% 3.3% Taxi 0.2% 0.3% 0.3% 0.7% 0.4% 0.2% Motorcycle, scooter or 0.6% 0.8% 0.6% 0.6% 0.7% 0.6% moped Driving a car or van 65.4% 70.1% 47.2% 61.1% 62.8% 67.6% Passenger in a car or van 4.9% 4.7% 4.4% 6.1% 3.6% 3.6% Bicycle 2.6% 2.3% 4.2% 2.4% 2.4% 2.5% On foot 9.4% 8.3% 17.1% 9.8% 9.7% 6.4% Other 0.5% 0.7% 0.6% 0.6% 0.8% 0.5% Source: 2011 Census, ONS 4.2 Compared to both the wider South East and England and Wales as a whole, the 2011 census shows that a higher proportion of West Berkshire residents drive to work by car. Conversely, the proportion using public transport to travel to work is slightly lower than the regional and national average. This perhaps reflects the geographically dispersed nature of the population and the marginally longer distances travelled, particularly outside the urban areas of Newbury and Thatcham, and the Eastern Urban area bordering Reading Borough. A relatively similar proportion of people either work from home, or walk, cycle, or motorcycle to work.

Mode of travel to work (2011) West Berkshire South East England & Wales (%) (%) (%) Work mainly from home 7.6% 6.6% 5.4% Underground, metro, light rail, tram 0.2% 0.4% 3.9% Train 4.9% 7.3% 5.2% Bus, minibus, coach 3.6% 4.5% 7.3% Taxi 0.2% 0.4% 0.5% Motorcycle, scooter or moped 0.6% 0.9% 0.8% Driving a car or van 65.4% 60.8% 57.5% Passenger in a car or van 4.9% 4.7% 5.1% Bicycle 2.6% 3.0% 2.9% On foot 9. 4% 10.9% 10.7% Other 0.5% 0.7% 0.6% Source: 2011 Census, ONS

4.3 As would be expected the proportion of people using public transport is highest in relatively urban areas fed by bus routes, or with a train station in the vicinity. As such, Westwood, Purley, Pangbourne and Basildon on the main Reading to Oxford line have relatively high usage of public transport – as does Calcot and Birch Copse on the Reading fringe. 4.4 Again, as would be expected, the more urban areas of Victoria, Northcroft and Clay Hill have a high proportion of people walking to work. Noticeable again, is the lower proportions of people in Thatcham walking to work compared to across the district.

5. PREDICTED GROWTH IN TRAVEL

5.1 Growth in rail passenger demand in recent years has been one of the successes of UK transport policy. This growth is forecast to continue, with the rail industry’s view that by 2035 the national rail network will be carrying twice as many passengers as in 2011. To help meet this demand, the Department for Transport has announced a series of measures to modernise the Great Western rail network, including proposals to electrify parts of the route and new trains, which will provide additional seating capacity. From December 2016, rail passengers travelling between London, Slough, Reading, Newbury, Didcot, Oxford, and on the Mainline west to Bristol and South Wales will benefit from new electric trains. Further details regarding how the Great Western rail network will be improved can be found on the Network Rail website.

Source www.dft.gov.uk – Rail Electrification 5.2 The Council is also supportive of measures to provide a western rail access to Heathrow airport as this will increase connectivity to Heathrow from the west, including West Berkshire. Further details on the Western Rail Access to Heathrow project can be found on the Thames Valley Berkshire - Local Enterprise Partnership webpage. Source: www.thamesvalleyberkshire.co.uk/wrath. 5.3 The distance people travel is increasing as people take advantage of good transport networks to live further away from their jobs, accepting longer commuting distances in exchange for other advantages, such as allowing their children to stay at the same school. More people remain in the same place even if they change jobs, rather than move nearer to where they work. 5.4 With traffic flows forecast to continue to increase the challenge is to work towards slowing down the rate of increase in traffic by encouraging more sustainable modes of travelling than the private motor vehicle and alternatives to travelling such as working from home, tele-conferences, etc.

6. ACCESS TO SERVICES

6.1 Although links to and from the area are good, access to services within the district can be a challenge for some, especially in the rural areas. Oxford Consultants for Social Inclusion (OCSI) undertook some research in 2010 which included looking at access to services in rural areas. The following comparisons between West Berkshire’s rural areas and other rural areas were highlighted in their research: • 10.6% of households in rural areas in West Berkshire have no access to a car or van. This is lower than across rural areas in England (14.1%). This reflects the affluent nature of West Berkshire and the relatively high levels of car ownership. • 72.9% of households are more than 10km from principal job centres, which is higher than across England (50.4%). This highlights the sparse pattern of West Berkshire’s rural settlements. Source: OCSI (2010), Access to services in West Berkshire: Report for the ACRE Rural Evidence programme 6.2 The map below shows the areas of West Berkshire that benefit from good access to major centres and the areas where access is poor unless you have the use of a car. The coloured areas on the map indicate households that can access a major or district centre (shown by the red dots on the map) within 30 minutes using public transport and walking; the lighter the area the quicker the journey to one of these centres. 7. ACCESS TO CARS

7.1 There is a relatively high level of car ownership and usage in West Berkshire. The most recent (2009) data shows that there were 132,000 vehicles licensed in the district. Of these vehicles 105,000 are cars, which amounts to approximately 1.6 cars per household in the district. Source: Department for Transport, Vehicle License Data www.dft.gov.uk. 7.2 As the above figures suggest, there is a relatively low proportion of households with no access to a vehicle. The table below shows 12.4% of households in the district have no car, compared to 18.6% in the South East, or 25.6% nationally. 7.3 Significantly, West Berkshire has a lower proportion of households with one car (38.6%), compared to England and Wales (42.2%), or the South East (41.7%). Households in West Berkshire however are much more likely to be multiple car owners. 49% of households in the district have 2 or more cars, compared to 39.7% of households in the South East, or 32.1% of households nationally

Vehicle ownership (2011) West Berkshire West Berkshire South East England & Wales (nos) (%) (%) (%) No cars 7,759 12% ( -1%) 19% ( -1%) 26% ( -1%) 1 car 24,042 39% ( -1%) 42% ( -1%) 42% ( -2%) 2 cars 22,437 36% ( -) 30% ( -) 25% (+1%) 3 cars 5,858 9% (+1%) 7% (+1%) 6% (+1%) 4 cars or more 2,244 4% (+1%) 3% (+1%) 2% (+1%) Source: ONS, Census 2011

7.4 The graph below uses Census data from 2011 and shows the number of cars owned per household per ward. Both Northcroft and Victoria have a large proportion of residents without a car – reflecting the urban nature of these areas. Areas with the highest propensity to own a car include Chieveley, Cold Ash, Purley and Westwood and the more remote areas around Lambourn.

Source: ONS, Census 2011 8. COMMUNITY TRANSPORT SERVICES

8.1 A sector of the population make good use of Community Transport Services to help them access health services, retail and social activities. Often these services support those without access to a car or living in areas not served well by public transport. They are also more heavily used by older people and those with mobility impairments. 8.2 With an ageing population in West Berkshire and an increasingly expensive public transport system, these community transport services remain valuable to the communities they serve. The graph below shows the high number of passenger journeys they support which has exceeded 50,000 for the last 4 years.

Source: WBC, Transport Services, Annual Community Transport Data Collection

9. ACTIVE TRAVEL TO WORK AND SCHOOL

9.1 Active travel for regular journeys to work and school are encouraged through ‘Travel Plans’ that are implemented by workplaces and school communities. Travel Plans work by offering incentives to use alternative modes of travel to work than the car. 9.2 All schools in West Berkshire have a school travel plan, and many schools actively promote walking and cycling through these plans. The graph below shows how walking to school has increased since 2001.

Source: WBC Annual School Travel Survey

10. CYCLING

10.1 The West Berkshire Cycle Forum meets regularly to discuss cycling issues across the district. The Forum works to improve cycling facilities and promote cycling. They monitor cycling by gathering a snap shot during the morning peak (7:30 – 9:30am) three times a year. The number of people observed cycling between 2009/10 and 2011/12 increased by 9%, however this fell by 11% in 2012/13. This pattern is shown in the graph below.

Source: West Berkshire Cycle Forum – Cycle Monitoring 10.2 Cycle Training is offered to all year 6 pupils across West Berkshire Schools. Since 2007 when the new national standard of cycle training was piloted in West Berkshire, the number of children trained has increased dramatically (see the graph below). The Council has secured funding through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSFT) to support the training of children in West Berkshire.

10.3 Training helps to encourage more cycling by providing greater confidence. Importantly, it is a key tool for helping to increase an awareness of road safety and the safety of cyclists when they are on the roads.

11. SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL – PASSENGER TRANSPORT

11.1 The provision of a good passenger transport network can play a significant role in enabling people to access essential services and facilities. This is recognised by the publication of a Passenger Transport Strategy to support the implementation of the Council’s Local Transport Plan. This takes a wider view of passenger transport provision across the district, which includes separate chapters for each form of passenger transport plus fares, ticketing and information. Source: Passenger Transport Strategy

12. BUS TRAVEL

12.1 Punctual bus services provide passengers with greater confidence about their journey and help to provide good access to shops and businesses. Buses also have a key role in encouraging sustainable local travel, and punctual and reliable services are essential in making buses a realistic alternative to the private car. The Council undertakes regular assessment of bus services to determine how many are running on time. The table below shows the results for the last six years.

% Bus services running on time Start of route on Intermediate Total on time time Point on time 2012 -13 90.0% 75.6% 82.8%

2011 -12 93.8% 74.6% 84.2% 2010 -11 93.1% 81.0% 87.1% 2009 -10 90.7% 80.5% 85.6% 2008 -09 90.4% 80.2% 85.3%

2007 -08 89.0% 77.0% 83.0%

12.2 These figures show that the proportions of bus services running on time have largely improved over the last six years. However, it is recognised that the recent surveys have shown a slight decline compared to previous years. This has been due in part to one service having difficulty in keeping to time, although this has hopefully now been resolved through operational changes, and that services along the A4 between Calcot and Reading experiencing delays due to roadworks. 12.3 Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) has been introduced to the District’s bus network, under the ‘NextBuses’ branding. The NextBuses service delivers live bus arrival information for services run by Reading Buses and Newbury & District, via an interactive website, via mobile internet and text for mobile devices, and via audio- visual display screens at key bus stops in Newbury, Thatcham, Theale, Calcot, Tilehurst and Purley. As well as showing live arrivals, the NextBus display screens are also able to show messages advising of delays due to roadworks or other incidents on the network. 12.4 The Council has an important role in ensuring that accurate and easily-understood information is available to existing and potential customers, to help them plan journeys in advance. In addition to publishing its ‘District-wide Travel Guide’, incorporating timetables and information for services across West Berkshire, the Council produces the ‘Getting There!!’ guide which gives details of how to access public bus and door-to-door community transport services. These guides can be downloaded from the Council’s website and are also available in printed format. The printed guides complement the UK-wide Traveline public transport journey planning service – available online at www.traveline.info or by telephone on 0871 200 22 33 – which the Council actively promotes, supports, and regularly updates. Source: WBC Public Transport

13. RAIL TRAVEL

13.1 Paragraph 5.1 outlines the national growth in rail travel in recent years. Locally, this growth can be seen with the Office of Rail Regulation’s annually produced station usage figures, which consist of estimates of the total numbers of people entering, exiting, and interchanging at all rail stations across the national rail network. The figure below outlines the growth in usage of rail stations in West Berkshire since 2002/03.

Source: Office of Rail Regulation 13.2 The station usage data highlights the growth in rail travel in the district over recent years. This suggests that rail is becoming an increasingly attractive mode of travel for residents and visitors to West Berkshire, with passenger numbers in 2011/12 being at their highest level since before the recession in 2008/09. 14. TRANSPORT AND THE ENVIRONMENT

14.1 West Berkshire has an attractive environment which is highly protected with the AONB designation covering 75% of the district. Whilst transport and travel activities try to respect the environment, there are instances where the concentration of vehicle movements in our urban areas causes the deterioration in air quality. Details of Air Quality Management Areas are included in Chapter 10 of this District Profile. To try and reduce the transport impacts there are various measures relating to reducing the need to travel and reducing carbon that are promoted through the Local Transport Plan. 14.2 Promoting working at home, workplace travel plans and the use of alternative fuels all play a part in trying to reduce the impact of travel on the environment. An example of a workplace travel plan that has achieved a positive impact on the environment is AWE in Aldermaston and Burghfield. They have reduced their single occupancy car travel by 16% in 5 years. This has been achieved by effective parking management, strong encouragement of car sharing, promotion of bus travel and improvements for walking and cycling to their main site in Aldermaston.

15. CONGESTION

15.1 Whilst West Berkshire is not a congested area, there are some localised areas of congestion at peak times. These areas require managing and investment where improvements are needed to increase capacity at key junctions or effectively manage traffic flow. One way of helping to manage traffic flow is to provide useful information to drivers to help them make good route choices. Variable Message Signs (VMS) have been introduced for this purpose, for example, to let drivers know where there is capacity in town centre car parks (in Newbury) and to warn of traffic conditions as routes approach the M4 at Junction 12 and key routes into Reading. 15.2 New development is planned through the Local Development Framework Core Strategy and additional transport and highway measures are planned alongside this new development. This will help address the impact and manage the additional trips associated with new development. For example, a new housing development might contribute to alterations to nearby junctions to increase capacity whilst also improving cycle and pedestrian links, contributing to bus services so that the site is served by public transport and linking many other measures together in a site travel plan to encourage people to choose sustainable travel. 15.3 The main measures that the Department for Transport (DfT) use for congestion are average speed and average journey times. The graphs below show the results of these measures for West Berkshire compared to the South East. They help to indicate the impacts of congestion and how these have changed over time. After an overall reduction in average journey time from 2008/09 and a corresponding increase in average speed, from 2011/12 to 2012/13 West Berkshire has mirrored the trend for the South East and seen speeds reduce slightly and average journey times increase. This is indicative of greater congestion however levels are still lower than in 2008/09. The patterns on the graphs are likely to be heavily affected by the changes in the economy. The changes appear to be greater in West Berkshire than the average for the South East. The graphs also indicate that West Berkshire has less of a problem with congestion than the average for the South East. Source: Department of Transport

Contents:

More detailed breakdowns of Census 2011 data to town, ward and lower super output levels are available at www.westberks.gov.uk/census2011 . The Census 2011 interactive tool is available here .

Culture and leisure ...... 2 1. Overview ...... 2 2. The Heritage of West Berkshire ...... 2 3. Tourism ...... 4 4. Libraries ...... 5 5. Arts Activity in West Berkshire ...... 6 6. Sport and Physical Activity in West Berkshire ...... 8 7. Countryside, Parks and Open Spaces...... 13 8. Overview of the Commons and Nature Reserves Managed by WBC ...... 14 9. The Public Rights of Way Network ...... 17 CULTURE AND LEISURE

1. OVERVIEW

1.1 The area has seen considerable growth in retail, cultural and leisure businesses and pursuits. Government policy puts considerable emphasis on maintaining the vitality and viability of town centres, concentrating retail and leisure development in areas where people can compare goods and services and benefit from choices in transport. 1.2 One of this area’s greatest assets is its heritage and cultural resources. These factors will continue to play a significant role in encouraging inward investment and in sustaining the region’s overall quality of life. 1.3 West Berkshire, with a mixed economy of cultural provision across the district, offers residents the opportunity to participate in a wealth of cultural activity.

2. THE HERITAGE OF WEST BERKSHIRE

2.1 West Berkshire contains a wealth of historic environment features, many of which are of international significance. These range in date from the Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) sites along the floor of the Kennet Valley right through to the Cruise Missile shelters at Greenham Common (now protected as a Scheduled Monument), which stand as silent witness to the international events of the Cold War. Source: The Historic Environment Record 2.2 There is also a wide range of features of national importance. There are nearly 90 Scheduled Monuments , 13 Registered Parks and Gardens and 1 Registered Battlefield - the historically significant 1 st Battle of Newbury fought on the 20 th September 1643. However, there are many more nationally important assets within the district that remain to be discovered or to be given the recognition that they deserve. Source: English Heritage 2.3 In terms of heritage assets that are Listed Buildings , there are just under 1,900 in West Berkshire with 42 entries at Grade I (or ‘of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important’) 106 at Grade II* (defined as ‘particularly important buildings of more than special interest’), and the remainder designated at Grade II buildings (‘nationally important and of special interest’). Source: Listed Buildings 2.4 The District’s Grade I buildings include a number of ecclesiastical buildings such as many village parish churches, St Nicolas’ Church in Newbury, and Holy Trinity in Theale. Several grand houses such as West Woodhay House, Welford Park, Ufton Court and Basildon Park are also designated Grade I. Other notable Grade I buildings include Donnington Castle, and the Old Bluecoat School or Chapel of St Thomas in Thatcham, but structures such as the fine gate piers associated with Hamstead Park are also listed at this grade. 2.5 Amongst the Grade II* listings are places as diverse as Douai Abbey Church in Upper Woolhampton, Aldermaston Court, Mortimer Railway Station, Devitt House at Pangbourne College, Jack of Newbury’s House in Northbrook Street and the Corn Stores (aka Granary on Newbury’s Wharf). 2.6 Other historic and architectural features, whilst not on national registers, are of local importance. These have been recognised through the designation of Conservation Areas. There are currently 54 in the district. Outside Conservation Areas there are many features within our towns, villages and countryside that contribute in a very positive way to the character of the area, and our appreciation of ‘local distinctiveness’, and a ‘sense of place’. 2.7 The West Berkshire Historic Environment Record (HER) holds information on all known archaeological and historic sites in the district, together with an index of fieldwork and excavations, bibliographic references and archaeological objects. At present approximately 9,500 monuments and 6000 objects are included in the record, and these figures are constantly growing. The database is maintained by the Council’s archaeology service , and underpins its curatorial work promoting the appreciation and preservation of the district’s historic environment resource. Source: Archaeology Service 2.8 Understanding and explaining the historic environment is a key goal for the sector over coming years. Projects such as the Newbury Historic Character Study and Historic Landscape Characterisation provide new and important datasets that will inform the improved management of the historic environment. The archaeology team has also completed an innovative project to determine Historic Environment Character Zones across the whole district. Source: Archaeology Service – Projects and Research 2.9 West Berkshire Council has worked with the local community to establish the West Berkshire Heritage Forum . One of the first products of this partnership has been the publication of the West Berkshire Historic Environment Action Plan. This seeks to highlight what is special and important about the local historic environment, to examine what the key challenges are, to explore what opportunities might exist in the coming years and to establish what the priorities for action should be. One of the early projects being delivered by the Forum is a local list of heritage assets. 2.10 The first Regionally Important Geological and Geomorphological (RIG) Site in Berkshire has been identified at Rushall Farm. A Berkshire RIGs Group has been formed and is beginning to identify and record sites across the county. The identification of such sites is of importance to enable people to understand their local geology and what has formed the landscape of West Berkshire. While there are no hard rocks to study in the area, there are sites which have leaf fossils which allow us to identify what plants were growing in Berkshire hundreds of thousands of years ago. Source: GeoConservation UK 2.11 Newbury has had a museum since 1843, one of the first to be established in the country, providing public opportunities to experience authentic objects. In 1904 the museum relocated to the Grade I listed Cloth Hall, later expanding into the Grade II* Corn Stores, where as West Berkshire Museum it resides today. Source: West Berkshire Museum 2.12 The museum collections number in excess of 25,000 objects or groups of objects and are particularly rich in local and social history and archaeology. The collections also include decorative art, costume, natural history and geology. Photographs, paintings, prints, drawings and maps provide useful resources for interpreting local heritage. The Museum is also the repository for archaeological archives derived from field work throughout the district and to date has received notification of nearly 500 works and holds archives for nearly 300 of them. 2.13 West Berkshire Museum aims to create a ‘Sense of Place’ working with communities to understand what West Berkshire has been, is now and may be in the future. The Council is committed to making the Museum’s collections and services more accessible and has implemented a redevelopment plan including the restoration of the Cloth Hall and Corn Stores. The Museum will be closed for the redevelopment until 2014. 2.14 Shaw House , the best surviving Elizabethan great house in the county and a Grade I Listed Building, is on the northern edge of Newbury. Built in 1581, it was restored during 2005-2007, in a £6 million project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Vodafone and English Heritage. Having been carefully adapted for use in the 21 st century it is used as a venue for seminars, meetings and training sessions, and is home to West Berkshire’s Registration Service for Births, Deaths and Ceremonies. Since October 2008 it has been open to the public as a heritage attraction on specific days and has a full programme of special events and activities. The only other country house open to the public in the district is Basildon Park, an 18th century Palladian mansion, owned by the National Trust. Source: Shaw House

3. TOURISM

3.1 West Berkshire lies in a naturally central location – within an hour’s reach of London, Bristol, Oxford and the south coast. As such West Berkshire attracts a significant number of visitors each year. 3.2 The last economic impact survey conducted in West Berkshire in 2007 estimated that the region received 485,500 overnight visits, generating approximately £106,915,000 income. It was estimated that 6% of employment in the district is supported by tourism. 3.3 Primary attractions within West Berkshire include the heritage and cultural attractions described within this section; visitors also come for the tranquillity and scenery in the surrounding countryside. Large swathes of the countryside of the district lies within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB ) – an area of gently rolling, chalk landscape and picturesque villages. Source: Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 3.4 Several national routes pass through the area including The Ridgeway National Trail, The Thames Path and parts of the Sustrans countrywide cycling network. Source: National Trails and Sustrans 3.5 The Kennet and Avon Canal runs through West Berkshire on its way from Bristol and Bath, through Hungerford and Newbury to Reading and the Thames beyond. This attracts boaters and other visitors along the length of the canal. British Waterways estimate that around a million visits are made to the canal in a year. Source: Kennet and Avon Canal Trust 3.6 The internationally significant Newbury Racecourse brings a very large number of visitors to the area; approximately 200,000 people attend race meetings each year. Source: The Racecourse Newbury 3.7 The official tourism destination website is www.visitnewbury.org.uk. The website features regularly updated availability of local accommodation, an events list and attraction details. Source: Visit Newbury 3.8 The Tourist Information Centre is located in the Newbury Town Council buildings in the Market Place. The centre deals with a variety of enquiries from visitors and locals. In 2012/13, 27,000 contacts were made with the service, mostly in person but also by email and telephone. Source: Tourist Information Centre

4. LIBRARIES

4.1 West Berkshire has 9 libraries and 2 mobile libraries which together provide a service to every parish and ward in the district. The combined stock of the library service is just over 180,000 of which 174,000 are available for loan. The stock includes about 165,000 books, the remainder being non-book materials such as DVDs, CDs etc. There are 79 PCs available for public use. Source: Library service 4.2 The library at Theale (The Gateway) is a dual use service which provides the library service for both the local community and Theale Green Community School from one building. The Gateway also houses the adult and community learning facility for the town. 4.3 West Berkshire libraries are well used with 480,000 visitors in 2012/13 and 809,000 items borrowed. There were just under 24,000 active borrowers (people who have used their ticket to borrow an item during the year) with 6,082 new members registered during the year. The number of people registered as library borrowers is just under 103,000, and many more people use the library without actually being registered members. 4.4 Almost 12,000 of our loans were eBooks, eAudio and eMagazines from our eLibrary. Customers can download these items for free through the library website. The Libraries section of the Council website achieved 94,500 hits during 2012-13. 4.5 The survey of residents leisure time conducted in 2009 showed that 48% of residents had visited a local library in the last year. Of those who used the library 52% used them every month. It is the younger age groups (18-24 - 56%, 24-45 - 54%) who are more likely to have visited a library compared to 40% of people over 65. The table below, however, shows that the people over 65 are more likely to visit libraries more frequently.

Source: West Berkshire Leisure Time Survey (2009) 4.6 The libraries attract a very significant footfall. Several Readers’ Groups meet in libraries, and many more private groups are provided with sets of books by the library. Author talks, local history sessions and other events are held in a number of libraries, often as part of local arts festivals. All libraries provide regular activities for children. Our second year celebrating National Libraries Day on 9th February 2013 was just as busy as the first, attracting 940 visitors to Newbury Library, and all branches were much busier than usual.

5. ARTS ACTIVITY IN WEST BERKSHIRE

5.1 West Berkshire plays both host and is within close proximity, to a large and diverse range of cultural and artistic venues and activities, of national, regional and local significance. 5.2 The Corn Exchange in Newbury is a 400 seat arts centre situated in a prestigious Grade II listed building in the town’s historic market place. Built in 1861 it served a range of community functions until 1993 when, following an extensive refurbishment programme it opened as an arts centre. Today the Corn Exchange, operated by a charitable trust, provides a wide and varied programme including dance, film, music, drama, comedy and an annual pantomime. The Corn Exchange is also home to a number of major festivals including the Newbury Comedy Festival which show cases national and local comedy talent and Newbury Spring Festival. In the year 2012/13 the Corn Exchange hosted 246 live performances, 56 community events, over 1,000 films and 6 major outdoor events attracting over 108,700 visitors. Source: Corn Exchange 5.3 The Corn Exchange also hosts Screen One – a 40 seat movie theatre - which utilises the latest digital technology to showcase independent, foreign and house films. Screen one attracted 23,000 visitors for 1,036 events in 2011/12 and continues to offer an alternative programme to the 7 screen cinema ( Vue ) complex in Newbury. Source: Corn Exchange 5.4 Linked to the Corn Exchange is New Greenham Arts Centre . Established in 1998 within the former Military Recreation Centre on the former Greenham Common USAF base the Arts Centre has gone from strength to strength housing an artist’s studio, facilities for community arts groups and performers together with a broad range of exhibitions, classes and performances. Source: New Greenham Arts 5.5 The Corn Exchange also provides the focus for a programme of medium and large scale street and outdoor based events which have now become key elements of the cultural programme of the area. 2012/13 saw the delivery of 6 major large-scale, free events, attracting an estimated 12,000 audience to these evening events which are of international standing. 5.6 The Watermill Theatre is a prestigious 220 seat theatre located on the banks of the River Lambourn within the picturesque village of Bagnor. Producing quality work and attracting high calibre artists and creative teams it is the only arts organisation across the whole of Berkshire to be awarded 3-year National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) status by Arts Council England. Source: The Watermill West Berkshire Playhouse 5.7 In addition to its main house, the Watermill Theatre regularly tours its productions nationally and occasionally internationally. It has a vibrant local rural touring network and an extensive outreach theatre programme involving around 16000 participants In 2012/13 the main house attracted over 66,000 audience numbers and regularly operates at around 80% capacity. 5.8 The Arlington Arts Centre , in the grounds of the Mary Hare Grammar School, is the only theatre available which has been built with the needs of deaf people to the fore providing acoustic excellence, loop system and subtitling facility. Source: Arlington Arts Centre 5.9 Newbury also plays host to the annual Newbury Spring Festival each May showcasing international music making, literature and visual arts at The Corn Exchange and the country churches and stately homes in and around West Berkshire. In addition, there are a range of additional community arts festivals and event programmes each year across the district ensuring that arts activity is available to the public. Source: Newbury Spring Festival 5.10 Enhancing the larger facilities and festivals, West Berkshire has a vibrant and active community arts sector playing host to over 100 community arts groups including a number of recently established community film clubs. 5.11 The Arts Council England have developed arts based segmentation of adults across England which provides insight into how and why different kinds of people engage with the arts. For West Berkshire this profile is: Art Type Urban Arts Eclectic 4.7% Traditional Culture Vultures 4.6% Fun, Fashion and Friends 21.1% Mature Explorers 12.9% Dinner and a Show 19.8% Family and Community Focused 11.6% Bedroom DJ's 1.8% Mid-life hobbyists 4.6% Retired arts and Crafts 2.4% Time-poor dreamers 5.1% A quiet pint with the match 5.2% Older and Home Bound 4.3% Limited means, nothing fancy 1.9%

Source: Arts Council England- Take Part Survey 2008 5.12 The area has also developed a positive track record in developing arts opportunities for young people. Following a change at a national level in the management and support of ArtsMark accreditation 19 schools in West Berkshire held the award in 2013. Source: Arts Council England

5.13 A total of £2,725,367 has been invested in the Arts in West Berkshire by the National Lottery since its inception in 1994 (Source: Department of Culture, Media and Sport – July 2012)

6. SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN WEST BERKSHIRE

6.1 In terms of top class sport, Newbury Racecourse, established in 1905, offers some of the best horse racing both on the flat and over jumps. It is home to the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup and the Juddmonte Lockinge stakes, Ladies Day in August and a summer season of top-class racing, including three evening meetings and Family Fun Days. 6.2 West Berkshire is home to a rich variety of sport and physical recreation facilities, including one of the largest lidos in the country still open to the community which continues a tradition of formal outdoor swimming in Newbury dating back to 1890. 6.3 The provision of facilities for sport and physical recreation is either through the local authority, schools, the private sector or the community, with facilities available either on a pay and play basis, a registered membership basis (e.g. private health club) or for hire to Sports Clubs and Community Associations. 6.4 The Kennet Leisure Centre in Thatcham hosts a Health and Fitness Suite which has been accredited under the Inclusive Fitness Initiative whilst Cotswold Sports Centre , Hungerford Leisure Centre , Kennet Leisure Centre, Northcroft leisure Centre and Willink Leisure Centre hold the Quest Accreditation Kitemark and Theale Green Recreation Centre hosts a Netball Centre of Excellence. 6.5 The Adventure Dolphin outdoor and water sport activity service is fully recognised and approved by the British Canoe Union and has been awarded the prestigious Sports England CLUBMARK , GOLD and TOP CENTRE status, one of only two in Southern England. 6.6 1,000 young people apply to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) programme each year. This means that at any time there are at least 3,000 young people engaging with the programme at various levels throughout the district. Each of these young people will be developing their own programme unique to them: they decide what they will do for how long and set their own objectives. 6.7 Around 50% of them will complete a full award at either Bronze, Silver or Gold level. Source: Duke of Edinburgh Awards 6.8 The West Berkshire Council DofE programme is available throughout the district through all secondary schools, academies and education units, open centres, youth activity services, family services and integrated youth services. 6.9 The young people and the programme are supported by over 150 trained, registered and enthusiastic volunteers who all give their time to support and develop the potential of the young people they come into contact with and are prepared to give up their time in order to help them. 6.10 West Berkshire is also the base for 539 different sports facilities (see table below) plus a network of over 80 village and community halls of varying size which support a variety of general leisure activity at the heart of small communities. Facility Type Total Count Athletics Tracks 1 Golf 16 Grass Pitches 407 Health and Fitness Suite 29 Indoor Bowls 1 Indoor Tennis Centre 2 Sports Hall 42 Swimming Pool 31 Sy nthetic Turf Pitch 10 Total 539

Source: Active Places Power – Sport England (Registration required) 6.11 Community sport in West Berkshire is supported through a strong and varied voluntary sector with over 300 clubs based within the boundaries of the district. 40 of these clubs currently hold the Sport England ClubMark accreditation through their National Governing Body with a further 12 working towards the award (Data correct October 2013). These clubs are supported in turn through a wide variety of volunteers providing coaching and support to members and participants. 6.12 The Active People Survey 6 (2011-2012) provides in depth analysis of engagement patterns in sport and physical activity. 6.13 27.4% of adults in West Berkshire take part in sport and active recreation, compared to the national average of 22.9%, for at least three periods of 30 minutes per week. 55.7% of adults participate in at least one activity although the figures compare favourably with the rest of England they also demonstrate the challenges faced with just over two out of every five adults not participating in any physical activity.

Source: Active People Survey – Sports England

6.14 Data from the Active People Survey (2011-12) also suggests that 54.9% of all adults would like to either start participating in a sport or active recreation activity or increase their current levels of participation. 6.15 Other key facts which can be seen from the Active People data are: • 13.8% of adults have supported sports activity through volunteering compared to the national average of 14.0% • 27.4% of adults are members of sports clubs compared to a national average of 22.8% • 16.8% of adults have under taken organised tuition or coaching compared to a national average of 16.8% 6.16 In relation to the eight West Berkshire owned leisure centres over 37,741 individuals have registered for a West Berkshire Card for use within the centres (November 2013)

Source: CX Air and Parkwood Community Leisure 6.17 Reviewing all current card holders provides information in relation to which sectors of the local population are accessing sports and leisure provision through the leisure centres. Looking at the data by age group the main users of leisure centres are adults between the ages of 25 and 40 (26.8%).

Source: CX Air and Parkwood Community Leisure 6.18 People with a disability account for 1,407 or 3.7% of all card holders associated with the leisure centres. Of these 29.7% have health related issues (linked in part to a very active Activity for Health programme ) and 31.9% have physical disabilities – the full breakdown is provided below.

Source: CX Air and Parkwood Community Leisure

6.19 Of the total number of card holders 1,747 (or 6.1%) have registered themselves as non British with the main groups being Asian (32.2%).

Source: CX Air and Parkwood Community Leisure 6.20 From the data collected at leisure centres through the use of the West Berkshire Card it would suggest that approximately 60,500 individuals had made use of a leisure centre on at least one occasion between December 2012 and November 2013 with: • 6.7% of users visiting a centre on a weekly basis. • 27.6% of users visiting a centre on a monthly basis. 6.21 West Berkshire hosts two School Sports Partnerships with results from the 2009/10 School Sports survey indicating that within West Berkshire: • 58% of young people were participating in at least 3 hours of quality PE and out of hours sport and physical activity in a typical week. • 43% of young people were participating in inter school competition. • 13% of young people were actively participating in sports volunteering and leadership. 6.22 A total of £1,034,289 of National Lottery Funds has been invested in sports activity in West Berkshire since its inception in 1994 (Department of Culture, Media and Sport – July 2012) 6.23 In 2010 businesses connected to the sports industry represented 3.03% of the total business stock and 1% of employment opportunities in West Berkshire. (Sport England’s Sport Profile Tool – Feb 2012)

7. COUNTRYSIDE , PARKS AND OPEN SPACES

7.1 Being a predominant rural area the countryside and open spaces are an important characteristic of the area. In 2006 the ’Inventory of Green Space in West Berkshire’ identified over 4000ha of publicly accessible green space in the district. 7.2 Henwick Worthy Sports Ground , located between the towns of Newbury and Thatcham, provides sports fields and facilities for hockey, football, cricket, rugby union, outdoor basketball, tennis and netball and is the home to Newbury and Thatcham Hockey Club. 7.3 In 2007, Northcroft and Goldwell Park in Newbury gained the coveted Green Flag Award. The award has been retained every year since and in 2009 another Green Flag award was won for Holybrook Linear Park in Calcot. This has also been retained every year since. West Berkshire's parks provide opportunities for formal and informal recreation in an attractive setting including playgrounds for children. The parks host a range of community based events including Thatcham Festival, Holybrook Festival, Michaelmas Fair, Newbury and Thatcham Hockey Festival and the Real Ale Festival which all encourage social cohesion. This Summer the Countryside Service, in partnership with the local cycle dealership, hosted 6 cyclo cross events. These were well attended and enjoyed by novice and experienced cyclists alike. 7.4 West Berkshire Countryside. The countryside is of obvious importance to a rural area such as West Berkshire where 74% of the area is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). 7.5 The Council owns and manages some incredibly interesting and important countryside locations which provide excellent opportunities for quiet recreation and the enjoyment of wildlife. Further detail is provided at paragraph 8 below. 7.6 Future Management Arrangements. West Berkshire Council and the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) signed an agreement on 21 October2013 that will see the day to day management of nine reserves and commons sites in West Berkshire, and the Nature Discovery Centre at Thatcham, transfer to BBOWT on 6 January 2014. The nine sites are: Snelsmore Common Country Park, Bucklebury Common, Hosehill Lake, Wokefield Common, Padworth Common, Paices Wood Country Park, Thatcham Reedbeds, Greenham and Crookham Commons and Audrey’s Meadow. 7.7 Three of the sites are privately owned: Bucklebury Common, Paices Wood and Wokefield Common,while the freehold for the other six sites will be retained by West Berkshire Council 7.8 The aim of the agreement is to ensure these sites are protected and enhanced sustainably into the future. BBOWT is an experienced conservation organisation and has already been shown to work successfully alongsideWest BerkshireCouncil via the West Berkshire Living Landscape initiative.

8. OVERVIEW OF THE COMMONS AND NATURE RESERVES MANAGED BY WBC

8.1 Greenham and Crookham Common Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI): a very large site (in excess of 500 hectares). Most of the common is now being restored to lowland heath although there are other key habitats - wet alder gulleys, mire, acid and neutral grassland, semi-natural ancient woodland, ponds and lakes. Cattle and Exmoor ponies now graze the area formerly occupied by the airbase. Greenham & Crookham Commons are in the Higher Level Stewardship scheme; a Government grant scheme to assist with land management costs administered by Natural England. • Key species: Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) , Woodlark (Lullula arborea), Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata) . Grayling butterfly (hipparchia semele) , Small Blue butterfly ( Cupido minimus ). Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata) , Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis) , Rue-leaved saxifrage (Saxifraga tridactylitesL.), Adder (Viperus berus), Slow worm (Anguis fragilis) . Great-crested newt ( Triturus cristatus ). Cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix) , Heather (Calluna vulgaris ), Bell heather (Erica cinerea) , Common Gorse (Ulex europaeus) , Dwarf gorse (Ulex minori) . 8.2 The landscape from Greenham Common north to Thatcham Reedbeds, and from near Brimpton west to the parish of Greenham is considered by many experts to be an area of prime biodiversity. The Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) refer to this area as a ‘Living Landscape’. West Berkshire Council has entered into a unique partnership with BBOWT to help improve this landscape, which cover 26 square kilometres, for wildlife. The main objective is to protect and enhance the important habitats which comprise the Living Landscape with: more co-ordinated management, advice to private landowners and acquisition of land (where opportunities arise).The project will aim to increase numbers of nationally and locally important species and encourage people to positively influence the future of their landscape, engendering a sense of health, well-being and a connection with nature and natural places. 8.3 Snelsmore Common Country Park and SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) is an enchanting mix of heathland, woodland and mire. Greenham and Crookham Common (also a designated SSSI) was restored from its former military use to open heathland and grassland and opened to the public in 2000. Both sites are grazed by cattle and Exmoor ponies, continuing the historic use of these sites by livestock. There are also large areas of open heathland and woodland with public access at Padworth, Bucklebury and Wokefield Commons. • Key species : Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), Woodlark (Lullula arborea), Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata), Tree pipit (Anthus trivialis), Nail fungus (Poronia punctata), Adder (Viperus berus), Slow worm (Anguis fragilis), Cross- leaved heath (Erica tetralix), Heather (Calluna vulgaris), Bell heather (Erica cinerea), Common Gorse (Ulex europaeus), Cotton grass (Eriophorum virginicum), several species of Sphagnum moss, Bog pimpernel (Anagallis tenella), Heath milkwort (Polygala serpyllifolia), Bog Asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum). 8.4 Thatcham Lakes and Reedbeds SSSI (within the Kennet and Lambourn Floodplain Special Area of Conservation). C. 67 ha: One of the largest areas of inland reedbeds in Southern England this includes open water, fishing lakes and alder carr woodland). Thatcham Reedbeds are situated to the south of the Nature Discovery Centre and within easy walking distance of the public car parks there. Designated a SSSI and within a Special Area of Conservation the Reedbeds are of international importance for the mix of reed, fen and open water which provides ideal conditions for a range of important plant and animal species that thrive there. The Reedbeds are of national importance for evidence of human occupation and activity in the Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) period. 8.5 Thatcham Reedbeds management is now secured under a Higher Level Stewardship Agreement. • Key species: Bittern (Botaurus stellaris)- occasional winter visitor -, Cetti’s warbler (Cettia cetti), Grasshopper warbler (Locustella naevia), Reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus), Sedge warbler (Acrocephalus shoenobaenus), Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), Desmoulins whorl snail (Vertigo moulinsiana), several scarce moths and evidence of Otters (lutra lutra). Badger (Meles meles) A good selection of dragonflies and damselflies. 8.6 A major environmental education facility, the Nature Discovery Centre , was redeveloped in 2007 to include a learning studio, café, shop and space for new interpretative features. The building incorporates a range of sustainable energy features including solar panels, rainwater harvesting and a wood pellet boiler. 8.7 Padworth Common (Local Nature Reserve) : 30 hectares comprising lowland heath, acid grassland, alder gulleys, scrub and several ponds. Padworth Common is in the Higher Level Stewardship Scheme. • Key species: Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola), Woodlark (Lullula arborea), Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata), Stonechat (Saxicola torquata), Grayling butterfly (Hipparchia semele), Adder (Viperus berus), Slow worm (Anguis fragilis). Cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix), Heather (Calluna vulgaris), Bell heather (Erica cinerea), Common Gorse (Ulex europaeus), Dwarf gorse (Ulex minori) Blinks (Montia fontana). 8.8 Hosehill Lake (c.25ha) (Local Nature Reserve): A large flooded ex-gravel pit, small reedbed, wildflower meadow and ash woodland. Managed jointly with Theale Area Bird Conservation Group. Exmoor ponies now graze the meadow. • Key species: Bittern (botaurus stellaris) –winter visitor-), Reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus), Sedge warbler (Acrocephalus shoenobaenus), Reed bunting (emberiza schoenmiclus), Brown Hawker dragonfly (Aeshna grandis), Water vole (Arvicola terrestris), Wild Service Tree (Sorbus torminalis). 8.9 Bucklebury Common (326ha) and Wokefield Common (61ha): The Council has traditionally managed the 'amenity' of these two areas, which are owned by private landowners but open to the public - this mainly involves collecting fly tipping, removing dumped cars, repairing car parks, provision of notice boards and cutting back sightlines. However, some practical conservation work is now being undertaken on both commons to restore areas of heathland, a large amount of work has already been undertaken by the Bucklebury Common Conservation Group over a number of years. Wokefield Common is in the Higher Level Stewardship Scheme. • Key species: Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) Adder (Viperus berus), Slow worm (Anguis fragilis) Woodlark (Lullula arborea) 8.10 Paices Wood Country Park , Aldermaston (35 ha.): Site managed jointly by the landowner and WBC. Former gravel extraction site. Woodland, grassland and lakes. Key species: Frog (Rana temporaria) , Toad (Bufo bufo), Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), Woodlark (Lullula arborea), Chicken of the Woods fungi (Laetiporus sulphureus). 8.11 Other sites: A number of much smaller sites that are gradually being brought into management for conservation and access: Withy Copse, Cornwell Copse (both semi- natural ancient woodland), Barefoots Copse (all Tilehurst), Summerlug, Brewery Common (Mortimer), Turnpike Riverside (Newbury), Marsh Meadows (Thatcham). C.15 ha in total.

9. THE PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY NETWORK

9.1 There are over 700 miles of public rights of way (footpath, bridleway, restricted byway and byway open to all traffic – all public highways and collectively known as the ‘access network’) within West Berkshire. The network includes two National Trails which pass through the district’s boundary (The Ridgeway and the Thames Path). 9.2 Public rights of way are recorded on the Definitive Map of Public Rights of Way, with the District Council possessing a statutory duty to update and maintain this document, along with a duty to maintain the network and ensure it remains open and convenient to use. On average each year, 75% of the network is classed as ‘easy to use’. The last survey was conducted in 2011/12, and is based on a random selection of 5% of the network. Source: West Berkshire Council’s Rights of Way Team

9.3 As well as a recreational resource, the public rights of way access network plays a valuable role in contributing to the provision of facilities for non-car transport. 9.4 The figures from the most recent survey, conducted by Tourism South East on behalf of West Berkshire Council in 2005, show that 70% of households had visited the access network during the previous twelve months, with around 20% of these visiting daily, 16% visiting several times a week and 21% visiting at least once a week. 24% visit at least once a month. 9.5 Approximately one third of visiting parties included children under the age of sixteen, illustrating the popularity of the access network with families. Overall, the three main group compositions are lone adults, two adults, and two adults with children. 9.6 The majority of visitors are from the B/C1/C2 socio-economic profile. 9.7 The survey revealed that people use the network for many and varied reasons. To go for walks is the most popular reason, particularly short walks of up to two hours. Other popular reasons include to observe wildlife, enjoy views, take picnics, walk the dog, ride and exercise horses, cycle, occupy the children, visit a pub or tea room, or access facilities by avoiding roads. Mention was made of the opportunity to pursue other hobbies and interests, e.g. history, natural history, photography, etc. 9.8 People particularly value the opportunity for exercise, fresh air and relaxation, and the scenery and peace and quiet offered by an interesting and varied access network. People enjoy the opportunity to be close to nature. Many also commented that they liked the fact that the routes were signposted and maintained, easy to get to, and close to home. 9.9 Of the 802 households participating in the survey, 10% have one or more residents registered as disabled. Of these, around half had visited the access network during the last twelve months. Source: 'West Berkshire countryside and rights of way visitor survey, 2005' - West Berkshire Council’s Rights of Way Team 9.10 West Berkshire Council’s Rights of Way Improvement Plan , which was formally adopted in 2010, sets out the Council’s aims to improve the access network for the enjoyment of all its users.

Contents:

More detailed breakdowns of Census 2011 data to town, ward and lower super output levels are available at www.westberks.gov.uk/census2011 . The Census 2011 interactive tool is available here .

Environment...... 2 1. Character of the Area ...... 2 2. Energy Consumption in West Berkshire ...... 3 3. Waste Management ...... 5 4. Waste Collection ...... 5 5. Waste Disposal ...... 5 6. Recycling Centres ...... 6 7. Waste Awareness ...... 6 8. Waste Statistics ...... 7 9. Waste Satisfaction ...... 8 10. Cleanliness of West Berkshire ...... 8 11. Air Quality ...... 9 12. Contaminated Land ...... 9 13. Water Quality ...... 10 14. Flooding ...... 10 ENVIRONMENT

1. CHARACTER OF THE AREA

1.1 The district generally has a high quality and diverse landscape character. Five areas have been defined National Character Areas : • NCA 116: Berkshire and Marlborough Downs; • NCA 129: Thames Basin Heaths; • NCA 130: Hampshire Downs in the extreme south west; • NCA 110: Chilterns, in the extreme north east; and • NCA 115: Thames Valley, to the east. Source: Natural England - National Character Areas 1.2 This character has evolved over thousands of years of the interaction between people and places (see also Culture and Leisure section), yet the potential rate of change is greater now than at any other time in the landscape’s history. Change is inevitable and there are many current forces on the landscape including: climate change (see also 2.1) development pressure, fundamental changes in the nature and profitability of farming as the key land use in the rural area and of the policies that support it; and changes in the social fabric of rural communities. 1.3 Nearly three quarters of West Berkshire is classified as part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), a landscape of the highest national importance (see map below). Within the AONB the diversity and mix of landscapes ranges from the high large scale rolling chalk downland with its intensive arable farming to small hamlets clustered along fast chalk streams and floodplain with lush wetland vegetation associated with the River Kennet.

Extent of the West Berkshire AONB

1.4 There are 51 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) - covering an area of 1,349 hectares - which are of national importance for flora, fauna or geology. SSSIs are designated by Natural England for their nature conservation importance at national level. There are also 3 designated Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) - the River Lambourn, the Kennet and Lambourn floodplain and the Kennet Valley Alderwoods. SACs are of European importance and are given extra levels of protection in law. The Council has also identified around 500 Local Wildlife Sites (LWS) and 8 Local Geological Sites (LGS), which are of local importance and essential to ensuring biodiversity and Geodiversity is maintained in West Berkshire. The combined areas of SSSI, LWS and LGS amounts to over 7,700 hectares, or about 11% of the district. Source: www.naturalengland.org.uk 1.5 Many of the Local Wildlife Sites are ancient semi-natural woodland which have been woodland since at least AD 1600. However, there have been significant losses in the last century of some habitats, for example 97% of species rich neutral and chalk grasslands have been lost. The West Berkshire Historic Landscape Characterisation project recorded evolution and changes in land-use across the District and AONB. Data about historic landscape types such as downland, commons, water meadows and early enclosure was provided to Natural England to inform targeting statements for Environmental Stewardship. This should lead to improvements in the condition of many of these habitats and sites. 1.6 The landscape comprising Greenham and Crookham Commons south of the Thatcham Reedbeds is an area of high biodiversity. This ecologically diverse landscape comprises a number of habitats currently forming part of the West Berkshire Living Landscape. Source: BBOWT 1.7 Working with the Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre, West Berkshire Council has identified 17 Biodiversity Opportunity Areas. The Council will be concentrating its efforts to improve biodiversity corridors and stepping stones between existing LWS and other valuable habitats in these areas. 1.8 In terms of how West Berkshire scores for managing its conservation sites (according to the Single data list 160.00) the proportion of Local Sites where positive conservation management has been or is being implemented in 2012/13 was 42% which is just below the National average at 45% in 2011/12. 1.9 Access to nature is important to people living in West Berkshire, with around a third of residents saying that this is one of their top priorities for making an area a good place to live. However, only around 2-3% of West Berkshire residents think that this is an issue that needs improving in the area, indicating the value that people in the district place on their natural environment and a level of contentment that they have in access to it in West Berkshire.

2. ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN WEST BERKSHIRE

2.1 The latest figures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) show that in 2011, the average annual domestic electricity consumption in West Berkshire was 5, 344 kWh per household; 402 kWh lower than in 2005. Compared to the national average of 4, 266 kWh it would indicate that households in West Berkshire tend to use a lot more energy than other areas of the UK. This is potentially due to West Berkshire being a large rural area, made of 3 urban centres. To put it into context, figures from 2 other similar local authorities, South Oxfordshire & Vale of White Horse had average annual domestic electricity consumption of 5, 397 & 5, 028 kWh respectively; not too dissimilar than West Berkshire. 2.2 The level of gas consumption in West Berkshire is relatively comparable to the national average, with the latest figures from DECC showing that in 2011 the average annual domestic gas consumption was 14, 702 kWh per household in West Berkshire, compared to 14, 205 kWh nationally. West Berkshire’s consumption has decreased by 24.8% since 2005, in line with the national average decrease. 2.3 Through the Greener sub-partnership, the West Berkshire Partnership has prioritised the reduction of per capita carbon emissions within West Berkshire. The target is to achieve a 9.4% reduction by 2011 based on 2005 DECC figures. The latest figures for 2011 released by DECC in August 2013 indicates that to date West Berkshire’s per capita carbon emissions have been reduced by 18.2

Source: Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) 2.4 Alongside actions to reduce per capita carbon emissions, the West Berkshire Partnership has also developed a 'West Berkshire Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan'. This progresses the commitment made by signing the Nottingham

1 Data is released annually in August, 2 years behind because of the process of compilation and data quality checking. Declaration on Climate Change, to develop a plan with our partners and local communities to address the causes and impacts of climate change. 2.5 Currently under review by the Greener sub-partnership, the strategy will assist in the delivery of national targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It will also seek to identify how climate change will affect West Berkshire and provide guidance on adapting lifestyles and infrastructure, protecting assets and ensuring continued delivery of key services. 2.6 A Renewable Energy Strategy for West Berkshire is also currently being undertaken on behalf of the West Berkshire Partnership. This advisory strategy leads on determining the viability of energy from renewable sources in West Berkshire, as well as providing an insight into what would need to be done to meet a suggested renewable energy target. 2.7 The Climate Change and Renewable Energy Strategies are both due to go out for public consultation in January 2014. The intention being that they will both be then formally signed off by the West Berkshire Partnership by the end of April 2014.

3. WASTE MANAGEMENT

3.1 In 2002 the Municipal Waste Management Strategy for West Berkshire was adopted with the aim of maximising recycling and composting as well as reducing the amount we send to landfill. 3.2 West Berkshire Council is responsible for collecting and disposing of around 80,000 tonnes of municipal waste per year. 3.3 In March 2008 West Berkshire Council awarded its 25 year Integrated Waste Management Contract to Veolia Environmental Services. This partnership aims to achieve a household recycling rate of over 49% and to divert 80% of waste from landfill.

4. WASTE COLLECTION

4.1 In West Berkshire household waste is collected fortnightly via a kerbside collection service; rubbish is collected one week and recycling and composting on the other. The recycling service collects: paper, cardboard, glass, cans, plastics bottles, textiles, green and food waste. These services are provided free of charge to the resident. 4.2 In addition to the free kerbside collection service, a chargeable extra green waste collection service is provided by subscription. Further waste services available are a chargeable bulky household waste collection , a free clinical waste collection service and an unwanted vehicle collection service .

5. WASTE DISPOSAL

5.1 West Berkshire Council was successful in securing government funding of £56 million to help fund the costs associated with the construction of a new waste facility for the district. Construction of the West Berkshire Recycling & Waste Centre at Padworth commenced in 2010 and it became operational in October 2011. West Berkshire’s municipal waste is managed through this facility which consists of an in-vessel composting facility, a materials recovery facility, a waste transfer station, an operational depot, a public recycling centre and an administration building with education centre. Source: WBC waste webpage

6. RECYCLING CENTRES

6.1 The Household Waste Recycling Centre, Newtown Road, Newbury opened in October 2008. The centre accepts the following materials for recycling; paper, cardboard, green waste, wood, electrical items, plastic bottles, cans, mixed glass, textiles, shoes, rubble and soil, scrap metal, used engine oil, used cooking oil, car batteries, household batteries, tyres, gas bottles, light bulbs, household chemicals, cartons, plasterboard, books, mobile phones, DVDs and CDs and bicycles. The Community Furniture Project work at the centre to separate furniture, electrical goods and other household items for reuse. The centre also accepts asbestos, bulky items, and general rubbish. 6.2 The Recycling Centre, Padworth Lane, Padworth opened in October 2011 and accepts waste for recycling or composting only. The centre accepts the following materials for recycling; paper, cardboard, green waste, wood, electrical items, plastic bottles, cans, mixed glass, textiles, shoes, rubble and soil, scrap metal, used engine oil, used cooking oil, car batteries, household batteries, tyres, light bulbs, cartons, mobile phones, DVDs and CDs and books. This centre does not accept furniture or general rubbish. 6.3 West Berkshire Council has a joint agreement with Reading Borough Council to enable residents to use the Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre at Island Road in Reading. 6.4 There are also Mini Recycling Centres located across the district collecting paper, cardboard, books, mixed cans and plastics, textiles, cartons, small electrical items and glass. 6.5 There are community collection points for household batteries throughout the district at sites provided by schools, libraries and community centres. Source: WBC waste recycling centres

7. WASTE AWARENESS

7.1 West Berkshire Council encourages residents to reduce the amount of waste they throw away through campaigns such as Love Food Hate Waste , Real Nappies and Home Composting . 7.2 The Education Centre at the West Berkshire Recycling and Waste Centre opened in July 2012. The centre offers waste awareness sessions to schools and community groups.

8. WASTE STATISTICS

8.1 West Berkshire Council has achieved the target household waste recycling rate of 49% and diverting 80% of waste from landfill. The quantity of waste and how it was treated is shown in the table and chart below. The overall amount of household waste managed has decreased steadily since 2007. The amount of household waste recycled has increased from 23% in 2007/08 to just over 50% in 2012/13. The amount of household waste sent to landfill has decreased from 77% in 2007/08 to just under 18% in 2012/13. Since the start of the Integrated Waste Management Contract in 2008 the amount of household waste recovered by energy from waste facilities has significantly increased from 0% in 2008/09 to 32.24% in 2012/13. Therefore in 2012/13 West Berkshire diverted 83% of household waste from landfill.

West Berkshire Waste Statistics (2007/08-2012/13) 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 Total municipal waste managed (tonnes) 83,914 83,121 80,639 81,235 81,513 80,106 Total household waste managed (tonnes) 81,843 81,525 78,269 78,435 78,156 77,205 % Total recycled, reused & composted 23% 34% 40.20% 41.98% 46.20% 50.81% % Composted 6% 12% 17.26% 17.91% 21.95% 24.40% % Recycled & reused 17% 22% 22.94% 24.07% 24.25% 26.40% % Recovery - energy from waste 0% 0% 11.95% 13.47% 31.92% 32.24% % Disposed of to landfill 77% 66% 47.85% 44.55% 21.88% 17.87%

Source: Waste Management October 2013, West Berkshire Council

9. WASTE SATISFACTION

9.1 A survey on ‘Resident's Views and Experiences on West Berkshire's Waste Services ’ was conducted in 2010. The overall satisfaction with both the kerbside rubbish and recycling collection service was high: 92% of residents expressed a positive view of the recycling service; 97% for the general rubbish collection service. The Newtown Road Household Waste Recycling Centre gained a positive response from 93% of those who had used the facility.

10. CLEANLINESS OF WEST BERKSHIRE

10.1 West Berkshire Council is responsible for litter picking and cleansing around 1,307 kilometres of highway every year and managing over 600 litter bins. 10.2 West Berkshire is generally considered a clean place to live. The survey on Resident's Views and Experiences on West Berkshire's Waste Services (2010) showed that 82% of residents report being either ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with the cleanliness of their local streets and over two thirds of residents expressed a positive view of the level of litter in their area. Overall, three quarters of residents are either ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with the overall cleanliness of the district. 10.3 The 2012/13 Street Cleansing and Local Environmental Quality Surveys (LEQs – Keep Britain Tidy) showed that West Berkshire has a ‘Good’ level of cleanliness for litter, detritus and graffiti. 10.4 The number of fly-tips in West Berkshire has declined from 934 in 2010/11 to 834 in 2012/13. Source: Keep Britain Tidy

11. AIR QUALITY

11.1 Air quality in West Berkshire is generally considered to be good and overall levels reflect the national trends. Since 1997 all local authorities in the UK have been carrying out a review and assessment of air quality. The review ensures that national air quality objectives are achieved. If an area does not meet these objectives, Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) need to be declared. 11.2 An outcome of the above air quality reviews in West Berkshire area since 1997 identified concerns with the levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the centre of Newbury along the A339 and along the A4 in Chapel Street Thatcham. The AQMA for the A339 / A343 / Greenham Road junction came into force in May 2009 and Thatcham in November 2011. 11.3 The Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) for the Newbury AQMA is now in place and is aligned with environmental improvements detailed in the Local Transport Plan 3. An AQAP is being developed in Thatcham although early indications are that levels are reducing in this area and further action will not be necessary. We continue to monitor NO2 continuously in both Newbury and Thatcham and by diffusion tubes in over 60 locations. 11.4 As part of our duty to report on air quality for the rest of the district Updating and Screening Assessments are conducted. Alongside proactive monitoring there are also sites that hold Environmental Permits. These permits contain emission levels and help minimise the impact that industrial processes have on the environment. Activities such as cement batching, crematoria are covered by such permits.

12. CONTAMINATED LAND

12.1 West Berkshire Council has a statutory duty to inspect the district for contaminated land. An initial assessment and prioritisation of potentially contaminated sites throughout the district has been completed and identified 1,300 sites. Out of these sites two have been formally declared as contaminated and are deemed “special sites” due to the risk to ground water, they therefore are under the responsibility of the Environment Agency. 12.2 During 2011/12 we fully reviewed and researched our records in accordance with the Contaminated Land Strategy (reviewed in 2006). Through this process of the 1306 sites identified 1065 remain with no actions taken. Therefore 237 sites have now been looked at. 12.3 98 sites have been removed from the list as they have either had no contamination found or remedial work has been undertaken and the site cleared to an appropriate standard. Source: WBC Environmental Health

13. WATER QUALITY

13.1 The River Kennet is one of the main geographical features in the district. It rises in the west in Wiltshire, flows through Hungerford and Newbury before joining the River Thames at Reading. The Kennet's principal tributaries are the River Lambourn, the River Enborne and the Foudry Brook. For six miles to the west of, and through, Reading, the Kennet supports a secondary channel, known as the Holy Brook, which formerly powered the water mills of Reading Abbey. 13.2 The course of the river from Reading is mirrored by the Kennet and Avon Canal making it a navigable waterway from its confluence with the Thames, upstream through Newbury and on to Bath and Bristol in the west. 13.3 A similar pattern emerges for OFWAT’s (The Water Services Regulation Authority) assessment of chemical quality. 86% of the lengths of rivers in West Berkshire were considered to be of good chemical quality 13.4 West Berkshire Council has a duty to monitor private drinking water supplies throughout the district. Following the introduction of new regulations risk assessments and more detailed sampling have been carried on approximately 50 large supplies. This has resulted in the increased installation of treatment plants and a general improvement in drinking water quality.

14. FLOODING

14.1 A number of watercourses, recognised as ‘main rivers’ by the Environment Agency, flow through West Berkshire. The most prominent rivers are the River Kennet, River Lambourn, River Pang and the Foudry Brook. The River Thames flows on the north- eastern boundary of West Berkshire. 14.2 The landscape of West Berkshire can be contrasted between the higher downlands in the north-west of the district and the low-lying floodplains of the rivers (principally the Kennet and the Pang). The Kennet’s floodplain, which dominates much of the south of West Berkshire, is limited on either side by steep slopes, rising to the county boundary with Hampshire to the south and up to the Berkshire Downs to the north. 14.3 There is a potential risk of flooding within West Berkshire, arising not only from rivers but also from surface water and groundwater flooding. Events during the summer of 2007 were a timely reminder of the impacts that flooding can have upon the local community when only 18 of 69 Town and Parish communities avoided flooding. 14.4 Prior to 2007 there have been other flood events, notably in 2000, 2002 and 2005, but none as severe as the event of July 2007. It is generally accepted that rainfall patterns are changing, with potential increases in rainfall volume and storm intensity'. Source: WBC Flooding information If you require this information in a different format, such as audio tape, or in another language, please ask an English speaker to phone the Council on 01635 42400, who will be able to help.

West Berkshire Council Policy & Communication Market Street Newbury Berkshire RG14 5LD

T 01635 42400 F 01635 519080 www.westberks.gov.uk/research

WBC/P&C/JT/1112