West Lancashire
District Summary

Scarisbrick Hall, the Home of Kingswood College

www.kingswoodcollege.co.uk

This summary offers a snapshot of some of the most important economic, social and environmental factors in West Lancashire district with links through to the source information.

Introduction

West Lancashire is a district of contrasts. It contains a number of small towns and villages that offer a very good quality of life. It is a popular area for commuting to other parts of Lancashire and Manchester, whilst there are particularly strong links with the economy of Liverpool.

Ormskirk is the main home for Edge Hill University which celebrated 121 years of excellence by achieving university status in spring 2006.

The local agricultural resource base comprises the largest extent of top grade farmland in the west of Britain, yet the district also faces some difficulties. Skelmersdale is a 1960s new town that was at first set up to attract manufacturing jobs. The initial concentration on manufacturing, and ideas of town planning that soon appeared to be dated, contributed to problems of deprivation. The town is however well located and there are a number of quality proposals to help take it forward. The regeneration of Skelmersdale requires a balanced employment mix and a quality central urban area.

The district contains an important section of the river Ribble which, according to the RSPB, forms part of the UK's most important river estuary for wintering birds such as whooper and Bewick's swans, pink-footed geese, wigeons, knots, dunlins, sanderlings, bar-tailed and black-tailed godwits.

Popular visitor attractions in the area include Martin Mere and Rufford Old Hall.

1. Population

The overall population in the authority has grown only slowly over recent years and has not kept pace with increases at the county and national levels.
Population Research Monitor

West Lancashire has a higher than average proportion of its population in the two oldest age groups.
Population Area Profile

It is estimated that between 2006 and 2031, the population of West Lancashire will increase by only 7.1% (England = 19.0%).
Population Projections Research Monitor

2. Employment

West Lancashire has over recent years recorded an employment growth rate that was above the county and national averages.
Employment Change Research Monitor

From the mid-1990s onwards, the rate of change in the VAT registered business stock in the authority has failed to keep pace with the national rate of change. It remained ahead of the county rate for quite a while, but has recently dropped below the Lancashire average.
Business Activity Area Profile

The M58 motorway offers direct access to the M6 and to Liverpool. Developments in Skelmersdale have over the years shown some bias towards manufacturing activities but other important local employers such as Matalan (has its HQ is Skelmersdale) and the Co-operative Bank add to the employment mix.
Concentrations of Employment and Industry Area Profile

3. Earnings and Income

Average earnings in West Lancashire are comfortably higher when measured by place of residence than by place of work, emphasising how the area benefits from commuter flows to locations such as Liverpool. Both figures are above the county and national averages.
Average Earnings and Hours of Work Research Monitor

At the ward level, variations in income levels between the most and least affluent wards in the district are quite pronounced. Average incomes in a collection of six Skelmersdale wards are well below the levels in all other areas of the authority.
Earnings, Income and Benefits Area Profile

A relatively low number of Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance claimants, and the Housing Benefit claimant rate in the authority is also low.
Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance Research Monitor
Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Social Housing Rents Research Monitor

Large parts of rural West Lancashire are relatively popular with retired individuals but other parts of the county (especially selected coastal areas) have higher concentrations of State Pensioners.
State Pension Research Monitor

4. Deprivation

The 2007 Index of Deprivation revealed that of the 32,482 Lower Super Output Areas (SOAs) in England, the lowest overall score recorded in West Lancashire was in one of the three SOAs in Digmoor Ward (244th lowest figure). The next lowest was one of the three SOAs in Birch Green Ward (720th lowest result). These two LSOAs in Skelmersdale were the only LSOAs in the authority that were in the bottom 1,000 in the country.
Index of Multiple Deprivation

Of 354 local authorities in England, West Lancashire recorded an average index of deprivation score of 20.40, which gave a rank of average score of 141st position (again lower the ranking the worse the score).
Indices of Deprivation Research Monitor

5. Housing and Households

West Lancashire, in comparison with a number of other Lancashire authorities, has a relatively low proportion of its housing stock in the lowest Council Tax band A, but in comparison with the national average it is above the norm.
Dwelling Stock by Council Tax Band Research Monitor

Average house prices in the authority have for a few years charted a course that is midway between the lower overall average for Lancashire, and the higher average figure for England and Wales.
Housing and Households Area Profile

The authority in 2006 had a percentage of unfit dwellings (3.0%) that was lowest in the county and well below the England average of 4.2%.
Condition of the Dwelling Stock Research Monitor

6. Community Safety

In 2007/08, recorded crime rates in West Lancashire are lower in all sectors in comparison to the national averages, and only exceed the county averages for Theft of a Motor Vehicle.
Community Safety Area Profile

7. Environment

The urban area of Upholland, close to the intersection of the M6 and M58 motorways, is the only part of the authority that is classified in the worst air quality category in the county.
Air Quality Research Monitor

Total carbon dioxide emissions in West Lancashire amounted to over 1.1 million tons in 2006, equivalent to 10.2 tonnes per head. This was the second highest per capita figure in the sub-region after Ribble Valley with above par CO₂ emissions from both industry and commerce and the domestic sector contributing. The district also contributes a not inconsiderable net 99,000 tonnes of CO2 from land use and land use change.

West Lancashire has an enormous 92.5% of its land area classified as green belt. The area has a large amount of top-grade farmland that supports intensive arable cropping and an important horticulture sector.

The household recycling and composting rate for the authority of 38.0% (2006/07) was reasonably high, but was not amongst the best in the county.

8. Education and Training

In 2006/ 07 the percentage of pupils achieving at least five GCSEs at grades A*-C in the authority, 62.4%, was above the England average of 60.4%.
GCSE and Equivalent Results Research Monitor

Skelmersdale and Ormskirk College has campuses in both towns, and is working on plans for a new multi-million pound building in central Skelmersdale to enhance the education and training facilities.

9. Health and Wellbeing

Figures for life expectancy at birth by local authority reveal that West Lancashire has male and female rates that are better than the regional but below the national averages.
Life Expectancy at Birth Research Monitor

Mortality rates in the authority are higher than the national averages for both genders but roughly on a par with the county results.
Standardised Mortality Ratios Research Monitor

The West Lancashire Health Profile for 2008, published by Association of Public Health Authorities, reveals that the health of people in the area is varied. Indicators such as the estimated percentage of obese adults and infant deaths are not significantly different from the England average. Other indicators including smoking in pregnancy and road injuries and deaths are significantly worse, while a few such as deprivation are noticeably better.
Association of Public Health Observatories Health Profile