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Home , East Devon, Other White

Our counties and communities

Within the two counties of and , which cover 10,000 sq kilometres, the population of 1.7m is focused in the principal cities and towns of , Taunton, , , Bridgwater, and Yeovil. The remainder of the population lives in widely spread, relatively small towns and villages and extremely rural locations. Furthermore the representation of various groups in communities within Devon and Somerset is especially diverse, generally following trends relating to how urban or rural that community is. This situation presents challenges where response times are critical, and makes the targeting of vulnerable groups all the more important.

The local labour market for Devon and Somerset indicates that as of January 2012 the unemployment rate of the South West is at 6.5%, significantly lower than the 8.5% average for the UK. Furthermore this figure is lower than the previous quarter but up on the previous year.1

Devon and Somerset as a whole has a gender representation similar to that of the UK with a male:female ratio of 49:51. Although this ratio is fairly parallel across most wards within the region, there are some anomalies, such as Lydford with a male:female ratio of 61:39.2

1 A07: Regional summary of labour market headline indicators1, Labour Force Survey, 2012 2 2010 Ward Population Estimates for and , mid-2010 (experimental statistics) ONS 2011

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Figure 1: Devon and Somerset Median Average Age

According to the ONS Census 2001 there is a large disparity in the average age of different communities within Devon and Somerset3. For example the median average age of population of West Somerset is 48, whereas the median average age of population in less rural is 35. The 2010 estimates show a similar picture where, for example the percentage population of persons 65 years and over within the Plymouth Unitary Authority area is at 15.6%, whereas the same figure within the West Somerset area is almost double that at 29.9%. Furthermore, the young person population estimates are similarly diverse between areas. For instance in West Somerset the percentage population of persons aged 0-15 was estimated at 13.8%, as opposed to Mendip where the same figure is at 19.4%.4

3 Table KS02 Age structure, Office for National Statistics, 2005 4 Table 8a Mid-2010 Population Estimates: Selected age groups for local authorities in the , ONS, 2011

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Table 1: Percentage population of ethnic groups 2001

Mixed: Mixed: Asian or White and White and Mixed: Asian White: Black Black White and Mixed: British: LA British White: Irish White: Other WhiteCaribbean African Asian Other Mixed Indian Plymouth 96.53 0.56 1.26 0.17 0.10 0.21 0.16 0.11 Torbay 96.84 0.60 1.33 0.15 0.06 0.19 0.17 0.12 97.49 0.49 1.29 0.10 0.04 0.12 0.10 0.05 Exeter 94.74 0.60 2.30 0.16 0.10 0.32 0.26 0.26 97.57 0.40 1.24 0.07 0.02 0.17 0.10 0.06 97.58 0.43 1.04 0.13 0.04 0.14 0.10 0.11 97.04 0.47 1.57 0.10 0.05 0.16 0.18 0.06 97.25 0.48 1.26 0.13 0.03 0.16 0.10 0.06 Torridge 97.65 0.41 0.98 0.11 0.07 0.13 0.12 0.05 97.3 0.51 1.30 0.09 0.05 0.12 0.11 0.04 Mendip 96.45 0.60 1.78 0.11 0.07 0.21 0.12 0.12 97.6 0.43 0.87 0.14 0.06 0.15 0.10 0.10 97.31 0.45 1.12 0.15 0.06 0.12 0.12 0.10 Taunton Deane 96.64 0.53 1.27 0.11 0.04 0.21 0.15 0.18 West Somerset 97.53 0.58 1.07 0.11 0.01 0.15 0.09 0.09

Asian or Asian or Asian or Black or Black or Black or Chinese or Chinese or Asian Asian Asian Black Black Black other ethnic other ethnic British: British: British: British: British: British: group: group: Other LA Pakistani Bangladeshi Other Asian Caribbean African Other Black Chinese ethnic group Plymouth 0.03 0.06 0.10 0.07 0.10 0.02 0.28 0.21 Torbay 0.06 0.02 0.07 0.05 0.04 0.02 0.18 0.12 East Devon 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.02 0.01 0.13 0.07 Exeter 0.06 0.13 0.21 0.06 0.13 0.02 0.34 0.33 Mid Devon 0.01 0.03 0.04 0.02 0.03 0.01 0.15 0.08 North Devon 0.03 0.07 0.03 0.03 0.04 0.02 0.13 0.09 South Hams 0.02 0.02 0.03 0.05 0.04 0.03 0.07 0.10 Teignbridge 0.02 0.02 0.05 0.04 0.05 0.03 0.23 0.08 Torridge 0.02 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.05 0.01 0.28 0.09 West Devon 0.02 0.02 0.04 0.08 0.11 0.02 0.14 0.06 Mendip 0.02 0.05 0.04 0.06 0.06 0.01 0.18 0.13 Sedgemoor 0.05 0.10 0.04 0.08 0.03 0.03 0.13 0.08 South Somerset 0.05 0.05 0.04 0.07 0.07 0.01 0.17 0.11 Taunton Deane 0.06 0.10 0.06 0.07 0.10 0.02 0.32 0.13 West Somerset 0.01 0.09 0.01 0.04 0.05 0.03 0.09 0.04

In 2001 non White-British representation in the area was 3.0%5. Although new data is awaited from the most recent survey, the estimated non- representation in 2009 was 7.2%6, showing that the estimated figure had more than doubled in less than ten years. Furthermore the ONS Census 2001 showed that this number varied significantly between urban areas and non-urban areas. For example the non-White British representation within the urban areas of Exeter was 5.3%, whereas the representation within the non-urban areas of North Devon was 2.4%. This representation is largely evenly split throughout the sub

5 Table KS06, Ethnic group, Office for National Statistics, 2004 6 Table EE1, Population Estimates by Ethnic Group Rel.8.0, Office for National Statistics, 2011

Page | 3 groups of the non-white British population. The only group contrary to this is ‘White: Other White’ which consists predominantly of white persons born overseas in . This sub group has a much higher percentage (2.3% in Exeter) population.

Table 2: Devon and Somerset Pupil Ethnicity by Year

2005 % Pupils of 2006 % Pupils of 2007 % Pupils of non-White Origin non-White Origin non-White Origin Eligible for Key Eligible for Key Eligible for Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 Stage 1, 2 and 3 Stage 1, 2 and 3 Local Authority Assessment Assessment Assessment Plymouth 9.0 6.3 6.5 Torbay 3.1 3.4 3.6 East Devon 2.5 3.5 2.4 Exeter 4.7 4.7 5.1 Mid Devon 3.9 3.3 3.8 North Devon 7.0 3.5 2.7 South Hams 5.7 4.8 3.9 Teignbridge 2.4 2.4 2.5 Torridge 3.0 1.6 x West Devon 2.9 2.6 x Mendip 2.2 3.0 2.9 Sedgemoor 2.6 2.4 2.7 South Somerset 3.0 2.9 2.8 Taunton Deane 3.5 2.5 3.3 West Somerset 2.2 0.4 0.6

Figure 3: Devon and Somerset Pupil Ethnicity by year

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The same disparate representation is apparent across Devon and Somerset when it comes to schools data on pupils of non-white origin. For example in 2007 the non-white pupil population in Plymouth stood at 6.5%, whereas in West Somerset where it is far more rural, the figure stood at 0.6%.7

The religious demographics of Devon and Somerset are predominantly consistent with the rest of the country. As of the 2001 Census 75.3% of the population was Christian and 23.7% put either no religion or did not say. The remaining 1% of the population is split up fairly evenly between remaining religions. This contrasts slightly from the National figures where 1.9% of the population were Muslims.8

Over the past five counts the total number of Gypsy Traveller caravans has steadily increased, consisting of roughly 15% of all caravans in England. However the number of caravans on unauthorised sites in the South West makes up almost 24% of unauthorised caravans in England. This proportion is fairly evenly spread throughout the region with Devon consisting of 14% of all caravans and Somerset consisting of 20%.9

Figure 4: Devon and Somerset Disability Living Allowance Claimants 2010

7 National Curriculum Assessments at Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 by Ethnic Group in England, ONS, 2010 8 Table KS07, Religion, Office For National Statistics 2004 9 Table 1 Count of Gypsy and Traveller caravans on 28th July 2011, Strategic Statistics Division, 2011

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In Devon and Somerset as a whole the percentage population of disability allowance claimants stands at 5.1%, a statistic consistent with the national figure of 5.2%. This figure is similar across the majority of the local authorities in the region. The only anomalies to this are the two Unitary Authorities of Plymouth and Torbay, two of the least rural areas of Devon and Somerset, where this figure was greater at 6.8% and 7.2% respectively.10

Figure 5: Devon and Somerset Index of Multiple Deprivation 2010

10 Disability Living Allowance Claimants, Office for National Statistics, August 2010

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The Devon and Somerset Local Authority’s rank in the English Index of Multiple Deprivation vary greatly, predominantly following a trend of, the more urban: the more deprived. The ranks range from 61 for Torbay to 215 for East Devon, out of 326 at County level in England (326 being the least deprived).11

11 The English Indices of Deprivation 2010: County Summaries, Department for Communities and Local Government, Indices of Deprivation 2010

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