Introduction to Buckinghamshire

Population of Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire has a population of approximately 479,000 people living in 188,000 households. 26% of our residents are aged 19 and under, whilst 15% are 65 and over (Census 2001). The population is projected to grow to just under 530,800 people by 2026 when it is estimated that the 65+ years age group will grow as a proportion of the total number of people living in Buckinghamshire to 21% and those aged 0-19 years are likely to decline as a proportion of the total population to 22%.

District Populations

There are 4 Districts in Buckinghamshire and the ethnic makeup of the population varies between them. People who come from a 'White' ethnic group currently dominate the population, accounting for between 88-96% of people depending on the district, 92% for Buckinghamshire as a whole. Overall, Wycombe District has the highest proportion of non-white population (12.1%), followed by South Bucks (6.6%), Aylesbury Vale (5.9%) and Chiltern (4.5%). The Asian group clearly dominates the non-white population across all Districts. For Buckinghamshire as a whole this group accounts for 4.6% of the population. Mixed and Black ethnic groups both account for 1.3% each, whilst Chinese accounts for the smallest proportion of the population at 0.3%. (Census 2001)

Health

With respect to health and disability, 13% of people in the County are reported to have limiting long-term illnesses compared to 18% in England and 15% in the South East (Census 2001). The population also has a higher life expectancy than the national average, ranging by District from 81 to 83 for females compared to 81 nationally and 78 to 79 for males compared to 76 nationally. This puts all the Districts in Buckinghamshire in the top quartile nationally for males and in the top two quartiles nationally for females (Office for National Statistics (ONS), Life expectancy at birth).

Economy

Overall, Buckinghamshire is relatively wealthy; with the average household income 24% higher than the UK average (CACI 2006). Generally, Buckinghamshire has a thriving economy, with a low level of unemployment amongst the economically active population at 3.7% compared to 4.1% in the South East and 5.2% for England, as well as one of the highest business start-up rates in the country. The workforce is also highly skilled, with 1 in 3 educated to degree level and has above average representation of those who are managers / senior officials and in professional occupations 51% compared with 43% in England (National Labour Market Statistics, NoMIS, 2007). With easy access to the capital, 13% of residents who work commute to London and public transport features highly amongst residents' priorities for improvement in the Residents Survey, 2007.

Education

Buckinghamshire has an excellent education system, which consistently enables pupils to attain good qualifications with 61% of pupils achieving 5 or more A*-C GCSEs (including Maths and English) compared with 47% nationally (Department for children, schools and families Achievement and Attainment tables 2007).

Deprivation

Whilst much of Buckinghamshire is affluent, small areas of relative deprivation do exist. Almost three quarters of Buckinghamshire's population live in areas within the 30% least disadvantaged in the country. However 2.5% of the population live within areas that are within the 30% most disadvantaged in the country (Indices of Deprivation 2007. Produced by the Office for the Deputy Prime Minister). All agencies face a challenge in seeking to meet the diverse needs of urban and rural communities and different user groups, particularly those experiencing significant relative deprivation.

Environment

In terms of our environment, the county is one of contrasts - the north is predominantly rural, with small market towns, whilst the south is more urbanised. Our two largest centres of population are urban areas encompassing the towns of Aylesbury and High Wycombe, with total populations of 69,000 and 77,000 respectively. These urban areas accommodate nearly 40% of the total population. Over a quarter of Buckinghamshire is included within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Beauty and a further third is protected as Metropolitan Green Belt, mostly in the south of the county (Office for the Deputy Prime Minister, 2003). Within rural areas agriculture is the predominant land use, over 70% by area (Farming Statistics, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs). The rural nature of Buckinghamshire presents a number of challenges including constraints on land development and access to key services and facilities for rural communities, particularly for young and older people.

Buckinghamshire also has a rich historic environment. There are 141 Scheduled Ancient Monuments, 34 Registered Historic Parks and Gardens and 6,000 Listed Buildings. Many of these are accessible to the public and may be enjoyed by the community, such as the 17 National Trust properties within the County. In total over 16,000 archaeological sites or features are recorded on the County's Sites and Monuments Record (English Nature, 2005).

Community Safety

Buckinghamshire residents also experience a high level of community safety. Buckinghamshire Command Unit has seen a 3.3% reduction on all crime figures since last year. From February 2006 to January 2007, 38,800 crimes were recorded and in the same period in 2007/ 08 there were 37,512 offences recorded, a reduction of 1,288 crimes.

The Future

The Government's policy statement "Sustainable Communities": Building for the Future" identified Milton Keynes and South Midlands as one of four growth areas in the wider South East. As part of this growth area, the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy envisages a large increase in housing in the Aylesbury urban area. Delivering growth, whilst sustaining the environment and the quality of life in Buckinghamshire, will be one of the biggest challenges we face over the next 15 years.

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