Ward Boundary Review – Ward Pattern submission – Appendix A1 Electoral Review of Royal Borough of Greenwich: Warding Arrangements 1. Introduction 1.1. The Royal Borough of Greenwich welcomes this review of its electoral boundaries and the opportunity to submit representations to the Commission 1.2. The request by the Local Government Boundary Commission for a submission on the future Council Size of Royal Greenwich was agreed unanimously by the Council in its meeting on 26 February 2020. 1.3. The review is now in the phase of Warding Arrangements and is requesting submissions of Ward Patterns as to how the Royal Borough’s Wards should look from 2022. 1.4. This document contains a profile of the Royal Borough and evidence to support the Ward Pattern including new Ward names. 1.5. Appendix B shows the mapping of the Royal Borough and each new Ward in detail. 2. Local Authority Profile Setting and Location 2.1. The Royal Borough of Greenwich is an inner London Borough in southeast Greater London. The borough lies along the south bank of the River Thames between Deptford and Thamesmead. It is 5,044 hectares in size, bounded by the London Boroughs of Bexley to the east, Bromley to the south, Lewisham to the west. 2.2. The Borough was formed in 1965 by the amalgamation of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich with part of the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich to the east. To mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, Greenwich became a Royal Borough on 3 February 2012 due to its historic links with the Royal Family and to its UNESCO World Heritage Site status as home of the Prime Meridian. The Royal Borough of Greenwich’s main office is The Woolwich Centre on Wellington Street. The building faces the Town Hall (opened in 1906) in which the Council Chamber is based. 2.3. The Borough’s main communities can be broadly divided into three geographic areas: Eltham, Greenwich and Woolwich/Plumstead, although there are a range of smaller areas with strong local distinctiveness, such as Charlton and Thamesmead. 2.4. There is a significant range of urbanisation within the Borough, with areas to the north, such as Woolwich and Greenwich Peninsula experiencing sustained periods of developments, with dense housing and blocks of flats, while the south of the Borough has larger, less dense concentrations of housing. Appendix A1 Population and Demographics 2.5. The population of the Royal Borough of Greenwich is approximately 285,0001. In the 2011 census, the population was estimated at 255,000. The population is projected to increase by 16% over the next 10 years (2020-2030). This growth can be attributed in large part to the development that has been taking place across the Borough, resulting in significant increases in residential properties. 2.6. The Royal Borough of Greenwich has a relatively young population. 22% of the population are aged between 0-15. 68% of the population are of working age 16-64 and 10% of the population are aged 65 and over2. Over the next 10 years the proportion of working age residents is expected to remain fairly static (68.5%), while the proportion of 65+ residents is expected to increase by 1.6 percentage points (from 10.7% to 12.3%) and the proportion of 0-15 years olds is projected to decrease by 2 percentage points (21.1% to 19.1%). 2.7. There is a high level of population mobility within the Royal Borough of Greenwich, with the equivalent of approximately 7.5% of the Borough’s population moving to the Borough from elsewhere in the UK each year, and a comparable amount leaving the Borough3. In terms of numbers, in 2018, Greenwich is ranked 15th out of 33 London boroughs for inward internal migration, and 17th out of 33 for outward internal migration. The graph below shows internal migration to and from the Borough from 2014 to 2018: 2.8. This high level of population mobility creates challenges in respect of engagement, where a significant proportion of residents are likely to be less familiar with Council and other local services and may therefore have greater difficulty accessing them. 1 Office of National Statistics 2018 estimate 2 2011 Census 3 Office of National Statistics, Internal migration: matrices of moves by local authority Appendix A1 2.9. Greenwich’s population is 49.6% male and 50.4% female4. Life expectancy in the Royal Borough of Greenwich for women is 83 years and is 79.5 for men5. These are similar to the national average. 2.10. As of 2018, the ethnic background of Greenwich’s residents was 62.67% White, 16.9% Black, 13.73% Asian, and 6.69% Mixed/Other6. The largest BAME ethnic background within the Borough is Black African, with approximately 15% of the Borough’s residents of this ethnicity. 2.11. As recorded in 2016-17, 32.7% of residents were born abroad. Based on the 2011 census, the largest migrant population by country of birth was recorded as Nigeria (5%), followed by Nepal (1.9%) and India (1.7%). Greenwich has one of the largest Nepalese communities in London, as many Ghurkha families have settled in the area following service with the army. 2.12. This diversity is reflected in the languages spoken by Greenwich residents, with more than 84 different languages being spoken by residents in the home7, 83.15% of residents speaking English in the home, compared to 92.03% across England. The five non-English languages most widely spoken in the home in the Royal Borough of Greenwich are: Language Percentage of Residents Nepalese 2.09% Polish 0.92% French 0.89% Lithuanian 0.78% Other Chinese (not Mandarin or 0.73% Cantonese) 2.13. Information from the Borough’s schools suggests that residents who speak non-English languages in the home are likely to be younger, with 40% of primary and 36% of secondary school pupils known or believed to have a first language other than English8. This is a significantly higher percentage than the neighbouring boroughs of Bexley, Bromley and Lewisham9. 2.14. A wide range of nationalities are represented in the Borough, with British nationals comprising 78.65% of the Borough’s population10. The chart below sets out the various regions whose nationals comprise the Borough’s population: 4 2011 Census 5 Office of National Statistics, Health state life expectancy at birth and at age 65 years by local areas, UK 2019 6 Office of National Statistics 2018 Estimate 7 2011 Census – Main Language Spoken in the Home 8 Department for Education: Percentage of Pupils by First Language, Borough 2018 update 9 Bexley: 20%/14%; Bromley: 15%/10%; Lewisham: 35%/29%. Department for Education: Percentage of Pupils by First Language, Borough 2018 update 10 Office of National Statistics 2018 Estimate Appendix A1 Deprivation 2.15. Greenwich is the 60th most deprived local authority in England overall, the 34th most deprived local authority in England for deprivation affecting children, and the 20th most deprived local authority in England for deprivation affecting older people11. The majority of Local Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in the Borough (111 of 151) falling into the most deprived 50% of LSOAs in England, while 33 LSOAs are in the most deprived 20%. The map below sets out the levels of deprivation by decile for the LSOAs in the Royal Borough of Greenwich12: 11 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: English Indices of Deprivation 2019 12 Office of National Statistics: English Indices of Deprivation 2019 Appendix A1 2.16. A more detailed examination of the challenges faced by the Royal Borough of Greenwich in respect of deprivation is available through the Acorn CACI household dataset, which uses a range of measures at household level. This data provides a highly granular level of detail in respect of specific addresses within the Borough, rather than aggregating data into defined areas such as with the Index of Multiple Deprivation, by assigning addresses within the Borough into one of six categories and 57 types. Heatmaps of these categories, as well as brief descriptions are set out below: “Affluent Achievers” “Rising Prosperity” “Comfortable Communities” Appendix A1 “Financially Stretched” “Urban Adversity” Not Private Households Category Description “Affluent These are some of the most financially successful people in the UK. They live Achievers” in wealthy, high status rural, semi-rural and suburban areas of the country. Middle aged or older people, the ‘baby-boomer’ generation, predominate with many empty nesters and wealthy retired. Some neighbourhoods contain large numbers of well-off families with school age children, particularly the more suburban locations. “Rising These are generally younger, well educated, and mostly prosperous people Prosperity” living in our major towns and cities. Most are singles or couples, some yet to start a family, others with younger children. Often these are highly educated younger professionals moving up the career ladder. “Comfortable This category contains much of middle-of-the-road Britain, whether in the Communities” suburbs, smaller towns or the countryside. All life stages are represented in this category. Many areas have mostly stable families and empty nesters, especially in suburban or semi-rural locations. There are also comfortably off pensioners, living in retirement areas around the coast or in the countryside and sometimes younger couples just starting out on their lives together. “Financially This category contains a mix of traditional areas of Britain. Housing is often Stretched” terraced or semi-detached, a mix of lower value owner occupied housing and homes rented from the council or housing associations, including social housing developments specifically for the elderly.