An aging population, with a 46% increase in people aged 65 and over by 2035
Over a million UK adults reported going a whole day without food in the past month because they couldn’t afford to eat
High levels of in-work poverty
11% of households are in fuel poverty
16 local neighbourhoods are in top 10% most deprived in England, with 50% higher child poverty in some areas of our borough compared to others
10 year gap in life expectancy between local communities due to health inequalities
Suicide rates are two to three times higher in the most deprived neighbourhoods compared to the most affluent, and rates of hospitalised self-harm are also twice as high
Rough sleeping continues to rise due to cost of living crisis
Economy and education
Rising poverty is widening the attainment gap between children from different economic backgrounds
Youth social mobility is worsening
11% of local households have an annual income under £15,000
15% of local jobs pay below the local living wage
Unemployment rate for the borough is 3.5%
Gender pay gap between women and men in full time work is £3,000 per year
Proportion of new UK businesses surviving two years has dropped from 76% to
70%, largely due to the economy
28,000 residents live in neighbourhoods at risk of digital exclusion
Over 7,000 households are on the waiting list for social housing in West Cheshire
Town centres, high streets and neighbourhoods
Across the country, funding cuts mean 1000 libraries, 60 museums and 400 swimming pools have closed since 2010
Footfall on UK high streets is down 23% since the start of the pandemic
16% of shops on Britain’s high streets are empty and one in every 20 vacant units has been empty for more than three years
National highways spending has been cut by 27% in the past decade
Climate change is speeding up the degradation of roads and pavements
Hundreds of play areas have closed across the UK due to government cuts
Reported crime has increased, only 60% of residents feel safe going out after dark
The environment
Our borough is the fourth highest in terms of carbon emissions for all areas in the UK, with industrial processes making up over half of Cheshire West and Chester’s total emissions
12% forecast rise in traffic by 2026 and poor public transport
Residential properties in our area emit 572,000 tons carbon dioxide per year
Emissions from commercial buildings total 442,000 tons per year
8% of emissions from our area come from farming livestock, largely due to high density of dairy farming
Climate change means low-lying places in our area are at greater risk of flooding
Almost half of all UK wildlife is in long term decline and 15% of species are at risk of extinction
Evidence shows the loss of 50% or more of UK insects since 1970
