BOROUGH COUNCIL OF WELLINGBOROUGH AGENDA ITEM

Community Committee 22 June 2009 9

Report of the Head of Partnerships, Policy and Property

STATE OF THE BOROUGH REPORT

1 Purpose of Report

1.1 To seek formal adoption of the Council’s ‘State of the Borough Report’ ( “the Report”) and to obtain approval for its continued updating.

2 Executive Summary

2.1 The Report provides an overview of the data and information available on the economic, social and environmental conditions within the Borough of Wellingborough, and will be used to inform the Council’s services commissioning decisions. It should also be used to inform commissioning decisions of partner organisations.

2.2 The Report will be updated periodically

3 Proposed Action

3.1 The Committee is invited to RESOLVE that the State of the Borough Report be adopted and updated periodically.

4 Background

4.1 The Report has been prepared to bring together various data and information available on the economic, social and environmental conditions within the Borough.

4.2 During the drafting stage of the Report consultation took place with various statutory and voluntary organisations active within Wellingborough to both seek their views and elicit any further relevant data/information.

4.3 Highlights from the Report were first presented to Members on 22 October 2009 at the Member Seminar on the Improvement and Development Plan and have featured or appeared in various settings since then. For example, much of the information captured in the Report was used in the preparation of the Sustainable Community Strategy for Wellingborough.

4.4 Notwithstanding that the Report is a working document it is considered to be of such importance as to merit formal adoption by the Council, hence this report.

5 Discussion 5.1 The Report provides an overview of the economic, social and environmental conditions within the Borough of Wellingborough. These are set against county, regional and national trends as appropriate. It is important that the Council and those it works with, together with the local community, have an understanding of the challenges that face the area over the next ten to twenty years. Through developing a better understanding of current demographics and trends the Council and its partners can identify what needs to be done to help to create a Wellingborough that is a ‘Place to be proud of.’

5.2 The Council’s PRIDE priorities and the Sustainable Community Strategies for Northamptonshire and Wellingborough form the basis of the Council’s long- term vision of what sort of place Wellingborough should be. This vision will set out aims and ambitions and describe how the Council of Wellingborough wishes to work with its partners to turn these aims into reality.

5.3 In order to make the development of this long-term vision achievable, the Council and its partners need reliable data and information so that it knows which issues are or are likely to pose a particular challenge to the Borough and its inhabitants. These issues can then be taken into account in developing policies, strategies and plans aimed at dealing with those challenges. The Report therefore has, and will continue to have, a major part to play in informing the work of the Council and its partners.

5.4 The Report identifies areas in which the Borough currently performs strongly, but more importantly, areas where there is scope for improvement are also identified. The Borough is compared with neighbouring districts and/or against national averages, so that the figures can be seen in context.

5.5 The Report does not provide solutions to challenges facing the area; it is aimed at helping development of solutions by providing reliable evidence on which policies, strategies and plans can be based.

5.6 Because of its length (some 90 pages), a full copy of the Report is not appended to this report. An electronic copy will however be provided to all Members (save for those Members who normally receive paper copies of documents who will be provided with a paper copy) and a copy placed in the Members’ Room. A copy of the Borough Overview and Key Messages sections is their current form is however appended at Appendix A for Members’ information.

6 Legal Powers

6.1 The Local Government Act 1999 places best value authorities (such as the Council) under a duty to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in their functions having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.

6.2 Although the requirements to produce annual Best Value Performance Plans, and conduct Best Value reviews have been removed by The Local

Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, the duty of best value remains at the heart of the new performance framework.

6.3 Getting the appropriate balance between economy, efficiency and effectiveness will require appropriate consultation and involvement under the duty to involve contained in The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 . 7 Financial and Value For Money Implications

7.1 There are no direct financial implications arising from this report but value for money is an inherent criterion of the assessment.

8 Risk Analysis

Nature of risk Consequences if Likelihood Control realised of measures occurrence Partnerships Partnership fails Medium Corporate entered into do governance and not deliver the Poor or interrupted performance outcomes service delivery management expected arrangements in Reputation and place internally Service financial damage such as the contracts to the Council Improvement and entered into do Development not deliver the Breakdown in Plan and the outcomes relationship with Challenge Board, expected partners and the Performance Targets not management achieved frameworks in place for New initiatives partnerships such unsuccessful as the LAA and LSP. Low staff morale

Financial costs to rectify problems/source other help etc

Loss of support Adverse publicity arising from failures

Poor value for

money

Council does Financial Low Partnership not achieve loss/overspend working value for money Poor reputation Continuous . monitoring Government penalties Revised performance Value for money management can’t be arrangements demonstrated Improvement and Failure to achieve Development efficiency targets Plan and the Challenge Board Damage to LAA relationships Failure to meet Financial Penalties Medium Corporate plans regulator or are derived from government External Community Plans expectations intervention Regular liaison Reputation with regulators damage and inspectors

Loss of additional funding opportunities Failure to Disgruntled Medium Customer manage customers/citizens feedback customer/citize n expectations Reputation Corporate plans damage are derived from Community Plans

Council fully involved in the LAA and LSP

Member ward

surgeries

Ward support process Failure to Adverse external Medium Service plans deliver audit and linked to Corporate inspection reports objectives and objectives and government updated annually intervention or restrictions of Improvement and freedoms Development Plan and the Staff morale Challenge Board adversely affected Regular reporting Declining services of performance to linked to increasing Members council tax become difficult to justify Corporate Plan reviewed annually Poor Pis Annual strategic Poor value for analysis of money operating environment eg Reputation LAA damage

Disgruntled customers/citizens Changing need Reputation Medium Member led and demand damage development of for services not Corporate Plan. understood Disgruntled customers/citizens Understanding of Community community needs expectations Poor value for through are not money community properly engagement via understood or ward surgeries, managed well. ward support process, the LAA and the LSP’ and consultation exercises

Equalities strategy The above are the main risks from the Corporate Risk Register the Report will help mitigate further.

9 Implications for Resources

9.1 The Report will inform all decisions going to deployment of the Council’s resources.

10 Implications for Stronger and Safer Communities

10.1 The Report will inform all decisions going to the Council’s functions and services insofar as they affect the creation of stronger and safer communities

11 Implications for Equalities

11.1 Addressing the issues identified in the Report will necessarily have implications for equalities. These will be assessed and taken into account in the development of the initiatives that will be taken based on the data and information in the Report.

12 Author and Contact Officer

12.1 Chris Pittman, Head of Partnerships, Policy and Property

13 Consultees

Corporate Management Team

14 Background Papers

None

Appendix A The Borough – An Overview

The Borough of Wellingborough is one of seven districts in Northamptonshire. Of the 75,900 people living in the Borough, roughly two thirds live in the town of Wellingborough. The remainder live in 19 surrounding settlements. The population is rising faster than the national average and is predicted to reach 84,500 by 2015. Other towns that are close by include the county town of Northampton, Kettering and Milton Keynes. The numbers of young people within the Borough are showing a gradual increase.

According to a 2006 survey conducted on behalf of the Council, there are a large number of long term residents in the Borough. 55% of respondents had lived in the area for more than 21 years. 80% of households live in privately bought accommodation. 57% of households have two occupants, while 23% claim to have a disability. The population of Wellingborough is quite ethnically diverse, compared to similar districts. In total, 7% of residents are from an ethnic minority group. This rises to 11% in the town itself. The main groups are Indian, African- Caribbean and more recently, Eastern Europeans.

Overall, the area is close to national averages in terms of population structure, housing, health and crime. This closeness conceals some real differences in levels of deprivation across nearby wards. Parts of the town and several surrounding villages are relatively affluent. However, there are pockets of deprivation.

Three wards have areas that are in the top 10% nationally for deprivation affecting children. Taking wards as a whole, six of the fourteen electoral wards in Wellingborough are amongst the top 40% most income deprived areas in England. Conversely, five wards are amongst the least income-deprived 20% of areas. The level of statutorily homeless households in the Borough is currently higher than the national average although the Council is addressing this.

Wellingborough was once home to a variety of industries, including shoe-making, textiles and iron founding. With the decline of these industries, the majority of the town’s residents are now employed in light manufacturing, distribution, or in retail. From an economic perspective, the overall picture is mixed. House prices in the Borough are below the national average. This is unusual, given that Wellingborough is just 75 miles from London and enjoys a 50 minute high-speed link to London.

The Borough falls within what is known as the Milton Keynes / South Midlands Growth Area (MKSM). This is one of three areas in and around south-east England which the government has identified for the growth of new and

sustainable communities. The Northampton and Wellingborough area is one of five sub-areas of the MKSM in which significant growth will be concentrated. The proposed growth will see Wellingborough town expand by 30% over the next 10- 15 years.

A total of 12,800 dwellings are due to be built in the Borough of Wellingborough by 2021. Of these, 11,590 are due to be built in Wellingborough town, with 1,210 in the surrounding villages. 4,350 homes are planned for an area east of the town. The largest of the developments is Stanton Cross, comprising 3,200 homes and the proposed creation of 9,000 jobs. A further 2,300 homes are likely to be built to the north of the town.

Unemployment levels are slightly below national averages. 83.6% of the population of working age is economically active, compared to a national average of 78.5% (Office of National Statistics data). However, the Borough has substantially less people employed in managerial and professional occupations than the national average (28.7% against 42.5%). The numbers employed in elementary occupations is well above average (23.3% against 11.4%). Around 30% of employees who live in Wellingborough work in Northampton, while 20% of those who work in the Borough live outside the district. Just 10% of working persons who reside in Wellingborough work outside Northamptonshire.

There are four mixed comprehensive secondary schools in the Borough and an independent day school. GCSE attainment is substantially lower than the English average. 49.8% of pupils achieved 5 or more A* – C grades in 2005/06 compared to the average of 57.5%. Relatively few pupils from Wellingborough schools go on to university. However, increasing numbers are now obtaining NVQ qualifications.

The overall health of the local community is similar to the English and East Midlands averages. A detailed assessment of this was carried out by the County Council through what is known as a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. The Borough performs substantially better than the national average in terms of female life expectancy, the number of adults who binge-drink and the number of people who feel in poor health or who suffer mental health problems. The number of hospital stays due to alcohol and the rate of child tooth decay are also significantly better (i.e. lower) than average. However, figures for the teenage pregnancy rate and the number of obese adults are significantly below average, as is the number of people killed or injured on local roads. Figures for eleven other health-related indicators such as deaths from smoking, deaths from cancer and the rate of drug misuse are close to regional averages.

The rate of violent crime in the Borough is lower than the English average. There were 17.4 violent crimes per 1,000 of the population in 2005/06 compared to a national average of 19.8. Conversely, non-violent crimes such as theft of a motor vehicle (4.7/1000) and burglary of dwellings (6.8/1000) are well above average

(averages of 2.9/1000 and 4.7/1000 respectively).

Anti-Social behaviour is perceived to be more of a problem in Wellingborough than across Northamptonshire as a whole. 49% of respondents to a 2006 Council commissioned survey felt that action was needed to reduce the local level of crime. The same survey found that that just 16% of respondents felt safe when outside alone after dark in Wellingborough; 57% felt unsafe.

Key Messages

• Economy • Average earnings in Wellingborough are just under £24,000, which is well below county, regional and national averages. • The percentage of local people employed in management or professional occupations is below the county average, while the percentage of the workforce engaged in elementary occupations is above average. • The Borough has the largest percentage of persons aged 16-18 who are classified as NEET (Not in education, employment or training) of any Northamptonshire district.

• Education • 17.3% of people in the area have no formal educational qualifications, while 12.3% have obtained a degree or equivalent. Both figures are significantly worse than the county average. • 51.8% of pupils in Wellingborough schools achieve five or more GCSE’s at grades A* - C. Although performance has improved over the last decade, performance remains below the county average of 55.1% • The educational achievement of black Caribbean pupils is a cause for concern; 11% in the Borough achieved five or more GCSE’s at grades A* - C.

• Employment and Benefits • The Borough of Wellingborough has a relatively low level of unemployment. Standing at 2.5%, it is below the county average of 3.5%. However, a higher than average percentage of the workforce are employed in elementary occupations. • The economic activity rate in the Borough is 84.9% and is below the county average. The rate amongst the non-white population is 54.4%. This also compares unfavourably to the average. • Job density is a measure of the number of jobs available per person in an area. The Wellingborough figure of 0.77 is below

regional and national averages.

• Health • The overall health of citizens of the Borough is better than the national average and similar to the county average. • The local rate of infant mortality (6.0/1000 births) is well above the Northamptonshire average, as is the level of obesity amongst children (13%). • Life expectancy in Wellingborough is better than the English average. Men can expect to live for 77.5 years against an English average of 77.3. Local women live on average for 82.3 years compared to an average of 81.6 years.

• Housing • House prices are slightly below the Northamptonshire average and well behind the English average. The average house in Wellingborough costs £154,037 (2006 data) ranking it as the second cheapest in Northamptonshire after Corby. Wellingborough has the 3rd most affordable housing in the county. • The Borough of Wellingborough has relatively low marriage rates, high divorce rates and a high percentage of lone parent families. It fares poorly against these measures when compared to the rest of Northamptonshire. • Over 2,500 homes were built in Wellingborough between 2001 and 2007. It is expected that the rate of building will increase in the future. This is due to the Borough being part of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Development area. A total of 12,800 new builds are expected by 2021.

• Local Neighbourhood and Crime • The crime rate in Wellingborough is slightly above the county average, with 71 offences per 1000 people being recorded by the British Crime Survey. The county average is 64 per 1000. • There has been an overall increase in crime since 2001, although there was a 1% decrease between 2005/06 and 2006/07. Wellingborough is safer than Northamptonshire and Corby but has much more crime than the district of South Northamptonshire. • Fear of becoming a victim of one of five specific types of crime was the highest in Northamptonshire, despite the fact that the Borough does not have the county’s highest crime rate.

• Transport • 64% of Wellingborough’s 30,976 employees commute to work as a car driver. This represents the 3rd lowest figure of any Northamptonshire district.

• Car ownership in the Borough (78% of households) is the 3rd lowest in the county. There is a large variation across Northamptonshire ranging from 89.5% in South Northamptonshire to 60.2% in Corby. • Road and rail access to the Borough is relatively good with Wellingborough having the quickest journey times to London of any Northamptonshire district. A relatively high number of people live within a one hour drive of the Borough due to its proximity to the M1 motorway and the A45 dual carriageway.

• Overall • The overall performance of Wellingborough is generally close to, or slightly below county averages. Performance relative to other districts is broadly consistent across categories. Corby and Northampton usually fare worse statistically, whilst South Northamptonshire, East Northamptonshire and Daventry most often have stronger figures. • Within Northamptonshire, Wellingborough’s performance is most similar to that of Kettering. • Compared to the other Northamptonshire districts, Wellingborough’s strongest areas are Employment and Transport, although performance against these is still only slightly better than average county performance; the weakest performing area is Housing.

• Areas of Strength: • The relatively high percentage of the workforce in skilled trade occupations • The relatively high percentage of 16-18 year old Borough residents who are undergoing training • The declining number of school exclusions over the last three years • The low level of unemployment • Better than average life expectancy, especially for females • High levels of house building which are expected to increase further • Falling crime rates • Wellingborough has the fastest train journey time to London of any Northamptonshire district and is on the Midland Mainline served by East Midlands trains • Over 2.5 million people live within a one hour drive of the Borough. Wellingborough benefits from its proximity to the M1 motorway and the A45 dual carriageway

• Areas of Concern: • Average earnings are below county, regional and national averages • The low percentage of the workforce in management positions or professional occupations and the high percentage in elementary

employment • The Borough has the largest percentage of persons aged 16-18 who are classified as NEET (Not in education, employment or training) of any Northamptonshire district • The low net increase in VAT registrations of new businesses • The poor retail ranking of Wellingborough • Low levels of GCSE attainment and a high percentage of people with no educational qualifications and well as a low percentage of residents who are educated to degree level • The educational attainment rate of black Caribbean pupils • The high percentage of adults with poor numeracy skills • A low level of economic activity amongst the non-white population • High unemployment rates in Hemmingwell, Swanspool and Queensway wards • A high obesity rate • High levels of infant mortality • Despite house prices being relatively low, average prices that are still more than six times higher than average income • High levels of divorce and a high percentage of lone parent households • A high number of homelessness applications to the council that are classed as being ‘priority’ need • Levels of Deprivation affecting children are significantly worse than the Northamptonshire average • Fear of being a victim of one of five types of crime is the highest in the county • Wellingborough residents were least likely of all those in Northamptonshire to feel safe when walking alone at night • The relatively high levels of crime in Swanspool, Hemmingwell and Croyland wards • The low number of people using public transport to commute to work