Demographic information
Demographics
The population of North Tyneside currently stands at 192,000 (2001 census data). This makes a decline of only 1.8% in the decade since 1991 and represents a level of stability that was not seen in either the 1970s or 1980s when the area lost population.
In recent years North Tyneside has lost a smaller proportion of its population than a number of the other Tyne & Wear boroughs. Forecasts for the next 10 years predict that the population level will continue to remain relatively stable.
This relative stability masks a number of underlying changes. These include changes in the age profile of the borough.
For example, since 1991 there has been a decline in the overall number of children aged under 16, and a substantial decrease in the number of people in their 20s and in their 60s. However, this has been matched by a substantial increase in the number of residents in their 40s and 50s and aged 75 and over.
The changing age profile has impacted on the distribution of the population across the borough. Since 1991, for example, there have been population increases in Holystone, Monkseaton and North Shields wards and decreases in Longbenton, Chirton and Wallsend wards.
The issue of a generally ageing population is consistent with national trends and will present challenges in terms and equality and future demands for social care.
In 1991 the borough had an ethnic minority population of around 1%. About half of this population were southern Asian (mostly Indian and Bangladeshi). The next largest group is Chinese.
However, since 1991 there has been a steadily growing influx of immigrants and asylum seekers to the borough. This small, but disparate population groups presents a number of challenges in terms of effective communication and social cohesion.
Economy
Total claimant unemployment (those claiming jobseeker's allowance), expressed as a proportion of the resident working age population was 3.3% in January 2007, lower than the North East rate but higher than the GB rate of 2.6%. Male unemployment in the borough was 4.9% and female unemployment was 1.6%. This reflects a slight increase in total unemployment compared to the same period in 2006. (GB no increase, North East region 0.3 percentage points increase and North Tyneside 0.2 percentage points increase).
The unemployment levels overall, and for both the male and female populations, are lower than the Tyne and Wear average. There are, however, pockets of unemployment within the borough where the rate is much higher.
Major employers in the area are from the manufacturing, retail/wholesale, health and social care, education, finance and call centre sectors.
The principal manufacturing industries include offshore engineering, ship-repair, food processing, furniture, microprocessors & electrical components and chemicals.
In recent years there has been substantial investment in the regeneration of North Shields and Longbenton areas and in the A19 corridor enterprise zone. Cobalt and Balliol Business Parks have also attracted considerable office developments.
The nature of work in North Tyneside has changed fundamentally with the growth of part-time temporary work. Many new jobs have been created recently in the emerging 'call centre' industry and through continued growth in retail, care and service industries.
This has led to challenges in relation to re-skilling and securing employment for those displaced by structure changes, and providing appropriate high quality education for those yet to enter the job market.
North Tyneside Council, along with its partners, has been successful in attracting inward investment resulting in the highest rate of economic activity in Tyne & Wear.
Note:
Claimant count records the number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance (JSA) and national insurance credits, a Jobcentre Plus local offices. People claiming JSA must declare that they are out of work, capable of, and actively seeking work during the week in which the claim is made.
Deprivation
Overall North Tyneside is the least deprived of the five Tyne & Wear boroughs, according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2000. However, it still experiences significant deprivation and is ranked the 69th (out of 354) most deprived borough in England.
Furthermore, over a quarter (26%) of the borough's population live in wards that are ranked among the most deprived 10% in England. In these terms North Tyneside is the 55th most deprived borough in England while in terms of local concentration it is ranked 40th.
At a very local level, six wards - Chirton, Riverside, Collingwood, Longbenton, Howdon and Wallsend - rank among the most deprived 10% of wards in England. This includes two wards - Chirton and Riverside - which rank among the most deprived 5% in the country.
All six wards are deprived in the income, employment and health domains. They are joined in the health domain by Valley ward. So far as the other three domains are concerned only Chirton and Riverside wards show significant levels of deprivation in the education, skills & training, housing and geographical access domains.
With regard to child poverty, all seven wards referred to above were among the most deprived 10% in the country with over 52% of children aged under 16 living in households dependent on benefits.
Housing stock
There are currently (April 2002) 90,122 residential properties in North Tyneside. The breakdown by tenure is as follows:
- private - 73%
- council - 21%
- housing association 5%.
The majority of properties (75%) are houses, the rest are flats or maisonettes.
A slightly different pattern of ownership emerges when you compare the tenure breakdown of flats and houses.
So far as houses are concerned:
- 78% are privately owned;
- 20% are council owned;
- 2% are housing association owned.
However, with flats:
- 61% are privately owned;
- 25% are council owned;
- 14% are housing association owned.
Leisure & recreation
There is a wide range of leisure and recreation facilities in North Tyneside. These include libraries, swimming pools, leisure pools, golf courses, sports centres, a sea-life centre, multiplex cinema and playhouse.
The borough is steeped in history and features include the George Stephenson Railway Museum, and Segedunum Roman Fort and Museum which opened in summer 2000. This fort, in Wallsend, is the last outpost of the Hadrian's Wall World Heritage site. At the coast, Tynemouth Castle and Priory, and Whitley Bay Lighthouse are significant visitor attractions.
The Rising Sun Countryside Park, which is sited on a former colliery, provides a haven for birdwatchers, a picnic area, farm and children's play area. The 400 acre park is at the centre of a disused wagon way network, which crisscrosses North Tyneside, and has been developed for walkers and cyclists.
A 13 kilometre waterside trail provides an alternative route for walkers around part of the borough's coast and riverside.