MELTON DISTRICT PROFILE JANUARY 2010 JSNA District Level Report JSNA findings for Melton 1. Demography In 2007 there were an estimated 49,200 people resident in Melton. 95% of the population is white British, 2% is white other. Melton is slightly affected by socio-economic deprivation than Leicestershire as a whole with 9% of the population living in neighbourhoods that have been classified as deprived nationally (4th quintile). However there are no residents within the most deprived quintile within this district. Whilst this is slightly higher than the value for Leicestershire it is below the national average of 20% of people. Priority Neighbourhoods Melton has three priority neighbourhoods, all within Melton Mowbray. Maps of the priority neighbourhoods are available on the Leicestershire Statistics and Research Online website: http://www.lsr-online.org/reports/leicestershire_laa_priority_neighbourhoods 2. Housing and accommodation needs Melton Borough is particularly susceptible to an outward, generalised impression of wealth when looking at average incomes or house prices. In fact, this disguises a significant number of lower income households who are highly likely to need assistance in the local housing market. In some of the rural areas privately rented housing exists as an intermediate form of affordable housing, often with links to large landed estates within the borough. Melton Borough is a largely rural area and. Local people are at risk of being priced out of owner occupation in rural areas because of over development of large, executive houses marketed at a high premium to wealthy commuters. There is evidence of erosion of the local economies in rural centres due to lack of use, made worse by service providers such as shop workers, cleaners, and traders being unable to afford to live in the area. There is an undersupply of suitable smaller sized dwellings for shrinking households, exacerbating under-occupation and tying up larger family houses. There is a risk of some polarisation of communities due to middle and lower income households being unable to access housing in the most expensive and sparsely populated rural areas. There is strong evidence of geographical splits relating to housing and income in Asfordby and Long Clawson, where wealthy people live on one side, and poorer people on the other. The lack of supply in rural areas may also result in increased pressure on the Melton Mowbray housing market, as people may try to access housing there rather than move away from the borough altogether. Controls need to be established to protect the borough (particularly the smaller rural settlements) from over development of large executive housing, and to encourage a balanced supply of suitable family housing (for middle and lower incomes), as well as housing for smaller households (both starter homes and for downsizing). Care must be taken with the design of new provision to ensure that the homes provided will be appropriate and desirable for their target markets – there is mounting evidence that if housing is inappropriate, undersized or overpriced it will remain empty. This is particularly true of new build identikit apartments in urban centres, but the relative indications about misreading the market should be well noted when planning any new development The planned urban extension for Melton Mowbray will provide the opportunity for an increase in housing including affordable provision, which will require careful planning and especially awareness of other growth points which will compete with it, and phasing so that there is no oversupply in any size, type or tenure, which is more possible in a smaller and more separated settlement. The key priorities for housing are across Leicestershire: • Housing and older people • Achieving decent homes in the private sector • The provision of more floating support to vulnerable people • Tackling fuel poverty, anti-social behaviour and drug activity • Housing adaptations for disabled people 3. Staying Healthy Overall life expectancy in Melton is 79.3 years for men and 82.4 years for women. Both of these figures are in keeping with the average for England. Within Melton there are inequalities in life expectancy across communities. The people living in the deprived parts of the district can expect to live almost 4 years less than the average for males and 1 year less for females. The main causes of health inequalities for Melton have been identified as circulatory disease, respiratory disease and ‘other’. The key to reducing these inequalities lies in supporting people to make informed choices about their health and well-being. Some of the key lifestyle factors facing the people of Melton are listed below. In Melton it is estimated that • 9,664 adults are obese • Only 27.8% of adults eat 5 portions of fruit or vegetables per day • Only 23% of the adult population exercise for 30 minutes or more at least 3 times per week • There are an estimated 6,686 binge drinkers, 7,700 hazardous drinkers, 1,500 harmful drinkers • 9,702 adults smoke 4. Children’s health and well-being In 2007 there were an estimated 11,600 people aged 19 years and under in Melton, 24.3% of the total population. • Between 1993 and 2006 mortality rates amongst children and young people (aged under 15) have steadily reduced, in line with East Midlands and National trends. • Diagnosis of children (aged 15 years and under) with Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC) has increased ten-fold in the last 10 years. • Across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, two in every 1,000 people under 20 years old are registered with Mental Health Services. Registration rates are on average three times higher for females. • Children in care are much more likely to suffer from mental health problems. • In 2007, Leicestershire’s under 18 conception rate increased by 4.3% which was greater than the national average increase of 2.6%. o Between 2004 and 2006 there were 84 teenage conceptions in Melton • Alcohol consumption rates for girls (aged 11-15) are continuing to rise nationally, whilst consumption rates for boys has stabilised. In most areas of Leicestershire girls (aged 11-15) have a higher alcohol consumption rate than boys. • 18% of Leicestershire pupils in year eight and 10 reported using drugs, which is slightly higher than the national average of 16%. • In 2006, 14% of ‘vulnerable young people’ in Leicestershire had either significant or critical issues in relation to substance misuse, with the highest rates being reported in Coalville and Hinckley. • By 2050, it is predicted that 25% of under 20 year olds will be obese. • By 2050, it is predicted that 70% of girls could be overweight or obese, with only 30% in the healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) range. For boys, it is predicted that approximately 55% could be overweight or obese, with around 45% in the healthy BMI range. • For Melton o 11.8% of reception age children are obese, 25.5% are overweight or obese o 13.8% of year 6 children are obese, 30.1% are overweight or obese • For each of the four areas identified as priority areas for children and young people (i.e. mental health, substance misuse, obesity and teenage pregnancy) there is a strong link between deprivation and prevalence. There is therefore a need to consider ways of targeting resources to further support young people in deprived areas such as North West Leicestershire/ Charnwood/ Melton/ and Hinckley & Bosworth, whilst ensuring that young people in other areas also have good access to services. Overall, children and young people in Leicestershire are healthier and safer than national averages. 5. Older people In 2008 there were an estimated 8,600 people age 65 and over. This is projected to rise to 12,500 by 2025. This is an increase of 45.3%. Healthy life expectancy for people aged 65 and over is 13.5 years in Melton. This is 0.9 years above the national average. In 2008 3,621 people over 65 had a limiting long term illness. This is projected to rise to 5,980 people in 2025, a rise of 65.1%. In 2008 there were 2794 people over 65 years unable to self care. This is projected to rise to 4664 people in 2025. Across Leicestershire as a whole the need and demand for services is predicted to increase. This pattern will be true for Melton with its rise in older people. Future service use will need to be focused towards: • Reduced use of residential care and more people helped to live at home or supported living • Personalisation of services • Preventative services • Voluntary service provision 6. Planned Care Two thirds of referrals for planned care for people from Leicestershire County and Rutland are referred to University Hospitals Leicester. Surgical and medical specialties account for 77% of all out patient attendances. Older people over the age of 65 years are the group most likely to have a planned in-patient stay in hospital with an admission rate more than twice the rest of the population. This reflects the higher level of chronic disease and disability associated with these age groups. For every age group except 17-24 year olds, neoplasm was the most common or second most common reason for admission. Prevention by facilitating lifestyle changes would have a significant impact on the health care services. The level of planned care (as measured by hospital admissions) for the population of Leicestershire County and Rutland is greater than one would expect compared with the national population. Understanding the reasons for this would help reduce unnecessary episodes of planned care, especially as out patient attendances are expected to increase by 7% and planned in patient stays are expected to increase by 8% by 2012/13 even though the population in Leicestershire County and Rutland is expected to increase by only 5%.