GEOGRAPHY A CHANGE IN DIRECTION

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GEOGRAPHY A CHANGE IN DIRECTION

• 2001 Census Debriefing Seminar
• 10 April, 2006
• Geography - Discussion
• Steve Turner
• Tees Valley Joint Strategy Unit

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OUTLINE

• 2001 OAs, SOAs
• 2011 proposed stability principle
• Way Forward

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LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND PARTNERS

• Need for a great deal of detailed information on
• unemployment, low income, education,
• health, crime, etc
• for various sets of neighbourhoods ..

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Mbro

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NDC

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Sure Start

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Comm Strat (old nhoods)

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New nhoods

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New HMR

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NEEDS FOR GEOGRAPHY

• Several sets of boundaries
• Each generally follows natural boundaries
  blocks of housing
• Each can alter as needs evolve

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OAs

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SOAs

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New HMR, SOAs

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• THORNABY

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FEATURES OF OAs

• Strange shapes, not corresponding to natural
  boundaries
• Divide communities
• Join separate communities

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A RESULT

• Awkward OA/SOA boundaries mean that, when
  reworking data, forming data for neighbourhoods
  
• generally, it takes more time and produces
  less accurate information

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CENTRAL PROBLEM

• Essentially, the unhelpful and bizarre OA
  boundaries result from being based on postcodes

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EXTENSION OF PURPOSE

• OAs original purpose, i.e. for Census, grew
  substantially
• Neighbourhood Statistics
• SOAs
• ODPM interest .
• . Index of Multiple Deprivation
• . Neighbourhood Renewal Fund

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LOCAL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

• Comments
• SOA boundaries dont make sense
• Difficult to identify with
• Erratic boundaries make it more difficult to
  deliver services in targeting improvements

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TOWARDS 2011 THE STABILITY PRINCIPLE?

• Principle of stability of OA/SOA boundaries past
  2011
• past 2011
• past 2021?
• past 2031??
• .. for ever???

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NEEDS

• Fundamentally, local authorities need the right
  data for the right areas for their needs at that
  time.
• Thus-
• Data needs will change
• Geography needs will change

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GEOGRAPHY NEEDS

• Longer term stability suggests inflexibility
• Inflexible geography suggests not meeting
  changing needs
• .. LAs ability to follow an evidence-based
  approach deteriorates
• (. in 2006, would we want to work with
  boundaries defined in 1981?)

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UNATTAINABLE IN PRACTICE - 1

• In practical terms, a stable geography is not
  attainable, especially at neighbourhood level.
• Data will change by 2011 because
• Definitions of data will change
• Census response rates will change
• Many OAs will change in nature and character

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UNATTAINABLE IN PRACTICE - 2

• Need to redraw boundaries
• Housing development makes many OAs change
  significantly - could be over 20 by 2011
• OAs may need to change to accommodate new
  disclosure control policies
• all these factors (and others) would make
  comparisons less meaningful

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SUMMARISING

• Change will happen, needs will alter
• Stability would lock us into inflexibility
• OAs and SOAs based on postcodes do not follow
  natural boundaries

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WAY FORWARD

• Purpose
• Flexibility
• Statistical Disclosure Control

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PURPOSE

• A full discussion of what we need from geography.
• For example-
• Looks sensible
• Helps produce good data
• Opportunity for local consultation
• Allows for various sources - not just the Census
• Flexibility to help monitor change

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FLEXIBILITY

• A geography
• Based on individual addresses
• Promotes recasting of data for different
  geographies
• Nature of needs suggests boundaries should
  follow blocks

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STATISTICAL DISCLOSURE CONTROL

• Too tight a constraint appears inflexible
• Danger of becoming locked into boundaries that
  are not fit for purpose
• Need for SDC that recognises and balances both-
• The rights of the individual
• The needs of the local data user

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Sadberge