Geography and population Introduction 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. 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. 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. 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 includes parts of all the five National Character areas. The district of West Berkshire is made up of 30 Wards, the map below (fig 2) shows how these are organised across the district. Facts, Figures, Trends Figure 1: West Berkshire geography Figure 2: West Berkshire wards The (2011) census showed West Berkshire with a population of just under 154,000. 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. The largest urban area in the district is Newbury / Thatcham, where around 67,000 (44%) of West Berkshire residents live. 16% of residents live in the suburban area adjoining Reading borough. Other significant towns in the district are Hungerford with just under 6,000 residents and Theale with a population of just under 3,000. Population data comes from the Office for National Statistics and is based on the number of people counted as part of the Census. An estimate of the number of people living in the area, their age, and their gender is produced annually the most recent being the mid-2012 estimates. The total estimated population of West Berkshire in 2012 was 154,486. Figure 3: Population density , by Lower Super Output Area, 2011 Source: Census 2011, Office for National Statistics Table 1: Population density, West Berkshire, 2011 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, Office for National Statistics 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. 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. Figure 3 Figure 4: Ward population, West Berkshire, 2011 Source: Census 2011, Office for National Statistics Age profile of West Berkshire 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. The chart below plots the overall population profile for West Berkshire compared to that for the South East. Figure 5: West Berkshire Population Profile Source: Census 2011, Office for National Statistics Figure 6:West West BerkshireBerkshire Population population Structure, structure 2012 2012 West Berkshire Males West Berkshire Females England Females England Males 85+ 80-84 75-79 70-74 65-69 60-64 55-59 50-54 45-49 40-44 35-39 30-34 25-29 20-24 15-19 10-14 5-9 0-4 5.0% 3.0% 1.0% 1.0% 3.0% 5.0% Percentage of total population Source: Office for National Statistics mid-year population estimates Table 2: Age profile within West Berkshire West West England Berkshire Berkshire Berkshire South and Wales Age (Number) (%) (%) East(%) (%) 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% 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: Census 2011, Office for National Statistics 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. The graph (fig 5) and table 3 below shows the proportion of people across all wards in West Berkshire in different age groups, ranked by wards’ average (or median) age. Figure 7: Age Distribution by Ward, West Berkshire, 2011 Source: Census 2011, Office for National Statistics Table 3: Age distribution by ward, 2011 20- 35- Mean Ward Pop’n 0-4 0-9 0-19 65+ 85+ 34 64 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 6,390 W. 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 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%. West Berkshire’s population growth is around 1.5 percentage points below that for the South East more generally, and nationally. Table 4: Population Change, Berkshire, 2001 to 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% South East 8,634,800 +634,250 +7.9% England & Wales 56,075,900 +4,033,984 +7.8% Source: Census 2011, ONS The graph below shows the change in population between 2001 and 2011, by ward.