State of the Region

IRS Framework Objectives 1 - 5 (Social)

Introduction

The social theme assesses progress towards objectives relating to housing, improving public health, cultural participation, community safety and social capital.

Homelessness has decreased in the region in the past year, and remains below the rate for England as a whole.  This counters the increases in homelessness that had occurred in recent years and reflects the impact of policy interventions to tackle the problem of homelessness. In 2006/07 there were 2,513 affordable housing completions compared to 2,079 in 2005/06.  Although this is a sizeable increase from last year it remains below the Regional Spatial Strategy target of 3,950 per annum. The Peak District reported 69.3% affordable housing completions, significantly higher than any other county or unitary authority. The issues of affordability and affordable housing targets are now being reviewed in much more detail by the ten Housing Market Assessments across the region. Initial work to identify housing market areas was produced by De Montfort University for the East Midlands Regional Assembly and is contained in the ‘Housing in the East Midlands – Profile Information for the Housing Market Areas of the East Midlands’ report published March 2006. Since then individual areas have produced or are producing their own detailed Housing Market Area Assessments.

In 2006/07 87.5% of new dwellings were built on sites with density levels above 30 dwelling per hectare (dph) compared with 45.4% in 2003/04.The proportion completed at over 30 dph is increasing in most county and unitary authority areas except Rutland and the Peak District, the more rural areas of the region.

Some indicators of the health of the East Midlands population continue to show marked improvements – premature death rates from coronary heart disease, circulatory disease and cancer are falling and life expectancy is increasing.  These improvements are apparent in areas of the region with relatively poor health as well as in areas with relatively good health. However there are few signs that inequalities in health in the region at county/unitary authority level decreased between the 1990s and early 2000s.

The heritage, culture and recreational activity area remains one where regular monitoring data is not readily available.  This is in the process of being addressed with the development of the Regional Cultural Observatory which was established in 2006 as a ‘research arm’ of Culture East Midlands. Currently the indicators used reflect a limited range of activities such as visits to libraries and National Trust membership.  A wider perspective across the region, covering other sporting and recreational activities, shows a region that encompasses a community with wide and varied interests.

The figures for levels of worry about crime have shown an improvement in the East Midlands since the early 2000’s reflecting the decline in crime committed. Violent crime at 18% shows the largest proportion of people with a high level worry compared to 15% for burglary and car crimes. Thefts of or from a vehicle have increased in the East Midlands from 1,300 per 100,000 population in 2005/06 to 1,500 per 100,000 population in 2006/07 which is above the rate for the nation as a whole. Burglary rates have been increasing in the East Midlands since the 1990’s but more recently have shown a significant decline. Rates have remained unchanged between 2005/06 and 2006/07, but is higher than the rate for England.Violent crime rates have fallen to 1,800 per 100,000 in 2006/07 and is below the national rate of 1,900 per 100,000. As the information for the county/unitary authority areas shows, the level of crime varies across the region and tends to be higher in the urban areas.

The percentage of households satisfied with the area they live in has remained relatively unchanged and is just above the national average.

Social capital is a broad concept that attempts to encapsulate social, civic and community participation. It has proven to be a concept that has not been easy to measure. The current indicator used in this report, i.e. electoral participation, is limited in is frequency and in the aspects of social capital it captures. There has been a decrease in participation in voluntary and community activities and the East Midlands at 41% is below the national average of 48%.

Overview

Although the set of social objectives cover a wide spectrum of life in the East Midlands, what emerges is a region where the quality of life on average over the past years has generally improved. However, there still remain inequalities across the region and is performing badly compared to England as a whole in many areas.

IRS Objective 1>>