1. East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment A Final Report by Regeneris Consulting
1.
East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment
A Final Report by Regeneris Consulting
East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment
August 2011
Regeneris Consulting Ltd
One Ashley Road
Altrincham, Cheshire
WA14 2DT
Tel: 0161 926 9214
Web: www.regeneris.co.uk
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Contents
Foreword 1
Executive Summary 1
1. Introduction 14
2. Wealth Generation in East Berkshire 19
3. Employment in East Berkshire 31
4. Business Base, Innovation, R&D and Supply Chains 79
5. East Berkshire’s Labour Market 97
6. Social Inclusion and Quality of Life in East Berkshire 150
7. Sustainable Economic Growth in East Berkshire 178
8. Understanding East Berkshire’s Functional Economic Geography 199
9. SWOT Analysis 202
Appendix A : Sector Data in Detail 207
Appendix B : Town Centre Definitions 225
Appendix C : Consultation Summary 230
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Foreword
The East Berkshire economy driven by a close mutual relationship between the boroughs of Slough and Windsor & Maidenhead is unique within the UK ‐ two very different yet inextricably linked places. Economic conditions for East Berkshire remain both fast changing and challenging. The global financial crisis and the recession which followed have placed immense pressure on our businesses and on our communities. Fortunately, we entered this period in reasonably good economic shape. East Berkshire contains some of the country’s leading companies heavily concentrated in Slough and is an attractive location for both European and global HQs. A highly motivated and well‐skilled workforce drawn from the two boroughs and further afield and a strong spirit of innovation have helped the area maintain a fairly stable economic position, despite the economic difficulties. The policy landscape is also changing, with the Government providing a new basis for local and sub‐regional economic growth. The Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is already established and is setting out its strategy to support sustainable economic prosperity. Windsor & Maidenhead’s position as a champion borough for the ‘Big Society’ will help identify new ways to support local communities. For the LEP, Slough is leading on evaluating and promoting a rail link from the Great Western Railway to Heathrow. These and other initiatives will help East Berkshire partners and stakeholders to influence important economic development agendas and take advantage of policy change. We must not be complacent. This Local Economic Assessment highlights the need for us to improve and build upon what has been achieved so far, and use our strengths to maintain our resilience in the face of economic pressures. In particular, we must ensure that East Berkshire remains one of the most attractive places in the UK for high‐skill, high‐value business. There is a need to ensure key assets are in place to support new business and growth within a desirable range of sectors including advanced functions in business and financial services, ICT and digital technology, and in environmental technologies. The East Berkshire economy relies heavily on flexible labour market movements with residents from the area taking advantage of employment opportunities in London, and significant flows coming into our area from London each day. To ensure the sustainable development of our labour markets, we must take full advantage of the arrival of the new Crossrail connections to Slough. There is a clear need for us to make sure that local people are given the opportunities to develop their skills and education and positively position themselves to take advantage of the high quality employment opportunities available within the area. The relationship between skills, business growth and housing is especially important. We have a duty to continue planning for sustainable communities that have access to quality amenities and support the business base. An environment that fully supports entrepreneurship and new business ventures, across industries and communities, is a vital part of our economic strategy for the future. We currently face many challenges around resourcing and funding economic development priorities. To ensure that a shared agenda of sustainable and inclusive economic growth is
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successfully sought after, it is vitally important that a strong relationship between private and public partners is developed and continues to develop. Despite the challenges, a bright future for East Berkshire is certainly possible. Understanding and supporting the uniqueness of this area – as described by this report ‐ is critical to our future success.
Ruth Bagley OBE Chief Executive, Slough Borough Council
Ian Trenholm Chief Executive, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
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Executive Summary
i. Regeneris Consulting was commissioned to carry out the East Berkshire Local Economic
Assessment (LEA), which encompasses the Slough Borough Council and Royal Borough of
Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) areas
ii. The document draws together an array of data and information to understand the key issues
for the East Berkshire economy and to inform a response to the key issues which exist. The
document will be an important tool in informing strategy for both local authorities and
partners. It will also inform priorities determined by the recently established Thames Valley
Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The document comes at an important time both
economically and politically, with public sector budget cuts and the localism agenda
(including the abolishment of Regional Development Agencies) impacting on the way
partners will respond to economic development issues going forward. As well as challenges
this will create opportunities for partners to position themselves to benefit from changes as
they occur.
iii. The LEA document summarises the key issues for East Berkshire and a separate document
sets out how partners should respond to the key issues which exist.
Wealth Generation in East Berkshire
iv. It is not possible to obtain data on Gross Value Added (GVA) performance at the level of
individual districts; however figures which are available for Berkshire are extremely
favourable. Berkshire is one of the UK’s largest economic areas and a key driver of wealth
generation in the South East accounting for 15% of the region’s total Gross Value Added
(GVA) output in 2008. This is linked to the volume of economic activity in the county. The
structure of Berkshire’s economy also plays a strong role in wealth generation with GVA per
worker substantially greater than the South East average – pointing to a concentration of
high value employment in the county. GVA per worker of £58,120 in 1998 is more than
£10,000 per worker greater than the England average.
v. The rate of GVA growth in Berkshire has consistently outstripped national and regional
comparators, growing by 136% between 1998 and 2008. This has helped to widen the gap in
GVA performance between Berkshire and national and regional comparators. GVA per
worker has also been increasing faster than the national rate.
vi. There is evidence to suggest that productivity improvements have played the largest role in
driving up Berkshire’s GVA. Between 2003 and 2008, for example, GVA in Berkshire
increased by around 16% and the number of jobs increased by just 8%.
vii. It is clear from further analysis that Berkshire’s economy is underpinned by a strong and well
established business services and finance sector. Two out of every five pounds of Berkshire’s
GVA is created by this sector, which accounts for 42% of total GVA in Berkshire compared to
just 34% nationally. However, the county’s reliance on this sector for wealth generation may
leave the area particularly vulnerable to recessionary impacts which points to the need for a
diverse economic base.
viii. GVA projections for Berkshire suggest that growth will continue and that Berkshire’s
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contribution to regional GVA will become more important. GVA is projected to increase from
its 2006 level of £22,580 million (13% of South East GVA) to £35,307 million (20% of the
South East’s GVA by 2026). Clearly, this strong performance is not guaranteed for Berkshire
and the county faces competition from other parts of the South East as well as international
locations (e.g. Brazil, Russia, India and China ‐ BRIC countries) which may be able to offer a
lower cost base for firms). Further consideration is given to the need for East Berkshire to
maintain its competitiveness in the future in the LEA response document which accompanies
the Local Economic Assessment.
Employment in East Berkshire
ix. East Berkshire is a key source of employment in the Thames Valley Berkshire area,
accounting for more than a third of the total for the LEP area. The volume of employment in
East Berkshire is split fairly equally between Slough and the Royal Borough of Windsor and
Maidenhead (RBWM) with both supporting around 75,000 jobs.
x. As illustrated below, employment is highly concentrated in the major towns of Slough,
Windsor and Eton and Maidenhead, and the Slough Trading Estate provides a strong focus
for employment. The Slough Trading Estate is Europe’s largest trading estate in single
ownership and a key employment hub, with more than one in ten of East Berkshire’s jobs
located there.
Distribution of employment in East Berkshire (2009)
Source: Business Register and Employment Survey, 2009. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is
reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO. Source: Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced
by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence
number 10001998
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xi. Employment levels in East Berkshire have been fairly unstable over recent years but
employment growth of 2% in East Berkshire between 2003‐2008 is higher than a 1% increase
for Thames Valley Berkshire. Nevertheless, employment growth is below national and
regional comparators and other parts of the South East (South Bucks experienced a 7%
increase in employment) for this period.
xii. The key focal points for employment growth have been the western (more recently
developed) side of the Slough Trading Estate, and areas to the south of Maidenhead and
Clewer Village. At the same time, all of the town centres in East Berkshire have seen a
marked contraction in employment. This has been particularly dramatic in Slough town
centre where a 20% reduction in employment (between 2003‐2008) equates to almost 4,000
jobs. A 7% reduction in employment for Maidenhead town centre is less severe but still
significant. This reaffirms the need for investment in town centres to maintain their
competitiveness in the future.
xiii. There is a strong weighting towards full time work in East Berkshire, with almost three
quarters (73%) of the workforce being in full time employment. This is largely related to the
particular concentration of full time employment in Slough, where 78% of the employment
is provided on a full time basis.
xiv. Windsor and Maidenhead has a particularly strong concentration of employment in small
businesses with businesses with less than 10 employees accounting for 26% of jobs
compared to 21% nationally. Firms employing less than 10 employees accounts for just 14%
of jobs in Slough, which is weighted more heavily towards larger employers; 35% of the
borough’s jobs are in companies employing more than 200 people. Larger employers are
particularly focused around the Slough Trading Estate.
xv. Employment in East Berkshire is less dependent on the public sector than nationally, with
18% of employment in the public sector compared to 27% nationally. In Slough, the
proportion is smaller still (16%).
xvi. The employment base in East Berkshire is dominated by higher value activities including:
Banking, finance and insurance: and particularly the higher value activities within
this sector, including IT and software, business management and consultancy.
Telecommunications: employment is particularly focused around the Slough Trading
Estate and employs more than 5,000 people across East Berkshire.
Manufacturing: predominantly in Slough where there is strong representation of
higher value manufacturing (such as pharmaceuticals / medical instruments) as well
as more traditional manufacturing (e.g. confectionary).
Tourism: particularly important to the RBWM economy with key concentrations of
employment in Windsor and Eton.
xvii. Recent employment change has followed national trends, that is employment in the public
sector has increased, manufacturing employment has contracted (particularly in lower value
sectors) and employment in banking, finance and insurance has increased.
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Business Base, Innovation, R&D and Supply Chains
xviii. There are 14,000 businesses based in East Berkshire. Although, there has been sustained
growth in the size of its business base over the past four years, the 9% growth in the size of
the business base between 2003 and 2008 has not kept pace with the growth occurring
nationally or regionally (11% increase in the same period). Windsor and Maidenhead’s
business base is nearly twice the size of Slough’s which reflects the large number of smaller
firms in the borough.
xix. Rates of VAT registrations are particularly high in the Royal Borough of Windsor and
Maidenhead. The VAT registration rate for RBWM is 9.1 per 1,000 working age residents,
which is almost twice the national average. Conversely, the rate of VAT registrations in
Slough only marginally exceeds the England and Wales average and lags behind that of the
South East.
xx. Businesses started in East Berkshire have a slightly better chance of survival than the
national average with the three year survival rate (68%) being three per cent higher than the
national average. Slough’s three year survival rate is 4% lower than Windsor and
Maidenhead’s.
East Berks Local Authorities – Survival Rates for businesses started in 2006
Source: ONS business demography.
xxi. Data on investment in research and development is not readily available at the local level.
However, the South East performs particularly well on this measure and has the largest
number of FTE employees engaged in R&D activities of all the regions. Expenditure on R&D
by firms in the South East represents 2% of the region’s GVA. This is considerably more than
the England average of 1.4% and second only to the East of England.
94%
96%
94%
95%
96%
96%
96%
96%
95%
95%
94%
79% 84%
78%
80%
79% 83%
80% 86%
82%
82%
80%
65% 69%
64%
60% 67%
68%
64% 71%
68%
67%
65%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
Slough
Windsor &
Maidenhead
Hillingdon
Hounslow
Reading
South Bucks
Spelthorne
Wycombe
East Berkshire
South East
GB
Survival rate
1 year survival rate 2 year survival rate 3 year survival rate
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xxii. Information from UKTI suggests that Berkshire has been particularly successful in attracting
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects to the county. There are a greater number of
investments in the ICT, life sciences and Advanced Engineering sectors.
East Berkshire’s Labour Market
xxiii. East Berkshire has a population of around 272,200, with Slough and RBWM contributing
around 128,400 and 143,800 respectively. It is important to note, however, that due to a
combination of factors (including high levels of household overcrowding locally, the diverse
nature of local population and the transient nature of the local population), Slough Borough
Council does not believe that official estimates accurately reflect the local population.
Slough Borough Council believe the local population to be closer to 140,000.
xxiv. Indicating the presence of a strong labour pool locally, a relatively high proportion of East
Berkshire residents are of working age – particularly in Slough. In RBWM there is a higher
proportion of more elderly residents. Slough has high levels of ethnic diversity, with large
populations of Asian or Asian British residents and evidence suggests that over a fifth of
residents were born outside the UK. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Slough has a highly
transient population (with migrants attracted by the relatively low cost of living and
availability of jobs). Whilst it is difficult to measure population transience, anecdotal
evidence suggests the presence of local communities of Eastern European, Somalian and
Sudanese residents. It is important that research is undertaken to understand this new
population in more detail.
xxv. Whilst theoretically the East Berkshire economy has a large labour pool of working age
residents to draw on, the extent to which these are work ready is dictated by levels of skills
and economic activity. Across East Berkshires functional economic geography area, there are
over half a million economically active residents and over quarter of a million working age
residents with Level 4 or higher qualification – a significant pool of highly skilled labour.
xxvi. Despite this overall position of strength, labour market characteristics within East Berkshire
vary significantly – with RBWM typically performing above the regional average and Slough
at or below it.
xxvii. In Slough, a relatively high proportion of residents have no qualifications and a relatively low
proportion have degree level or higher qualification. This has implications in terms of the
types of occupations that Slough residents are employed in – typically occupations requiring
lower levels of skills than is average regionally. Significantly, the occupational and skills
profile of Slough residents contrasts sharply with the profile of jobs available in the Borough
itself, typically requiring higher levels of skills
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Occupation Profile of the Slough Residents and Workforce, 2009
Note: The occupation groupings set out above refer to the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 2000 – a full definition of each of these codes is available at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/nsbase/methods_quality/ns_sec/soc2000.asp
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
xxviii. Perhaps partly reflecting this imbalance, levels of economic activity and unemployment are
lower in Slough than is average sub‐regionally and regionally. Local economic inactivity and
unemployment rates have also risen at a higher rate than average over the recessionary
period. Economic inactivity rates are particularly high in Slough for females – likely to reflect
cultural characteristics of certain ethnic groups. Helping local people access local jobs will
clearly remain a core challenge going forward. More positive indicators for future
performance locally include strong secondary school performance in the Borough and strong
levels of young people progressing to higher education.
xxix. RBWM is home to a highly skilled population. The proportion of residents with no
qualifications is well below the regional average, whilst at the other end of the spectrum a
high proportion of residents are qualified to the highest levels. Reflecting this, RBWM
residents are typically employed in more highly skilled occupations than is average across
the region.
xxx. Whilst levels of economic inactivity and unemployment rose during the recessionary period,
on average these rates stand significantly below the rates seen in comparator areas and
across the region. Despite overall strong performance, however, it is important to note that
labour market challenges continue to exist amongst certain groups and communities in
RBWM – it is important that Borough wide averages do not mask such local variations. One
labour market challenge regards improving take up of local leisure and hospitality jobs
amongst local residents – a current area of focus for policy intervention through the Grow
our Own project.
xxxi. Underpinning the performance of the East Berkshire economy and the local labour market
are dynamics and dependencies which transcend local authority boundaries. Most
significant are travel to work patterns. There is a daily net inflow of commuters to East
Berkshire of over 16,000, whilst (as suggested by the Slough skills mismatch described
above) within East Berkshire there is a net movement of people from RBWM to Slough.
48%
33%
18%
41%
36%
21%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Higher Skilled Occupations Intermediate Skilled Occupations Lower Skileld Occupations
Proportion of those in Employm
ent
Slough Workplace Slough Residents
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Commuting Patterns
Source: Origin Destination Statistics, 2001 Census, ONS
Quality of Life and Social Inclusion in East Berkshire
xxxii. Analysis of a variety of quality of life indicators suggests that – as with the labour market –
there is disparity in performance between Slough and RBWM.
xxxiii. Quality of life levels in Slough partly reflect the labour market characteristics described
previously. On average earnings for residents are significantly below those seen in
comparator areas and are below the regional average. Pockets of deprivation exist in Slough
– particularly in the Chalvey, Britwell and Foxborough areas of the Borough and particularly
in relation to employment, income and crime. Local crime rates remain above those seen in
comparator areas, and there is an even strong perception / fear of crime amongst local
residents. The local housing market is a particular issue for Slough – with anecdotal evidence
suggesting a relatively low quality housing stock compared to neighbouring area and high
levels of household overcrowding and HMOs. Perhaps reflecting a combination of these
indicators, and the overall desirability of the area as a place to live, house prices in Slough
remain significantly below those seen in neighbouring areas and across the region.
xxxiv. In RBWM, quality of life is generally perceived to be strong. Concentrations of relative
multiple deprivation are fewer and generally less severe than in Slough, and the Borough
generally performs well across a range of health and crime indicators. Reflecting the overall
highly skilled nature of the Borough’s residents, average earnings are significantly higher
than in Slough and than those seen regionally. The image and perceptions of RBWM as a
prestigious place to live and the presence of an overall high quality housing stock contribute
strongly to these trends. Housing, however, is also an issue locally – given the quality of the
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stock and the environment, prices are typically well above regional averages, with strong
implications in terms of affordability. The potential for housing market growth is also
problematic locally.
xxxv. Despite the overall disparity in performance between the two Boroughs, it is important that
the two areas are not viewed as separate entities. Quality of life indicators underpin the
labour market and economic characteristics covered in the previous chapters.
Towards Sustainable Economic Growth in East Berkshire
xxxvi. The physical environment and infrastructure play a critical role in shaping local social and
economic performance.
xxxvii. As discussed previously, the high quality natural and physical environment in RBWM is a
contributing factor in ensuring that the Borough is perceived as a desirable place to live. The
image attached to Slough in this respect is less strong.
xxxviii. However, these physical characteristics also have an impact in terms of the potential for
future development in East Berkshire. In RBWM, numerous development constraints exist
(including the Special Protection Area, the Flood Plain, the green belt and the historic
environment) which mean opportunities for future commercial and office developments are
limited. In Slough, the main constraint is the boundaries of the Borough – there is seemingly
little potential for further urban growth and ‘creep’ into neighbouring areas. These factors
are potentially important in terms of future economic performance.
xxxix. Despite development constraints, efforts to enhance image of place and achieve urban
renewal are underway throughout East Berkshire. In Maidenhead – one area of RBWM
which has experienced declining town centre performance in recent years – the
establishment of PROM and the local area action plan targets future physical development
which will revitalise the town centre. In Slough, physical renewal is being sought through the
Heart of Slough scheme which is looking to provide new facilities for the town and ultimately
improve the image of place.
xl. Aside from the natural environment, physical infrastructure also plays a core role in East
Berkshire’s economic performance. The area has strong connectivity to locations throughout
the South East of England and the world (via Heathrow), helped by proximity to major
motorways and important rail links. There are also several opportunities for the area going
forward in this respect – with infrastructure developments such as Crossrail and the
proposed western access to Heathrow likely to reinforce the attraction of the area to both
employers and employees.
xli. Efforts to achieve future economic growth in East Berkshire – and indeed the design of
specific socio‐economic interventions that target growth – will need to be set firmly in the
context of a wider strategy to achieve greater levels of environmental sustainability. The
industrial nature of the Slough economy means that current levels of commercial emissions
are high. Future growth may include the targeted development of the environmental
technologies sector, especially on the basis of servicing the needs of the local population.
Simultaneously, it is important to consider the environmental impact of the lack of labour
market containment in the local economy. The scale of the commuter flows across East
Berkshire and the wider sub region – as a result of transport connections and resultant
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location of jobs – have significant environmental implications. Whilst the size of the available
labour market is one of the areas core strengths, if future economic growth is to be sought
in a sustainable manner, focus will need to be placed on improving levels of labour market
containment. In practise, this will mean continuing to work with employers to highlight the
benefit of employing local people and working with residents to ensure that they have the
right skills set to enter local employment.
Linkages and Dependencies Underpinning Economic and Social Performance in East Berkshire
xlii. The economic and social characteristics of East Berkshire are underpinned by numerous
dependencies, linkages and dynamics which operate across a range of geographical scales.
Together, these flows define East Berkshire’s Functional Economic Geography and dictate
how the area is actually experienced by business, residents and visitors alike. Some of the
most important flows are described below:
Labour Market flows – At its very core, the East Berkshire economy is underpinned
by significant travel to work movements – existing both internally within East
Berkshire, but also transcending the area’s boundaries. The strength of the local
economy is built upon the availability of highly skilled labour. In total East Berkshire
and its neighbouring local authorities provides a labour pool of over half a million
economically active residents and over quarter of a million working age residents
qualified to degree level or higher. The willingness of residents to travel to work
(combined with quality of life factors) and the demand for suitable employees
means that in practice, local authority boundaries are largely disregarded by
businesses and the workforce alike.
The dependencies which exist within East Berkshire are best illustrated through
consideration of Slough. Slough’s strong local economy is dependent upon the
supply of highly skilled labour from surrounding local authority areas. Without the
presence of this, the area would struggle to retain and attract investment. However,
it is also important to note that the areas providing the highly skilled labour – areas
such as RBWM – are currently dependent upon Slough to provide suitable jobs for
their residents. In the absence of these, highly skilled and mobile residents would
move elsewhere. It is a two way dependency. On the flip side, a high number of
lower skilled Slough residents commute out of the Borough to work – to locations
such as Heathrow. As such, the future wellbeing of Slough and its residents is
dependent upon the continuing provision of jobs in other areas.
Leisure flows – leisure flows play an important role in defining local economic
performance in East Berkshire. This is especially relevant in terms of RBWM’s visitor
economy. It is estimated that 6.3 million day trips and 602,000 overnight trips were
made to RBWM in 2008. It is estimated that the local visitor economy supports
around 5,900 FTE jobs in the Borough (equating to 7,935 actual jobs) and business
turnover of around £511.4 million. The demography of visitors varies significantly.
RBWM’s tourist attractions attract visitors from across the UK and from locations
across the world. Business tourism is a strength in Windsor, Maidenhead and Ascot
– also attracts visitors from across the UK.
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However, there are also a number of more local flows that are important to
acknowledge. Retail flows vary throughout East Berkshire – anecdotally Windsor has
a successful and high end retail offer which attract visitors from a relatively wide
region. Maidenhead and Slough town centres currently act more as local service
centres for the local population. On the flip side, a number of successful shopping
locations outside East Berkshire – including Reading and High Wycombe – result in
movements out of the area. The night time economy also results in movements of
people across East Berkshire. Again, Windsor is perceived to have a relatively strong
offer in this respect, attracting people from a relatively wide area. This is less the
case in Slough and Maidenhead.
Service flows – Service provision also results in significant flows of people within
and across East Berkshire. This is especially the case in terms of education – in
Slough for example, the presence of a number of strongly performing schools results
in the daily movement of pupils into the area. Other flows result from the location of
further and adult education facilities within the area. Meanwhile, the lack of a major
HE presence results in large outflows of young people. In Slough, anecdotal evidence
suggests that this often happens on a daily basis – students in many communities
continue to live at home whilst attending university in London. Other service flows in
East Berkshire include those relating to health – dictated by the location of GP and
Hospital facilities.
xliii. These flows are underpinned by a number of overarching factors which ultimately define
why and how these movements are played out:
The Location of Business and Demand for Labour – Many of the dynamics affecting
East Berkshire are dictated by the locational decisions of businesses and hence the
demand for employment. Whilst there are four main employment centres in East
Berkshire – Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead town centres and the Slough Trading
Estate – the types of activity vary in each of these locations. As discussed previously,
the Slough Trading Estate is typically characterised by higher value added activities –
and hence typically demands relatively high skills levels from its workforce. As a
result, the Slough Trading Estate acts as a strong ‘pull’ for labour from across the sub
region. Similarly, the presence of a concentration of lower skilled jobs at locations
outside East Berkshire such as Heathrow, acts as a strong pull for Slough residents
with lower skills levels. These labour market flows highlight the important
dependencies which exist across a relatively wide geographical area.
Quality of Life factors – Quality of life factors play an important role in defining East
Berkshire’s functional economic geographies. As discussed previously, East Berkshire
and the wider area is characterised by multiple labour market linkages and
dependencies which underpin the functioning of the local economy. Quality of life
factors also underpin these dependencies, with relatively highly skilled and affluent
residents attracted to live in locations such as RBWM by the high quality living
environment, strong housing quality and prestigious image of the area. By contrast,
Slough – perceived to offer a lower quality of life and lower quality housing stock – is
characterised by the presence of lower skilled and less affluent residents. The
comparatively low cost living locally (combined with the location and the availability
of jobs) has also made Slough an appealing and to convenient gateway to the
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country for migrants. As this suggests, housing markets play a particularly important
role in defining sub‐regional dynamics – and as such, going forward, how housing
markets operate and change will help to shape local economic performance. Under
increasing pressures from competing locations across the globe, existing competitive
advantages of the local economy will need to be maximised. In East Berkshire, the
strong local economy will to a certain extent depend upon the local labour market
being retained and enhanced. However, the extent to which this can be achieved
will depend upon the ability of the local area to accommodate population and
housing growth. As discussed in later, there exist significant constraints in this
respect across East Berkshire.
The Physical Environment and Infrastructure – East Berkshire’s proximity to
Heathrow and London and strong transport infrastructure, make the area attractive
to businesses (enabling supply chain and more general business linkages) and
facilitate the labour market flows and dynamics described previously. The physical
environment itself is a strong contributing factor to the perceived high quality of life
in the area. Going forward, these factors will become increasingly important in the
functioning of the local economy. As discussed previously, given increasing pressures
from competing locations across the globe, existing competitive advantages of the
local economy will need to be maximised. In East Berkshire, the strong local
economy will to a certain extent depend upon strong physical linkages and
infrastructure being retained and enhanced. Challenges exist in this respect. Local
road and rail infrastructure is already operating close to capacity, whilst well
documented challenges remain accommodating future capacity growth at Heathrow
airport. Significant challenges also exist around future physical development activity
in East Berkshire. Development constraints affect both Slough (there is limited scope
for the urban area to expand naturally given the Borough’s tight boundaries) and
RBWM (a combination of green belt, flooding and conservation constraints) – and
are likely to have a real impact future provision of housing and business
accommodation.
xliv. Fully recognising the scale and nature of the trends described above is a key process in
understanding local economic performance.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment (LEA) ●
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2. Introduction
What is the East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment
2.1 Regeneris Consulting was commissioned to carry out the East Berkshire Local Economic
Assessment (LEA), which encompasses the Slough Borough Council and Royal Borough of
Windsor and Maidenhead areas.
2.2 This document draws together a wide range of data and information in order to understand
the key issues for the East Berkshire economy and to inform activities which can address
these going forward. This document will be an important tool in informing strategy
documents compiled by both local authorities and partners. It will also inform priorities
determined by the recently established Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP),
which includes Slough Borough Council, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead,
Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough and Wokingham Councils.
2.3 This document has been produced at an important time economically and politically. The
recent recession has had a profound effect on the UK economy. Furthermore, political
changes with the Coalition government coming to power will create a number of
opportunities and challenges. Recent changes include the abolishment of Regional
Development Agencies and a move towards ‘localism’ with the Thames Valley LEP being
responsible for economic development in the future. Further changes are yet to be made
clear. Nevertheless, this LEA document provides an opportunity to consider the
opportunities for the East Berkshire area in the light of this change.
2.4 The East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment builds on a number of stages of work, which
can be summarised as follows:
Collection and review of data: data has been gathered from a range of sources,
including nationally held data sets (such as BRES, NOMIS) and from a range of
organisations consulted to inform this study (including data held by the local
authority, together with Job Centre Plus and Connexions).
Consultation with stakeholders: we have consulted widely with internal
stakeholders, that is representatives within Slough Borough Council and the Royal
Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. In addition, we have spoken to local
authorities within East Berkshire’s Functional Economic Area. Finally, we have
consulted with a range of partners.
Consultation with businesses: we have consulted with key firms which are located
within the Slough Borough Council and Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
local authority areas. As well as face‐to‐face and telephone discussions, a short web
survey was compiled and businesses were given an opportunity to respond to this.
2.5 This outline methodology is outlined in more detail below.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment (LEA) ●
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Developing a Local Economic Assessment for East Berkshire
Key Geographies of Analysis
2.6 This report provides analysis of performance for a number of different geographical areas.
These are summarised in the table below.
Figure 2‐1: Merton Local Economic Assessment: Geographies for Analysis
East Berkshire Geographies Wider Geographies
Sub‐Regional Analysis East Berkshire Thames Valley LEP area
Borough Analysis
Slough Borough
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM)
Bracknell Forest
Wycombe
Spelthorne
South Bucks
Reading
London Borough of Hounslow
London Borough of Hillingdon
Sub‐Borough Analysis
Slough Town Centre
Slough Trading Estate
Maidenhead Town Centre
Windsor and Eton Town Centre
Basingstoke
High Wycombe
Hounslow
Reading
Uxbridge
NOTE: The Sub‐Borough economic areas listed are defined according to Super Output Areas. Detailed definitions of each sub‐Borough geography used in the local economic assessment can be found in Appendix B.
East Berkshire Geographies
2.7 East Berkshire’s performance is assessed at a number of different geographical scales in
order to achieve a detailed understanding of the spatial characteristics of local performance.
2.8 As set out in Figure 2‐1, data relevant to East Berkshire is considered at three main
geographical levels:
East Berkshire Level – comprising Slough and RBWM together
Borough Level – consideration of Slough and RBWM performance separately
Sub‐Borough Level – Analysis of the socio‐economic characteristics of East
Berkshire’s four main ‘economic areas’ – Slough Town Centre, Slough Trading Estate,
Maidenhead Town Centre, and Windsor and Eton Town Centre – helps to establish
an understanding of the socio‐economic dynamics taking place within the Borough.
These economic areas have been defined according to boundaries set out in local
documents and after discussion with local officers. Full geographical definitions of
the boundaries of these economic areas can be found in Appendix B. It is important
to note that analysis at a sub‐Borough level is dependent upon data availability and
thus is not possible for all socio‐economic indicators.
2.9 Where necessary, GIS mapping is used to assess variations in performance at a more local
level, and to assess performance outside the four main economic centres.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment (LEA) ●
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Wider Geographies
2.10 East Berkshire’s performance is also assessed in relation to the performance of wider
geographies. There are two important rationales for this approach –
Analysis of wider geographies – from the very local level to the regional and national
levels – is an important means by which to benchmark and compare East Berkshire’s
performance, ultimately helping to put local performance into context.
A key area of focus for this Local Economic Assessment is gaining an understanding
of the functionality of East Berkshire’s economy, identifying the economic linkages
and dynamics within the area but also with wider geographies. Whilst there can be
no one definition of a Functional Economic Area, for the purpose of analysis this has
been provisionally defined to include the boroughs of Slough, RBWM, Hillingdon,
Hounslow, Spelthorne, Wycombe and South Buckinghamshire. These areas are
referred to throughout this report in order to achieve as detailed an understanding
as possible of the economic and social dynamics affecting East Berkshire.
Quantitative Data Sources and Analysis
Quantitative Data Sources
2.11 The analysis presented in the following chapters draws upon a range of data sources,
including:
The Business Register and Employment Survey / Annual Business Inquiry
Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings
Annual Population Survey/Labour Force Survey
Travel to Work data from Census 2001
Index of Multiple Deprivation
Additional data from NOMIS, BIS, DfE, DEFRA, Thames Valley Police and National
Statistics
Data Analysis Techniques
2.12 A number of data analysis techniques are used throughout the local economic assessment to
ensure that a detailed understanding of all indicators is established.
2.13 Where possible, focus is placed on trend analysis. In order to fully understand current trends
and establish possible trends for the future, it is necessary to establish what has happened in
the past. In this economic analysis section we have identified historic data for analysis as
relevant. While this varies across the publication‐frequency and back catalogues of different
data sets we have tried to obtain and analyse information at least from 2002 and ideally over
a longer timescale where data allows.
2.14 Emphasis is also placed on Location Quotient analysis. A location quotient (LQ) is a
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment (LEA) ●
Page 17
measurement of the concentration of a certain industry in a location compared to a larger
area, whether regional or national. A result greater than one indicates a higher than
regional/national average concentration, while a figure below one would indicate a less than
average concentration. A result of one indicates parity.
2.15 Where relevant, GIS Mapping is used to present data. GIS Mapping is a very useful tool to
present data in an easily accessible format. Where it adds value we have included maps to
illustrate clustering of activity or other important indicators.
Other Sources of Information used for Analysis
Stakeholder and Business Consultation
2.16 In addition to the range of quantitative indictors, Local Economic Assessments also need to
reflect consultation with a range of locally and regionally significant stakeholders. As such,
consultation with the key stakeholders in East Berkshire (and where relevant wider areas)
has played an integral role in the development of the local economic assessment and the
main issues and concerns highlighted by these are considered throughout. We have
consulted with both businesses and stakeholders and a full list is provided in Appendix C.
The Data Sources ‐ Caveats
2.17 A diverse range of data sources are used throughout the analysis and the very latest
available data has been accessed. Despite this, it is important to note that each dataset
varies in terms of how ‘current’ the latest available data actually is. For example, whilst
statistics on Claimant Count provide data up to Spring 2011, the latest available data for the
Business Register and Employment Survey is for 2009.
2.18 Given such variations in the currency of the main datasets, it necessary to apply caution in
data analysis and interpretation. This is especially the case given the recent downturn in the
UK economy and the important ongoing socio‐economic consequences that are being
experienced at every geographical level. In cases where data is not available for the most
recent timeframes (as is the case with employment and business data), the use of qualitative
information is all the more important in helping to build a picture of how macro‐economic
forces are affecting local economic performance – as such, insight gained from stakeholder
consultation and other sources forms a key part of analysis throughout this LEA document.
2.19 It is also important to proceed with care when using data portraying trends at small
geographical scales. Ward and Super Output Area level statistics typically deal with relatively
low numbers as a result of low populations. When such small numbers are under
consideration, statistical trends are extremely volatile and can, for example, can be affected
by one off events. Care has been taken throughout therefore to ensure that all trends at the
sub‐local level have been analysed with care and attention.
2.20 Further caution is needed in the analysis of local level data from the Annual Business Inquiry
(ABI). Data confidentiality rules specify that the identity of all individuals / businesses
participating in the survey must be protected. There are a number of key points associated
with this which are of high relevance to the analysis presented in this Local Economic
Assessment:
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment (LEA) ●
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As specified by ABI conditions of use, all ABI data used in the assessment is
presented rounded to the nearest one hundred
The need to protect the identity of individual participants in the ABI is particularly
relevant at local levels and in niche industries. As such, on occasion, ABI stipulates
that individual pieces of data relating to specific locations or industries cannot be
disclosed for reasons of confidentially. On these occasions, the data is presented in
the analysis as N/A. Typically, N/A would suggest a relatively low number /
occurrence of the chosen indicator in that particular location.
Local Economic Assessment Structure
2.21 The remainder of this document is set out under the following headings:
Section 2: Wealth Generation in East Berkshire
Section 3: Employment in East Berkshire
Section 4: Business Base, Innovation, R&D and Supply Chains
Section 5: East Berkshire’s Labour Market
Section 6: Social Inclusion and Quality of Life in East Berkshire
Section 7: Sustainable Economic Growth in East Berkshire
Section 8: Conclusions and SWOT
2.22 This document should be read alongside a separate but accompanying document called the
‘East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment: A Strategic Response’, which sets out our
recommendations on the response required in order to address the issues set out in this
document.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
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3. Wealth Generation in East Berkshire
3.1 This chapter provides an overview of recent headline economic performance and wealth
generation for Berkshire as a whole as GVA data is not available for East Berkshire in
isolation. The analysis draws on a detailed interrogation of ONS GVA data and highlights key
messages about the structure and performance of the Berkshire’s economy in relation to key
national, regional and local comparator areas and highlights the key strengths and
weaknesses of Hertfordshire’s economy.
Wealth Generation – Key Characteristics
Berkshire is one of the UK’s largest economic areas and is a key driver of wealth generation in the South East region accounting for 15% of the region’s total GVA output in 2008.
Berkshire’s GVA per worker of £58,120 is more than £10,000 per worker greater than the England average, suggesting a very high value economy. On average, Berkshire’s GVA per worker has increased by 5% each year since 1998, compared to 4% nationally.
The rate of GVA growth in Berkshire has consistently outstripped national and regional comparators for the past ten years, widening the gap in GVA performance.
Berkshire’s economy is underpinned by a strong and well established business services and finance sector. Two out of every five pounds of Berkshire’s GVA is created by this sector, which accounts for 42% of total GVA in Berkshire compared to just 34% nationally.
The relative wealth of Berkshire is evident in its high gross disposable household income which remains more than £2,600 per head greater than the national average.
GVA projections for Berkshire suggest that growth will continue and that Berkshire’s contribution
to regional GVA will become more important. GVA is projected to increase from its 2006 level of £22,580 million (13% of South East GVA) to £35,307 million (20% of the South East’s GVA) by 2026.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 20
Berkshire has a high value economy…
3.3 Berkshire is one of the UK’s largest economic areas and is a key driver of wealth generation
in the South East region accounting for 15% of the region’s total GVA output in 2008. Figure
3‐1 shows the top 20 areas in the UK in terms of total GVA production; Berkshire is ranked
seventh overall and fourth of all areas outside of London.
Figure 3‐1: Total GVA 2008 – top 20 NUTS 3 areas
Source: GVA data – ONS, Headline1 Gross Value Added (GVA)2,3 by NUTS3 area at current basic prices by region.
3.4 Berkshire’s strong GVA performance is linked to the absolute volume of economic activity in
the county but, as Table 3‐1 shows the structure of Berkshire’s economy also plays a strong
role in wealth generation. Berkshire’s GVA per worker is substantially greater than the South
East average (which itself, is larger than the England average). Berkshire’s high level of GVA
per worker suggests a concentration of high value employment in the county.
Table 3‐1: Overall Economic Performance (2008)
Area Total GVA (£millions)
GVA per head GVA per worker % change in total GVA 1998‐2007
England £1,083,290 £21,050 £47,240 99%
South East £181,440 £21,680 £48,670 107%
Berkshire £26,860 £31,900 £58,120 136%
Sources: GVA data – ONS, Headline1 Gross Value Added (GVA)2,3 by NUTS3 area at current basic prices by
region. Population Estimates – ONS, mid‐year population estimates. Workers – ONS, Annual Business Inquiry.
.…and is growing much faster than the England average
3.5 As well as being amongst the largest centres in the UK in terms of GVA in absolute terms,
Berkshire’s rate of GVA growth has consistently outstripped that of the South East and
England growing by 136% between 1998 and 2008 (almost 30 percentage points more than
the regional average). The area’s consistently greater rates of GVA growth over the past ten
years has helped Berkshire to widen the gap between its GVA performance and regional and
national comparators.
119,500
64,400
41,100
32,250
28,000
26,850
26,850
26,000
24,250
23,900
22,650
21,550
20,200
19,450
17,850
16,900
16,300
15,700
15,500
15,400
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000Inner London ‐West
Inner London ‐East
Outer London ‐West and …
Greater Manchester South
Surrey
Ham
pshire CC
Berkshire
Hertfordshire
Essex CC
Kent CC
Outer London ‐East and …
Outer London ‐South
Birmingham
Lancashire CC
Leeds
Glasgow City
Edinburgh, City of
West Sussex
Greater Manchester North
Tyneside
2008 GVA (£ millions)
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 21
3.6 Berkshire’s GVA per worker has increased steadily along with the national and regional GVA
per worker. The rate of increase has accelerated in recent years, widening the gap between
Berkshire’s GVA per worker and that of England as a whole. Berkshire’s GVA per worker has
increased by an average of 5% each year since 1998 (compared to 4% nationally).
Figure 3‐2: Indexed change in total GVA (1995 = 100)
Sources: GVA data – ONS, Headline1 Gross Value Added (GVA)2,3 by NUTS3 area at current basic prices by
region. Population Estimates – ONS, mid‐year population estimates. Workers – ONS, Annual Business Inquiry.
3.7 There is also some indication that Berkshire’s economy may have been less badly affected by
the economic slowdown than elsewhere (although as the data only extends to 2008 it only
captures the beginning of the slowdown). Nationally and regionally, the rate of GVA per
worker growth slowed by two percentage points between 2007 and 2008, while in Berkshire
GVA per worker remained constant. This suggests that Berkshire retained its higher value
employment base in the early stages of the economic slowdown (although this is no
50
100
150
200
250
1 995
1 996
1 997
1 998
1 999
2 000
2 001
2 002
2 003
2 004
2 005
2 006
2 007
2008
Indexed change
in GVA (1995 = 100)
England South East Berkshire
£10,000
£20,000
£30,000
£40,000
£50,000
£60,000
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
GVA (£s)
GVA per head and GVA per worker
England ‐ GVA per head England ‐ GVA per worker
South East ‐ GVA per head South East ‐ GVA per worker
Berkshire GVA per head Berkshire ‐GVA per worker
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 22
guarantee that there has not been a substantial impact since).
Business services and finance is a core sector…
3.8 Berkshire’s economy is underpinned by a strong and well established business services and
finance sector. Two out of every five pounds of Berkshire’s GVA is created by this sector,
which accounts for 42% of total GVA in Berkshire compared to just 34% nationally. The
heavy weighting of Berkshire’s GVA output towards business services and finance is a
combination of the high GVA nature of much of the activity in this sector as well as the very
high volume and concentration of employment and business activity within Berkshire’s
economy.
Table 3‐2: GVA by broad sector (2008)
Sector England South East Berkshire
GVA (£ millions)
% of total
GVA (£ millions)
% of total
GVA (£ millions)
% of total
Business services & finance £373,350 34% £63,600 35% £11,250 42%
Distrib, transport & comms £249,250 23% £39,900 22% £4,000 15%
Public administration £239,100 22% £43,150 24% £7,050 26%
Production £145,350 13% £21,650 12% £3,100 12%
Construction £68,250 6% £11,950 7% £1,400 5%
Agri, forestry and fishing £8,000 1% £1,150 1% £50 0%
Total £1,083,300 100% £181,450 100% £26,850 100%
Source: GVA data – ONS, Headline1 Gross Value Added (GVA)2,3 by NUTS3 area at current basic prices by region.
3.9 The high value nature of Berkshire’s economy if further underlined by the much smaller
proportion of Berkshire’s GVA that is generated by lower value activities such as distribution,
transport and communications (which includes retail). This sector accounts for just 15% of
Berkshire’s GVA, compared to almost a quarter (23%) nationally.
…and its share of GVA production has been growing
3.10 In keeping with the national trend, Berkshire’s economy has seen an increase in the
importance of business services and finance alongside a movement away from
manufacturing and other forms of production. This is underlined in Figure 3‐3 which shows
the percentage point change in the proportion of total GVA accounted for by each section
between 1998 and 2008.
3.11 The share of Berkshire’s GVA generated by business services and finance increased by four
percentage points (to 42% of the total) in this ten year period. Although this was a smaller
shift than nationally or regionally, this is partly a reflection of the head start Berkshire had in
these industries; This sector’s current share of national GVA (34%) is yet to catch up with the
proportion of Berkshire’s GVA that was created by finance and business services in 1998.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 23
Figure 3‐3: Change in proportion of total GVA accounted for by broad sectors (1998‐2008)
Source: GVA data – ONS, Headline1 Gross Value Added (GVA)2,3 by NUTS3 area at current basic prices by region.
Increased productivity and employment has driven GVA growth…
3.12 Berkshire is clearly a strong performer in terms of wealth generation and there is evidence
of a high value economy. While Berkshire’s recent GVA growth has been down to a
combination of absolute increases in activity (i.e. employment) and productivity
improvements, there is evidence to suggest that improvements in productivity have played
the largest role in driving up Berkshire’s GVA.
3.13 Figure 3‐4 plots the relationship between GVA change and increases/decreases in total
employment between 2003 and 2008 for all NUTS3 areas in the UK. These is clearly a
positive relationship overall with absolute increases in employment driving a corresponding
increase in total GVA in most areas although the strength of this relationship differs between
areas. In Berkshire, GVA increased by c. 16% overall between 2003 and 2008 (once data had
been adjusted into a constant price base) amongst the largest increases of all the areas. In
the same period, the number of jobs increased by just under 8%. This suggests that some of
Berkshire’s recent growth has been down to increases in productivity alongside absolute
changes in employment and activity i.e. that a sizeable proportion of the jobs created in this
period were high value added.
‐8.2%
‐1%
0%
1%
2%
7%
‐6.8%
‐1%
0%
1%
2%
4%
‐7%
1%
0%
1%
0%
3.7%
‐10% ‐5% 0% 5% 10%
Production
Distribution, transport and communication
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Construction
Public Admin
Business Services and finance
Change in % total GVA accounted for by sector Berkshire South East England
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 24
Figure 3‐4: Change in GVA and growth in employment (2003‐2008) for all UK NUTS 3 areas
Source: GVA data – ONS, Headline1 Gross Value Added (GVA)2,3 by NUTS3 area at current basic prices by region
and employment data from Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) ©
Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
Note: Annual GVA figures have been adjusted to 2008 prices using HM Treasury annual GDP deflators
3.14 This may be linked to sectoral trends in GVA per worker over recent years. Figure 3‐5 shows
that in all sectors apart from construction, Berkshire’s GVA per worker is markedly higher
than the nationally or regionally. In particular, Berkshire’s GVA per worker in the production
sector (which includes manufacturing) has grown rapidly over recent years and far
outstripped the national and regional rates. The current GVA per worker in this sector is
£87,000 (£28,000 per worker more than the national average and almost £20,000 per
worker more than the regional average). This extremely high GVA per job in the production
sector is most likely related to the presence of high value, advanced manufacturing (such as
pharmaceuticals and medical instruments).
Sefton
Surrey
Solihull
Cambridgeshire CC
Essex CC
Inner London West
Inner London East
Berkshire
Edinburgh
Falkirk
Shetland Islands
‐10%
‐5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
‐15% ‐10% ‐5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
% increase in GVA
% increase in employment
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 25
Figure 3‐5: Relationship between GVA change and Employment Change: GVA per employee (1998 – 2007)
Source: GVA data – ONS, Headline1 Gross Value Added (GVA)2,3 by NUTS3 area at current basic prices by region and employment
data from Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is
reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
Very high levels of disposable household income…
3.15 The relative wealth of Berkshire is clearly evident in its high gross disposable household
income per head (£17,550). While the increase in disposable household income per head
between 2003 and 2008 (15%) was slightly less than that occurring nationally during the
same period, Berkshire remains a long way ahead of the national average and has a gross
disposable household income more than £2,600 per head greater than the national average.
£20,000
£30,000
£40,000
£50,000
£60,000
£70,000
£80,000
£90,000
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
GVA
per employee (£)
All Industrial Groups
England South East Berkshire
£20,000
£30,000
£40,000
£50,000
£60,000
£70,000
£80,000
£90,000
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
GVA per employee (£)
Business Services and Finance
England South East Berkshire
£20,000
£30,000
£40,000
£50,000
£60,000
£70,000
£80,000
£90,000
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
GVA
per employee (£)
Construction
England South East Berkshire
£20,000
£30,000
£40,000
£50,000
£60,000
£70,000
£80,000
£90,000
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
GVA
per em
ployee (£)
Distribution, Transport and Communications
England South East Berkshire
£20,000
£30,000
£40,000
£50,000
£60,000
£70,000
£80,000
£90,000
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
GVA per em
ployee (£)
Production
England South East Berkshire
£20,000
£30,000
£40,000
£50,000
£60,000
£70,000
£80,000
£90,000
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
GVA per employee
(£)
Public Admin, health and other services
England South East Berkshire
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 26
Table 3‐3: Gross Disposable Household Income
Total Gross Disposable Household Income
Gross Disposable Household Income per head
2008 (£millions)
% change 1998 ‐ 2008
% change 2003 ‐ 2008
2008 (£ per head)
% change 1998 – 2008
% change 2003 ‐ 2008
Berkshire 14 697 48% 20% 17 573 41% 15%
UK 913 964 53% 20% 14 889 45% 17%
South East Region 140 720 51% 19% 16 792 42% 15%
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
38 991 51% 20% 17 710 42% 15%
Surrey, East and West Sussex 48 284 51% 20% 18 168 43% 16%
Hampshire and Isle of Wight 27 956 49% 16% 15 025 41% 13%
Kent 25 489 55% 20% 15 354 45% 16%
Source: ONS, NUTS3.2 Headline1 gross disposable household income (and income per head) at current basic prices
3.16 Figure 3‐6 provides some indication of how far ahead of the regional and national averages
Berkshire is on this indicator; although the rate of increase nationally is slightly greater than
in Berkshire, this has not had a marked impact on the gap.
Figure 3‐6: Gross Disposable Household Income per head 1994 – 2008
Source: ONS, NUTS3.2 Headline1 gross disposable household income per head at current basic prices
Future Prospects
3.17 GVA projections for Berkshire suggest that growth will continue and that East Berkshire’s
contribution to regional GVA will become more important. Economic projections suggest
that East Berkshire’s GVA will increase from its 2008 level of £7,640 million to £12,830
million by 2030. GVA per job is projected to increase within both Slough and RBWM, with a
notable acceleration in the pace of GVA per job increase in Slough after 2015.
£6
£8
£10
£12
£14
£16
£18
£20
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008Gross Disposible Household Income (£000s)
UK South East Region Berkshire
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 27
3.18 These projections are based on Cambridge Econometrics’ Integrated Policy Model which
projects GVA growth based on the codetermination of the locations between employment
and population. The model also factors in a range of industry, area and occupation specific
factors to ensure the model can reflect the primary social and economic drivers of location
decision of individual, families and firms.
Table 3‐4: GVA projections to 2030
UK Slough RBWM
2030 GVA
% change2008‐2030
2030 GVA
% change2008‐2030
2030 GVA
% change2008‐2030
Agriculture £7,500 3% £1 ‐19% £10 ‐11%
Mining & Quarrying £1,900 ‐45% £0 ‐49% £1 ‐48%
Manufacturing £169,300 14% £770 31% £230 0%
Electricity, Gas & Water £17,400 4% £70 ‐1% £1 0%
Construction £86,600 19% £260 18% £420 24%
Distribution, Hotels etc £270,600 56% £790 54% £910 65%
Transport & Communications £169,100 92% £1,450 101% £560 112%
Fin., Bus. & Other Mkt. Service £692,800 91% £2,680 83% £3,560 94%
Non‐Market Services £294,500 38% £500 32% £610 35%
Total £1,709,900 57% £6,520 65% £6,300 71%
Source: Cambridge Econometrics Integrated Policy Model
3.19 These projections suggest that high productivity sectors will continue to drive growth; East
Berkshire’s GVA is projected to increase by 68% overall between 2008 and 2030 while
employment will grow by c. 14% in the same period. The sectoral forecasts presented in
Figure 3‐7 and Table 3‐4 illustrate the anticipation that financial, businesses and other
market services will continue to be a core part of economic growth in both Slough and
Windsor and Maidenhead.
3.20 The forecasts suggest that growth in this sector will be particularly significant in RBWM and
will far outstrip the rate of increase in other sectors. It is expected that, like RBWM, Slough’s
financial, business and other market services sector will continue to provide the lion’s share
of the authority’s GVA but the rate of increase will not outstrip the other sectors as
markedly as in RBWM. The rate is expected to be broadly similar to that of the transport and
communications sector (which includes telecommunications, a key sector strength for
Slough).
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 28
Figure 3‐7: Sectoral GVA forecasts
Source: Cambridge Econometrics Integrated Policy Model
3.21 GVA per job is expected to continue to grow for East Berkshire as a whole, although the
increase in overall productivity in Slough looks set to be markedly larger than that
anticipated for RBWM. Between 2008 and 2030, it is anticipated that national GVA per job
will increase by 38%; RBWM’s projected increase of 39% compares favourably but is
outstripped significantly by the projected increase of 48% for Slough.
£0
£500
£1,000
£1,500
£2,000
£2,500
£3,000
£3,500
£4,000
1981
1986
1991
1996
2001
2006
2011
2016
2021
2026
£GVA in £ m
illion
Slough
Manufacturing Electricity, Gas & Water
Construction Distribution, Hotels etc
Transport & Communications Fin., Bus. & Other Mkt. Services
Non‐Market Services
£0
£500
£1,000
£1,500
£2,000
£2,500
£3,000
£3,500
£4,000
1981
1986
1991
1996
2001
2006
2011
2016
2021
2026
£GVA in £ m
illion
Windsor and Maidenhead
Manufacturing Electricity, Gas & Water
Construction Distribution, Hotels etc
Transport & Communications Fin., Bus. & Other Mkt. Services
Non‐Market Services
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 29
Table 3‐5: GVA per job projections to 2030
UK Slough RBWM
2030 GVA per job
% change2008‐2030
2030 GVA per
job
% change2008‐2030
2030 GVA per
job
% change2008‐2030
Agriculture £21 46% £14 43% £14 43%
Mining & Quarrying £45 7% £82 15% £82 15%
Manufacturing £79 56% £100 82% £100 82%
Electricity, Gas & Water £214 64% £240 59% £240 59%
Construction £39 25% £45 33% £45 33%
Distribution, Hotels etc £37 43% £42 45% £42 45%
Transport & Communications £84 84% £124 102% £124 102%
Fin., Bus. & Other Mkt. Service £61 37% £74 28% £72 28%
Non‐Market Services £31 14% £33 15% £33 15%
Total £48 38% £68 48% £59 39%
Source: Cambridge Econometrics Integrated Policy Model
3.22 This is largely due to Slough’s concentrations of employment in two key industries where
GVA per jobs is expected to increase significantly (manufacturing and transport and
communications). As Table 3‐5 shows, the model is based on assumptions about local GVA
per job in each of the broad sectors so sectoral GVA per jobs is the same in Slough and
RBWM. Slough’s existing concentrations of employment in very high GVA per job industries
means that the large increases expected in these sectors will result in a much larger overall
increase in Slough’s productivity.
Figure 3‐8: Projections for GVA per Job in Berkshire and Comparators
Source: Berkshire Observatory (2010) Berkshire, an economic forecast to 2026. http://www.berkshireobservatory.org/downloads/pdf/Berkshire‐An%20Economic%20Forecast.pdf
£0
£10
£20
£30
£40
£50
£60
£70
£80
1981
1986
1991
1996
2001
2006
2011
2016
2021
2026
GVA
per
wor
ker
UK South East Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 30
Summary and Policy Implications
3.23 Berkshire is evidently in a strong position with regard to wealth generation; it is amongst the
highest GVA areas in the UK and has a particularly high level of GVA per worker, owing to the
concentration of higher value sectors in the economy. Although GVA growth projections
suggest that Berkshire’s GVA will continue to grow and the area’s contribution to the South
East’s economy will increase, the projections also suggest that Berkshire will no longer be
setting the pace for GVA productivity in the region – Surrey and West Sussex are predicted
to overtake Berkshire in terms of GVA per job (although the difference between the three
area’s productivity will be marginal).
3.24 Key policy considerations with regard to wealth generation in Berkshire should include
Diversification of the economic base. Strong growth in GVA from business services
and finance has clearly been a source of much of the wealth generation in Berkshire,
although there may be signs that the area’s economy has become too specialised in,
and reliant upon, this sector. The impact of the recession on this sector is not yet
evident in GVA figures but the strong reliance on finance and business services
activity for wealth generation in the area may have left Berkshire particularly
vulnerable to recessionary impacts (it is already known that this sector was amongst
the hardest hit by the recession). Although it is a key wealth generator, there may
be a case for considering approaches to broadening East Berkshire’s economic base
to protect the area from sudden contractions in any one sector.
Maintain performance. It will be very important to avoid becoming complacent in
light of the recent strength of Berkshire’s economic performance. Global, as well as
national and local, drivers are becoming increasingly critical factors in local
economic performance. This is particularly true of sectors in which Berkshire has
specialisms (e.g. financial services and banking). As global competitive pressure on
these sectors looks set to increase, interventions should focus on nurturing and
protecting these successful industries as well as investing in growth industries such
as those associated with the low carbon economy.
Maintain Berkshire’s profile. New economies such as the BRIC countries will provide
opportunities for FDI flows into the region although the extent to which this occurs
in the short to medium term will depend to some extent on exchange rate
movements that, in turn, will be a function of UK Government monetary policy
focused primarily on supporting the UK economy out of the current recession. For
example, an ongoing suppression of the value of Sterling versus other global
currencies (especially the US dollar) may accelerate FDI from certain regions. As one
of the top wealth generating areas in the UK, Berkshire is a key driver of national
economic growth and partners should look to ensure the likely impact of national
policy on the area’s economy is understood and highlighted.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 31
4. Employment in East Berkshire
4.1 This chapter provides an overview of the size and structure of East Berkshire’s employment
base. The analysis draws on a detailed interrogation of key socio economic datasets and
highlights key messages about the sectoral structure of East Berkshire’s economy in relation
to key national, regional and local comparator areas, the geographic distribution of
employment and key sources of growth.
Employment – Key Characteristics
East Berkshire is a key source of employment in the Thames Valley Berkshire area; accounting for more than a third of the total for the LEP area. The volume of employment in East Berkshire is split fairly equally between Slough and RBWM with both supporting around 75,000 jobs.
Although employment levels have been unstable over recent years, East Berkshire’s economy has fared better than the TVB area as a whole (in which employment grew by only 1% overall between 2003 and 2008 compared to 2% in East Berkshire).
The key focal points for employment growth have been the western (more recently developed) side of Slough Trading Estate, areas to the south of Maidenhead and Clewer village.
East Berkshire’s job density of 0.9 is amongst the highest of the comparator areas and 0.2 jobs
per resident greater than the national and regional average. Slough’s job density is slightly (but not significantly) greater than RBWM’s.
There is a strong weighting towards full time work, with almost three quarters (73%) of the
workforce being in full time employment. This is largely related to the particular concentration of full time employment in Slough, where 78% of the employment is provided on a full time basis.
Windsor and Maidenhead has a particularly strong concentration of employment in small businesses with businesses with less than 10 employees accounting for 26% of jobs compared to 21% nationally (and just 14% in Slough). Conversely, Slough’s employment base is weighted more heavily towards larger employers; 35% of the borough’s jobs are in companies employing more than 200 people
Employment in East Berkshire is less dependent on the public sector than nationally – it accounts for 27% of employment nationally but is much less concentrated in East Berkshire where just 18% of employment is in the public sector. In Slough, the proportion is smaller still at 16%.
The employment base is dominated by higher value activities including
- Banking, finance and insurance. And particularly the higher value activities within this sector including IT and Software, business management and consultancy.
- Telecommunications. Employment is particularly focused around the Slough Trading Estate and employs more than 5,000 people across East Berkshire
- Manufacturing. Predominantly in Slough where there is strong representation of higher value manufacturing (e.g. pharmaceuticals / medical instruments) as well as more traditional manufacturing (e.g. confectionary).
- Tourism. Tourism employment is particularly important in RBWM with a key concentration in Windsor and Eton
Recent employment change has followed national trends i.e. employment in the public sector has increased, manufacturing employment has contracted (particularly in lower value sectors, although growth in higher value sectors has not been enough to maintain the overall size of the sector) and employment in banking, finance and insurance has increased.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 32
Key employment centres in Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead
4.2 Figure 4‐1 shows the distribution of employment across East Berkshire. The principal
concentrations of employment are in the area’s town centres (Slough, Windsor and Eton,
and Maidenhead) although (unsurprisingly) there is also a high concentration of
employment on Slough Trading Estate.
4.3 Outside of the key centres, there are some additional pockets of employment in RBWM,
particularly along the M4 corridor around Littlefield Green and adjacent to the A404 (just
south of Maidenhead town centre). There is also a notable concentration of employment
around Ascot and Cheapside.
Figure 4‐1: Distribution of employment in East Berkshire (2009)
Source: Business Register and Employment Survey, 2009. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is
reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO. Source: Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced
by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence
number 10001998
Recent instability in employment levels…
4.4 East Berkshire is a key source of employment in the Thames Valley Berkshire area;
accounting for more than a third of the total for the LEP area. The volume of employment in
East Berkshire is split fairly equally between Slough and RBWM with both supporting around
75,000 jobs as shown below.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 33
Table 4‐1 Summary of 2009 Employment in East Berkshire and Comparators
Employment Centres Local Authority Areas Wider Geographies
Area 2009 Employment Area 2009 Employment Area 2009 Employment
Slough Centre 18,500 Slough 80,800 East Berkshire 159,000
Slough Trading Estate 16,700 RBWM 78,200 Thames Valley LEP 473,000
Maidenhead Centre 12,600 Hillingdon 182,600 South East 3,913,400
Windsor and Eton Centre 12,200 Hounslow 125,500 Great Britain 27,970,900
Basingstoke Centre 16,800 Reading 96,100
High Wycombe Centre 16,200 South Bucks 34,200
Hounslow Centre 10,900 Spelthorne 37,600
Reading Centre 40,100 Wycombe 78,700
Uxbridge 17,300
Source: Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES)
4.5 It is important to understand trends in employment over time. However, there are
difficulties due to the fact that ABI data has been replaces by BRES data for 2008/09 (see
note below). We have therefore only been able to look at trends in employment between
2003 and 2008.
Understanding the impact of the recession on employment The replacement of the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI) with the Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES) introduces a discontinuity in the datasets that significantly affects analysis of recessionary impacts. This makes it difficult to identify the scale of impact of the recession on employment levels in East Berkshire. Methodological differences between the ABI data (which is available for 1998 – 2008) and the BRES data (available for 2008 and 2009) mean that trends between the two should not be compared. The timing of this discontinuity means that it is not possible to look at the impact of the recession on the number of jobs. As a result, there is a trade off in the analysis of employment levels and business numbers between having the most up to data figures (from BRES for 2009) and being able to analyse trends over the past 10 years (using ABI up to 2008). For the most part, the analysis presented in this chapter draws on ABI trend data but supplements this with BRES data for 2009 where appropriate.
4.6 Although employment grew overall between 2003 and 2008, the number of jobs in East
Berkshire has fluctuated significantly over recent years and the changes year to year have
affected the two boroughs in East Berkshire differently. While employment in RBWM
decreased by 1,600 between 2007 and 2008, Slough’s employment actually increased by
2,600. While this could be interpreted as suggesting a more resilient economy in Slough, it is
important to note that this recent growth was preceded by a substantial contraction in
employment between 2005 and 2007.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 34
Table 4‐2: East Berkshire Local Authorities and comparators ‐ Employment ‐ 2002‐2007 (000s)
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 % change 2003‐08
Slough 74.1 73.2 75.6 73.7 72.8 75.4 2%
Windsor & Maidenhead 73.0 75.7 75.0 74.0 76.6 75.0 3%
Hillingdon 168.4 178.7 181.4 183.4 187.4 188.6 12%
Hounslow 119.9 117.8 121.4 114.4 118.7 121.5 1%
Reading 99.0 102.2 98.4 93.3 98.7 97.3 ‐2%
South Bucks 29.1 29.5 29.0 28.5 30.8 31.1 7%
Spelthorne 39.9 38.9 41.0 37.9 37.3 36.6 ‐8%
Wycombe 83.8 88.1 83.8 75.8 75.7 75.9 ‐9%
East Berkshire 147.1 148.9 150.6 147.7 149.4 150.3 2%
TVB LEP area 390 390 390 385 397 394 1%
South East 3,600 3,630 3,730 3,640 3,700 3,730 3%
GB 25,550 25,900 26,330 26,170 26,420 26,490 4%
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
4.7 Employment levels have been unstable but East Berkshire’s economy has fared better than
the TVB area as a whole (in which employment grew by only 1% overall between 2003 and
2008 compared to 2% in East Berkshire). East Berkshire has also performed well in relation
to local comparators such as Spelthorne and Wycombe, both of which have seen very large
decreases in employment in the same period.
…and contraction of employment in town centres
4.8 Employment growth appears to have been occurring outside of East Berkshire’s main urban
areas. All of the town centres in East Berkshire have all seen a marked contraction in
employment. This has been particularly dramatic in Slough town centre where the 20%
reduction in employment equates to almost 4,000 jobs. This trend towards shrinking overall
employment levels in town centres has been reflected in some, but not all, comparator town
centres. For example, while High Wycombe centre has seen a particularly acute reduction in
employment (by almost a third) employment in Basingstoke town centre has increased by
14% and by 9% in Uxbridge.
Table 4‐3: East Berkshire town centres and comparators ‐ Employment (2002‐2007)
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 %
change 2002‐07
East Berkshire 147.1 148.9 150.6 147.7 149.4 150.3 2%
Slough Town Centre 18.9 18.8 17.1 14.5 15.0 15.1 ‐20%
Slough Trading Estate 17.4 17.1 17.7 16.8 15.3 16.6 ‐5%
Windsor and Eton 11.8 12.1 12.0 11.5 11.5 11.2 ‐5%
Maidenhead 16.1 16.6 15.4 14.8 17.1 15.0 ‐7%
Basingstoke 14.4 14.3 14.6 14.0 14.8 16.4 14%
High Wycombe 22.4 21.9 22.5 16.6 15.7 15.3 ‐32%
Hounslow 11.6 11.9 11.9 10.2 10.9 10.9 ‐6%
Reading 43.1 47.9 45.1 41.5 42.9 41.5 ‐4%
Uxbridge 16.2 17.4 17.6 16.5 14.4 17.6 9%
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 35
4.9 Figure 4‐2 and Figure 4‐3 show the geographical distribution of employment change in East
Berkshire in the last five years. The key focal points for growth have been the western
(more recently developed) side of Slough Trading Estate, areas to the south of Maidenhead
and Clewer village.
4.10 Loss of employment has evidently been focused on East Berkshire’s town centres (shown in
Figure 4‐3) although there has also been some considerable losses of employment in the
areas surrounding Maidenhead town centre and towards the south of the county around
Ascot and Cheapside. Although less in absolute terms than the declines in employment in
town centres, the losses of employment around Ascot actually represent a decrease of some
40% in the number of jobs in this area.
4.11 The large differences in trajectories of the two sides of the Slough Trading Estate are
notable. While employment on the more recently developed western side of the estate has
grown dramatically (by c.800 jobs between 2003 and 2008) there has been a sharp decline in
employment on the older, eastern side. These losses on the more established parts of the
trading estate have outstripped employment generated through new development on the
western side, leading to a net loss of 5% of employment across the Trading Estate as a
whole.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 36
Slough Trading Estate The Slough Trading Estate (STE) is Europe’s largest trading estate in single ownership and is one of East Berkshire’s central employment
hubs ‐ 22% of Slough’s employment is located on the Trading Estate.
As well as being a key employer in Slough, the trading estate is a key driver of economic growth across East Berkshire and the wider
South East. More than one in ten of East Berkshire’s jobs are located on the Trading Estate and it accounts for a large amount of the net
in commuting to Slough (c. 13,0001 in commuters to STE each day). Almost 2,500 residents of RBWM commute to the trading estate for
work.
STE supports a broad base of employment activities and there are key concentrations of employment in
Manufacturing: the 4,700 employees in the manufacturing sector represent 28% of the total employment on STE. This is almost three times the concentration of manufacturing employment as occurs nationally (the sector has an LQ of 2.8). Manufacture of confectionary is a core manufacturing sector, with Mars being a key anchor for this sector on the trading estate. There is also a concentration of employment in very high value sectors including manufacturing of pharmaceuticals (LQ = 9.1) and manufacture of medical and surgical equipment (LQ = 7.1).
Real estate, renting and business activities: Employment in this sector account for a quarter of STE’s total and is slightly more concentrated than nationally, with an LQ of 1.4. Key sectors include software consultancy and supply, which has grown by more than 50% since 2003 and labour / personnel recruitment.
Telecommunications: There is a key concentration of telecommunications employment of STE. The sector employs 1,800 people (11% of the total for the trading estate) and is more than fourteen times more concentrated on STE than nationally. Telecommunications employment has grown extremely rapidly over the past five years, increasing by more than 80% since 2003.
Like nationally, employment in manufacturing has been declining on STE, and decreased by 26% between 2003 and 2008. This decline
appears to have been focused on more traditional manufacturing sectors (including confectionary, which lost 30% of its employment
since 2003) while more advanced manufacturing sectors have been growing steadily. Declines in manufacturing employment have been
focused on the older part of the trading estate, which has a greater concentration of manufacturing businesses. Employment on the
more recently developed, western side of the trading estate is focused on more R&D intensive, high value activities and has been
growing steadily over recent years.
Table 4‐4: Overview of employment on Slough Trading Estate
Section Total
Employees
2008
% of Total
% change
2003 –
2008
LQ vs GB LQ vs East
Berkshire
D : Manufacturing 4,700 28% ‐26% 2.8 3.3
K : Real estate, renting & business 4,150 25% ‐8% 1.4 0.9
G : Wholesale and retail trade 3,250 20% ‐2% 1.2 1.1
I : Transport, storage & comms 2,500 15% 53% 2.6 1.5
F : Construction 1,000 6% 66% 1.2 1.1
H : Hotels and restaurants 300 2% ‐18% 0.3 0.3
O : Community, social personal service 250 2% 74% 0.3 0.3
E : Electricity, gas and water supply 150 1% 0% 1.9 2.5
J : Financial intermediation 100 1% 3% 0.2 0.4
N : Health and social work 100 1% 141% 0.1 0.1
M : Education 100 0% ‐66% 0.0 0.1
Column Total 16,600 100% ‐5% 1.0 1.0
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
1 Note: This is based on travel to work data from the 2001 Census, which is available to ward level only. The STE area has been defined using a 2003 CAS ward best fit, which it not entirely congruous to the estate’s boundaries, so may also encompass some commuter destinations outside of the trading estate. The wards included in the definition are (Baylis and Stoke, Cippenham Green, Farnham and Haymill). See appendix for more details.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 37
Figure 4‐2: Employment Growth 2003 ‐2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the
permission of the controller of HMSO. Source: Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of
Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 38
Figure 4‐3: Employment Loss 2003 – 2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the
permission of the controller of HMSO. Source: Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of
Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 39
Very high job density…
4.12 East Berkshire’s job density of 0.9 is amongst the highest of the comparator areas and 0.2
jobs per resident greater than the national and regional average. Only Hillingdon and
Reading have larger job densities. Broadly speaking, job density is consistent across East
Berkshire; Slough’s job density is slightly greater than RBWM’s (but not significantly so),
although there has been a slight decrease between 2003 and 2008.
As East Berkshire’s main employment centres, it is not surprising that job densities within
town centres are significantly greater than those for the boroughs as a whole (in spite of the
significant loss of central employment over recent years). However, the analysis presented
in Figure 4‐5 should be treated cautiously and viewed to provide only indicative estimates of
town centre job density. None of the Super Output Area best fits used to define these town
centres are a perfect fit to the actual town centre boundaries. All of the SOA best fit areas
take in some residential space outside the town centre boundary but to varying degrees. As
a result, the marked differences in job densities between these areas are likely to be related
to the extent to which the best fit areas take in non town centre areas as opposed to the
true job densities. Maps to show the SOA best fit areas used in this analysis are provided in
Appendix A.
Figure 4‐4: East Berkshire Local Authorities and Comparators Job density 2003 – 2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. and mid‐year population estimates. ONS Nomis
(www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of
HMSO
1.0
1.0
0.9
0.9
0.8 0.8 0.8
0.7
0.7 0.7
1.1
1.0
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.8
0.8
0.8
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
Hillingdon
Reading
Slough
Tham
es Valley LEP
Windsor and
Maidenhead
South Bucks
Hounslow
Wycombe
South East
England and W
ales
Spelthorne
Job density
2003 2008 East Berkshire 2008
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 40
..but a low self employment rate
4.13 East Berkshire’s self employment rate of 12% is slightly below that of Great Britain, although
there is a real difference between levels of self employment in Slough and RBWM. Slough’s
self employment rate is particularly low at 8% (five percentage points less than the GB
average) while RBWM’s is much higher at 12%.
Figure 4‐5: East Berkshire town centres and comparators Job density 2003 ‐ 2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. and mid‐year population estimates. ONS Nomis
(www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of
HMSO
4.14 Self employment is evidently much more common in RBWM than elsewhere although
RBWM was one of only two areas (Reading being the other) where the rate of self
employment decreased between 2005 and 2010. The sharp drop in RBWM’s self
employment rate between 2005 and 2010 is due to combination of a sharp increase in WAP
(by almost 10,000) but also a marked decline in the number of self employed people (by
2,000 people).
14.9
8.2
5.5 6.
1
4.4 5.
4
4.1
2.9
1.2
11.5
6.7
6.3
5.3
3.7
3.5
2.9
2.4
0.8
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Basingstoke Centre
Reading Centre
Uxbridge
Slough Trading Estate
Maidenhead
Centre
High Wycom
be Centre
Slough Centre
Windsor and
Eton Centre
Hounslow Centre
Job Density
2003 2008 East Berkshire 2008
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 41
Figure 4‐6: East Berkshire Local Authorities and comparators ‐ Self employment rate
Source: Annual Population Survey . ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is
reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
Figure 4‐7: Number of self employed residents ( 2004‐2010)
Source: Annual Population Survey . ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the
permission of the controller of HMSO.
4.15 Figure 4‐7 shows recent trends in the number of self employed people in Slough and RBWM;
there is evidently a trend towards declining number of self employed people in RBWM and
the recession appears to have had a more noticeable effect on the borough’s stocks of self
employed residents than Slough’s – there was a notable decline in the number of self
employed people during 2008.
16%
16%
14%
13%
9%
17%
13%
8%
11%
7% 8%
8%
21%
17%
15%
13%
13%
12%
12%
10%
10%
10%
8%
6%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
South Bucks
Wycombe
South East
Great Britain
Hounslow
Windsor and
Maidenhead
East Berkshire
Hillingdon
Tham
es Valley LEP
Spelthorne
Slough
Reading
Self employm
ent rate
2005 2010
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
Jan‐04
May‐04
Sep‐04
Jan‐05
May‐05
Sep‐05
Jan‐06
May‐06
Sep‐06
Jan‐07
May‐07
Sep‐07
Jan‐08
May‐08
Sep‐08
Jan‐09
May‐09Number of self employed residents
Slough RBWM Slough ‐ Trend RBWM ‐ Trend
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 42
Figure 4‐8: Working proprietors
Source: Business Register Employment Survey. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced
with the permission of the controller of HMSO. Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of
Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
4.16 Figure 4‐8 maps the location of ‘working proprietors’ available through BRES. This includes
sole traders, sole proprietors, partners and directors (most of those who would be classed as
self employed). Outside of Slough’s main employment centres (the trading estate and town
centre) there are very few working proprietors. Conversely, there is a much stronger
presence of working proprietors outside of RBWM’s employment centres and particularly
around Ascot and Cheapside. The relative affluence of RBWM’s resident population in
comparison to Slough’s is likely to be a significant factor in this disparity between enterprise
rates in the two boroughs. The relative wealth RBWM’s population will significantly lower
barriers to enterprise. However, the comparatively low rate of self employment in Slough is
still surprising, given the ethnic diversity of the area’s population. Consultations with
partners suggest a number of likely causes of this low rate including:
Dominance of larger employers. Lower levels of enterprise can often be found in
areas where large employers have historically dominated. There are a number of
large employers in Slough including those on the Slough Trading Estate such as
Lonza, Telefonica O2, UCB and Mars.
Lack of suitable premises for start up businesses. This is potentially linked to the
dominance of larger employers which may have skewed the provision of sites and
premises towards the needs of larger employers at the expense of smaller, more
flexible space suitable for start up businesses e.g. incubator space, enterprise hubs
etc.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 43
Full time employment dominates, particularly in Slough…
4.17 East Berkshire as a whole has a stronger weighting towards full time work than regionally or
nationally with almost three quarters (73%) of the workforce being in full time employment ‐
five percentage points more than nationally. The breakdown between full and part time
employment in RBWM does not differ markedly from the national picture but Slough’s
employment differs considerably.
Table 4‐5 East Berkshire Local Authorities and comparators ‐ Full and part time employment in 000s (2003 ‐08)
2003 2008 % change 2003‐08
Full time
Part time % part time
Full time
Part time % part time
Full time
Part time
Slough 58 17 22% 59 17 22% 59 2%
RBWM 50 23 31% 52 23 30% 4% 0%
Hillingdon 129 39 23% 147 42 22% 13% 8%
Hounslow 93 27 22% 91 31 25% ‐3% 15%
Reading 70 29 29% 70 27 28% 0% ‐7%
South Bucks 20 9 31% 22 9 29% 10% 2%
Spelthorne 28 12 30% 24 12 34% ‐14% 6%
Wycombe 55 29 35% 54 22 29% ‐1% ‐26%
East Berkshire 108 39 27% 111 39 26% 3% 0%
TVB LEP area 283 108 28% 289 106 27% 2% ‐1%
South East 2,412 1,216 34% 2,594 1,164 31% 8% ‐4%
GB 17,502 8,209 32% 18,358 8,319 31% 5% 1%
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Employee Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
4.18 Slough’s employment base is heavy weighed towards full time employment with 78% of
Slough’s workforce (59,000 people) are employed on a full time basis. This is nine
percentage points more than the proportion nationally. The overrepresentation of full time
work is both a positive and negative for Slough. While it is a clear indicator of the area’s high
value and successful economy, the associated limited availability of part time employment
causes some considerable issues for partners in Slough, particularly with regard to access to
employment for women and some ethnic groups.
…and RBWM has seen a large increase in part time employment
4.19 The overrepresentation of full time work in Slough’s employment base is particularly
enduring. Contrary to the national tend towards increasing part time work, the number of
part time employees in Slough has remained quite steady and the proportion of the total
workforce employed on a full time basis actually increased by six percentage points between
2003 and 2008.
Table 4‐6: East Berkshire town centres and comparators ‐ Full and part time employment in 000s (2003 ‐2008)
2003
2008 % change 2003‐2008
Full time
Part time
% part time
Full time Part time
% part time
Full time Part time
East Berkshire 108 39 27% 111 39 26% 3% 0%
Slough Town Centre 13 5 28% 11 4 27% ‐18% ‐27%
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 44
STE 15 2 12% 15 2 12% ‐5% ‐2%
Windsor and Eton 8 4 33% 7 4 36% ‐3% ‐10%
Maidenhead 12 4 25% 11 4 27% ‐4% ‐15%
Basingstoke 10 5 33% 12 4 25% 26% ‐12%
High Wycombe 11 11 50% 10 5 33% ‐10% ‐54%
Hounslow 8 4 33% 7 4 36% ‐9% ‐2%
Reading 31 12 28% 29 12 29% ‐5% ‐1%
Uxbridge 12 5 29% 13 5 28% 12% 1%
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Employee Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
4.20 The situation in East Berkshire with regard to the balance between full and part time
employment is becoming increasingly polarised with RBWM’s employment base increasing
its dependence on part time employment while Slough’s overrepresentation of full time
work remains constant.
Figure 4‐9: Trends in part time employment
Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material
is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
4.21 In addition, it appears that much of the loss of employment in town centres that has
occurred over the last five years has been in part time employment. As Table 4‐6 shows, the
percentage decrease in part time employment has been much larger than in full time
employment across most of East Berkshire’s town centres, but particularly large in Slough
Town Centre (where the number of part time positions actually decreased by 27%
(compared to 18% for full time jobs).
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
20%
22%
24%
26%
28%
30%
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009%
of employees in part time work
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead GB SE
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 45
Figure 4‐10: East Berkshire Local Authorities and Comparators: Change in % of workforce employed on FT basis (2003 – 2008)
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Employee Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
Figure 4‐11: East Berkshire town centres and comparators ‐ Change in % of workforce employed on FT basis (2003 – 2008)
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Employee Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
6%
3%
2%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
0.5%
0%
‐3%
‐4%
‐6% ‐4% ‐2% 0% 2% 4% 6% 8%
Slough
Reading
South Bucks
South East
Hounslow
Hillingdon
GB
Wycombe
East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP area
Windsor and Maidenhead
Spelthorne
Percent Point Change
16%
8%
2%
2%
2%
2%
0.5%
‐0.4%
‐1%
‐2%
‐5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
High Wycombe
Basingstoke
Maidenhead Centre
Slough Centre
Uxbridge
Windsor and Eton
East Berkshire
Slough Trading Estate
Reading
Hounslow
Percent Point Change
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 46
Employment by business size
Small businesses provide the majority of East Berkshire’s jobs…
4.22 Along with the rest of the South East, a larger proportion of East Berkshire’s employment is
provided by very small businesses (with less than 10 employees) than nationally. In East
Berkshire one of five jobs is provided by businesses with less than ten employees, compared
to 14% nationally.
…but there are marked differences between Slough and RBWM
4.23 Windsor and Maidenhead has a particularly strong concentration of employment in small
businesses with businesses with less than 10 employees accounting for 26% of jobs
compared to 21% nationally (and just 14% in Slough). More detailed size band analysis
suggests a particular concentration of employment in very small businesses – 16% of the
total employment is accounted for by businesses employing less than 4 people. This is
linked to the high self employment rates in RBWM and is a function of the relative affluence
of the population in RBWM.
4.24 Slough’s employment base is weighted more heavily towards larger employers; 35% of the
borough’s jobs are in companies employing more than 200 people. This is considerably
greater than the Windsor and Maidenhead average (26%) and above the national average of
32%.
Table 4‐7: East Berkshire Local Authorities and comparators ‐ Employment by size band 2008
1 – 10 employees
11‐49 employees50 – 199 employees
200 + employees
No. (000s)
% No.
(000s) %
No.(000s)
% No.
(000s) %
Slough 10.3 14% 14.4 19% 24.0 32% 26.6 35%
Windsor & Maidenhead 19.3 26% 17.9 24% 18.5 25% 19.3 26%
Hillingdon 23.0 12% 27.4 15% 37.5 20% 100.7 53%
Hounslow 21.6 18% 22.5 18% 29.3 24% 48.3 40%
Reading 15.7 16% 21.6 22% 23.2 24% 36.8 38%
South Bucks 10.1 32% 7.7 25% 8.5 27% 4.9 16%
Spelthorne 9.6 26% 9.4 26% 12.1 33% 5.5 15%
Wycombe 20.0 26% 18.5 24% 19.9 26% 17.5 23%
East Berkshire 29.7 20% 32.3 21% 42.5 28% 45.9 31%
TVB LEP area 74.3 19% 84.5 21% 94.9 24% 140.4 36%
South East 877 24% 915 25% 889 24% 1,047 28%
GB 10.3 14% 14.4 19% 24.0 32% 26.6 35%
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
4.25 Larger employers are particularly focused around the Slough Trading Estate where just 9% of
the employment provided is by businesses employing less than 10 people (compared to
almost 40% of employment from businesses employing more than 200 people). The strong
representation of larger employers in Slough is a clear indication of the area’s success in
attracting large investment to the area but the relative weakness of employment in smaller
businesses could heighten the potential impact of loss of employment amongst these much
larger companies on Slough’s economy as a whole.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 47
Table 4‐8: East Berkshire town centres and comparators ‐ Employment by size band 2008
1 – 10 employees
11‐49 employees50 – 199 employees
200 + employees
No. (000s)
% No.
(000s) %
No.(000s)
% No.
(000s) %
East Berkshire No. % No. % No. % No. %
Slough Town Centre 30 20% 32 21% 43 28% 46 31%
Slough Trading Estate 2 14% 3 19% 6 42% 4 25%
Windsor and Eton 2 9% 3 21% 5 32% 6 38%
Maidenhead 3 26% 4 33% 3 24% 2 16%
Basingstoke 3 18% 4 26% 3 23% 5 33%
High Wycombe 2 10% 3 19% 4 25% 7 45%
Hounslow 2 16% 3 21% 4 23% 6 39%
Reading 2 20% 2 22% 3 24% 4 34%
Uxbridge 5 11% 9 21% 10 25% 18 42%
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
4.26 Recent trends suggest a slight shift towards larger employers in RBWM. There has been a
significant growth in the proportion of employment in the borough that is accounted for by
businesses employing 200 or more employees and a decrease of a similar magnitude of
medium sized employers (50 ‐199 employees). However, the contribution of much smaller
businesses remains strong.
Figure 4‐12: Trends in proportion of employment by business size
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is
reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
% of employees
1 to 10 employees
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Great Britain South East
East Berkshire
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
% of employees
11 to 49 employees
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Great Britain South East
East Berkshire
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
% of employees
50 to 199 employees
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Great Britain South East
East Berkshire
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
% of employees
200+ employees
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Great Britain South East
East Berkshire
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 48
4.27 There is some evidence that, in Slough, there has been a recent movement towards a
smaller average size business. Since 2005, the average number of employees per business in
Slough has decreased slightly from 17 to 16, although as Figure 4‐13 shows, this is still
substantially larger than the averages nationally and regionally. Although this is not a huge
shift, it will be important to monitor this – if the trend towards declining business size
continues in Slough, the current sites and premises offer may cease to be relevant to the
business base.
Figure 4‐13: Average number of employees per business 1998 ‐ 2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
Sectoral Analysis
4.28 This section provides an in depth analysis of the sectoral characteristics of employment in
East Berkshire using location quotient analysis2 to identify key industries. This section
presents a summary of the findings from a detailed sectoral analysis – the detailed tables
and charts that have informed this analysis are presented in Appendix A.
A private sector led economy…
4.29 Figure 4‐14 shows the strength of East Berkshire’s private sector economy in comparison to
the national and regional averages. The public sector accounts for 27% of employment
nationally but is much less concentrated in East Berkshire where just 18% of employment is
in the public sector. In Slough, the proportion is smaller still at 16%.
2 The location quotient of sectoral employment in an area is used as a way of analysing the degree of concentration of that sector relative to some benchmark figure, in this case, Great Britain. A location quotient above 1 indicates a higher degree of concentration locally than in the benchmark area
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
19
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Average
employees per business
Slough RBWM GB South East
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 49
Figure 4‐14: East Berkshire Local Authorities ‐ Overview of broad sectoral distribution of employment
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
4.30 The limited reliance of public sector employment and comparative strength of the private
sector is a key strength of the East Berkshire economy. This will be an important advantage
for East Berkshire in the future and will enhance the economic growth prospects of the area
in addition to lessening exposure to public sector job losses anticipated during 2011.
…with higher value activities dominating
4.31 Even at this broad sectoral level, the analysis alludes to concentrations of employment in
high value sectors. In particular:
Banking, finance and insurance is central to East Berkshire’s economy and accounts
for 29% of employment overall (seven percentage points more than nationally).
RBWM has a key concentration of employment in this sector, where it accounts for
almost a third of all jobs. The sector’s LQ of 1.4 illustrates the extent of
concentration of employment in this sector in RBWM.
Transport and Communications is a core sector in East Berkshire accounting for 10%
of total employment. Nationally, this sector accounts for just 6% of employment, so
this is a key specialism (underlined by the sector’s location quotient of 1.7). Slough
has a particular concentration of employment in transport and communications –
the 11,300 people employed in this sector account for 15% of the total workforce
more than twice the concentration nationally (the LQ of the transport and
communications sector in Slough is 2.6).
Manufacturing: Manufacturing accounts for 9% of employment (only 1% less than
nationally). The 12,800 people the sector employs in East Berkshire represent just
16%
19%
18%
26%
27%
22%
25%
23%
25%
24%
26%
31%
29%
24%
22%
12%
5%
9%
8%
10%
15%
5%
10%
6%
6%
3%
7%
5%
6%
5%
4%
7%
5%
5%
5%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Slough
Windsor and Maidenhead
East Berkshire
South East
Great Britain
Public admin Distribution, hotels and restaurants
Banking, finance and insurance Manufacturing
Transport and communications Other services
Construction Energy and water
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 50
under half of the total for the Thames Valley Berkshire LEP area. The high level of
GVA per worker evident in this sector alludes to a concentration of employment in
higher value manufacturing activities. A large portion of East Berkshire’s
manufacturing activity is focused on the Slough Trading Estate (where it accounts for
28% of employment).
Figure 4‐15: East Berkshire Town Centres ‐ Overview of broad sectoral distribution of employment
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
Banking, Finance and Insurance employment concentrated in high value sectors…
4.32 As a key high volume sector, employment in Banking, Finance and Insurance is prevalent
across East Berkshire, although there are some key concentrations in central Maidenhead,
Windsor and Eton, and Slough as well as the eastern side of Slough Trading Estate. There are
some notable concentrations of employment in this sector outside of East Berkshire’s urban
centres, particularly around Ascot and Cheapside.
4.33 The Banking, Finance and Insurance sector encompasses a variety of high and low value
activities. East Berkshire’s key specialisms within the sector are focused around the higher
value sub sectors including:
IT and Software: The IT and Software sector as a whole (which includes software
consultancy and supply, software publishing and other computer activities) is an
important sector in East Berkshire, employing 8,600 people (5,300 of these in
RBWM). Figure 4‐17 shows the concentrations of employment in IT and Software
around central Slough and Slough Trading Estate as well as in the areas surrounding
Windsor and Eton and Maidenhead town centre. There is also a cluster of
employment around Ascot. Within IT and Software, Software Consultancy and
Supply is by far the most important in terms of both volume and concentration of
14%
1%
18%
12%
18%
27%
27%
22%
33%
30%
23%
24%
39%
26%
34%
34%
29%
22%
28%
4%
9%
10%
12%
15%
5%
10%
6%
7%
4%
5%
5%
4%
6%
13%
5%
5%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Slough Town Centre
Slough Trading Estate
Windsor and Eaton
Maidenhead
East Berks
GB
Public admin Distrib, hotels and restaurants
Banking, finance and insurance Manufacturing
Transport and communciations Other services
Construction Energy and water
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 51
employment; the 7,300 people employed in this sector give it an LQ of 3.5 which
means employment in this sector is more than three times as important to the East
Berkshire economy as it is nationally. Employment in this sector grew by 2% across
East Berkshire between 2003 and 2008 – this was largely due to a large increase in
Slough (17%) – while RBWM’s software consultancy and supply sector actually
shrank by 6%.
Figure 4‐16: Employment in Banking, Finance and Insurance, 2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the
permission of the controller of HMSO. Source: Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of
Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
Labour recruitment and provision of personnel: There is a key concentration of
employment in this sub sector in Slough, the 4,700 employed in this sub sector
represent a LQ of 1.9. It is not clear whether this represents direct employees of
recruitment agencies (i.e. recruitment consultants, admin and support staff etc) or if
this also includes temporary workers who will be working for recruitment agencies
on assignments across a range of sectors.
Business Management and Consultancy Activities. This sector has seen significant
growth over recent years, with employment increasing by 68% between 2003 and
2008 to its current level of 3,700. Most of this increase has occurred in Slough,
where the volume of employment increase by more than 150% in the five year
period, although RBWM’s employment increase during the period was also
significant at almost 25%.
Management activities of holding companies. While this sub sector accounts for a
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 52
large amount of employment in east Berkshire (2,200 jobs), it is not clear whether
these jobs are actually based in, or simply registered to holding companies in East
Berkshire. More detailed analysis of this data at SOA level suggests that these jobs
are not all registered to a single company or location ‐ there are a large number of
holding companies in both RBWM and Slough. The 55 holding companies in RBWM
account for just under 1,500 jobs. In Slough, there are 61 holding companies
accounting for 830 jobs.
Figure 4‐17: Employment in IT and Software, 2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the
permission of the controller of HMSO. Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance
Survey on behalf of the controller of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
… and some concentrations of advanced manufacturing employment
4.34 The total volume of East Berkshire’s manufacturing employment is much smaller than for
Business Finance and Insurance and the majority of employment is focused around the
Slough Trading Estate and central Slough although there are also pockets of slightly lower
density employment within RBWM, particularly along the M4 and A404.
4.35 More detailed sub sector analysis indicates that East Berkshire’s manufacturing activity is
focused around two key themes
Manufacture of Food and Drink: Overall, this sub sector accounts for almost 3,000
jobs (with the majority being based in Slough). There are concentrations of
employment in manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and confectionary. All 1,200 jobs in
this sector are located on the Slough Trading Estate and a large proportion of these
will be accounted for by Mars. There are also significant concentrations of
employment in bread and pastry and meat and meat products Together, these three
sub sectors account for more than 2,500 jobs in East Berkshire.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 53
Figure 4‐18: Employment in Manufacturing
Source: Annual Business Inquiry. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the
permission of the controller of HMSO. Source: Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of
Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
Manufacture of Medical Instruments and Pharmaceutical supplies. There are some
significant concentrations of employment in this very high value added
manufacturing activity. It has been a key source of growth over recent years and
employment in manufacture of basic pharmaceuticals has increased by almost 50%
and now has an LQ of 13.2. Likewise, manufacture of medical and surgical
equipment has seen rapid growth since 2003 and now employs 620 people (mostly
in Slough) three times the national concentration. This higher value, life sciences
related manufacturing may be related to the strong employment concentrations in
research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering. This
sector employs 1,900 people and is classified within the Banking, Finance an
Insurance Sector, but has more operational linkages with this life sciences related
manufacturing activity.
4.36 While higher value manufacturing activity has been a key source of growth over recent years
there has been a steady contraction in employment in more traditional manufacturing
sectors. For example, employment in manufacture of food and drink has been contracting
steadily for the past ten years and reduced by 30% overall between 2003 and 2008. This is a
common trend in the manufacturing sector (particularly in more traditional, lower value
added manufacturing sectors) as technological advances drive increases in productivity and
consequent reductions in employment. The strong performance of Berkshire’s
manufacturing sector on GVA per worker (explored in the previous section) suggest that this
shift towards less labour intensive manufacturing may be continuing to affect East Berkshire.
Telecommunications accounts for much of the Transport and Communications
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 54
employment…
4.37 Transport and communications employment is even more geographically concentrated, with
Central Slough and Slough Trading Estate acting as the key focal points for activity along with
the Littlefield Green area.
Figure 4‐19: Employment in Transport and Communications
Source: Annual Business Inquiry. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the
permission of the controller of HMSO. Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance
Survey on behalf of the controller of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
4.38 Telecommunications is the key employer within this sector, employing more than 5,000
people across East Berkshire with a LQ of 4.6. As Figure 4‐20 shows, telecommunications
employment in highly concentrated around the Slough Trading Estate and Central Slough
where there are a number of large multinational telecommunications employers including
O2 and Hutchinson 3G.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 55
Figure 4‐20: Employment in Telecommunications, 2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the
permission of the controller of HMSO. Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance
Survey on behalf of the controller of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
Table 4‐9: Key Employment sub‐sectors on Slough Trading Estate – 4 digit SIC
Total
Employees 2008
% of all employment 2008
% change 2003-2008
LQ vs GB
LQ vs East
Berks
6420:Telecommunications 1,800 11% 81% 14.4 3.2
1584:Manuf cocoa, chocolate and confect. 1,200 7% ‐30% 105.7 9.1
7222:Other software consultancy/ supply 850 5% 54% 3.8 1.1
7450:Labour / personnel recruitment 700 4% ‐19% 1.3 1.0
4531:Installation electrical wiring/ fittings 650 4% 122% 5.4 3.3
7310:R&D natural sciences & engineering 550 3% 11% 8.4 2.7
2441:Manuf of basic pharmaceuticals 550 3% 63% 119.9 9.1
3310:Manuf medical and surgical equip 500 3% ‐ 22.9 7.1
7487:Other business activities 450 3% ‐19% 2.1 1.3
2924:Manuf general purpose machinery 350 2% 16% 18.5 5.1
Total Employment 16,600 100% ‐5% ‐ ‐
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
Tourism Sector
4.39 Although tourism is a major employer in East Berkshire (the 13,400 tourism employees
account for 9% of the total for the area) employment in the sector is slightly less
concentrated than nationally, with an LQ of 0.9
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 56
Table 4‐10: East Berkshire Local Authorities and comparators ‐ Employment in Tourism, 2008
Tourism (including Air transport and related activities)
Tourism (excluding Air transport and related activities)
Number % of total LQ vs GB Number % of total LQ vs GB
Slough 5,350 7% 0.7 5,250 7% 0.8
Windsor & Maidenhead 8,050 11% 1.1 7,800 10% 1.1
Hillingdon 75,000 40% 4.2 20,300 11% 1.2
Hounslow 15,300 13% 1.3 13,550 11% 1.2
Reading 8,550 9% 0.9 8,550 9% 1.0
South Bucks 3,200 10% 1.1 3,150 10% 1.1
Spelthorne 4,450 12% 1.3 4,400 12% 1.3
Wycombe 5,350 7% 0.7 5,250 7% 0.8
East Berkshire 13,400 9% 0.9 13,050 9% 1.0
TVB LEP area 33,500 9% 0.9 33,100 8% 0.9
South East 361,050 10% 1.0 338,550 9% 1.0
GB 2,537,350 10% 1.0 2,398,450 9% 1.0
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO. See appendix for SIC definition of
tourism
4.40 As Table 4‐10 shows, other local comparators have markedly higher concentrations of
tourism employment than East Berkshire, although the difference between East Berkshire
and other areas with high tourism employment (such as Hillingdon, Hounslow and
Spelthorne) is much less marked when transport (i.e. air transport related employment
which, in most cases, is related to employment at Heathrow Airport or in its supply chain) is
excluded from the tourism definition. For example, tourism accounts for 40% of
employment in Hillingdon when transport is included but just 11% when it is not.
Table 4‐11: East Berkshire town centres and comparators ‐ Employment in Tourism, 2008
Tourism (including Air transport and related activities)
Tourism (excluding Air transport and related activities)
Number % of total
LQ vs GB Number % of total
LQ vs GB
East Berkshire 13,400 9% 0.9 13,050 9% 1.0
Slough Town Centre 900 6% 0.6 900 6% 0.7
Slough Trading Estate 500 3% 0.3 500 3% 0.3
Windsor and Eton 2,400 21% 2.2 2,200 20% 2.2
Maidenhead 750 5% 0.5 750 5% 0.6
Basingstoke 1,100 7% 0.7 1,100 7% 0.7
High Wycombe 1,200 8% 0.8 1,200 8% 0.9
Hounslow 2,350 22% 2.3 1,450 14% 1.5
Reading 5,100 12% 1.3 5,100 12% 1.4
Uxbridge 1,200 7% 0.7 1,200 7% 0.8
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO. See appendix for SIC definition of
tourism
4.41 Windsor and Maidenhead is the main focus for East Berkshire’s tourism sector with 60% of
the area’s tourism employment in the borough. The concentration of employment in the
tourism sector in RBWM in particular is illustrated in Figure 4‐21 which shows the high
volume and concentration of tourism employment in RBWM in comparison to Slough.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 57
4.42 It should be noted that businesses some sectors (e.g. restaurants and bars) which are
included in the SIC definition of tourism may not actually operate in the tourism market. This
could explain the apparent clusters of tourism related businesses in central Slough and on
the Trading Estate. In reality, it is not likely that these businesses will be servicing East
Berkshire’s tourism market.
4.43 Tourism employment is focused on central Windsor and Eton, and Maidenhead but is
comparatively more important to Windsor’s economy than Maidenhead’s. As the second
map shows, tourism employment represents a substantial proportion of the total for
Windsor (and the surrounding areas) while it is less critical to Maidenhead’s employment
base. There is a key concentration of tourism employment to the South of central Windsor
(where Legoland is located). Within this single SOA, there are just short of 1,000 jobs,
representing more than 60% of its total employment.
Figure 4‐21: Distribution of tourism employment in East Berkshire
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 58
Source: Annual Business Inquiry. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the
permission of the controller of HMSO. Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance
Survey on behalf of the controller of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
4.44 The sectoral distribution of tourism employment in East Berkshire differs slightly from
nationally; there is a much greater concentration of employment in restaurants, hotels and
bars (which are primarily concentrated in Windsor and Maidenhead and markedly
underrepresented in Slough).The importance of large visitor attractions such as Legoland to
East Berkshire’s (particularly RBWM’s) tourism sector is underlined by the concentration of
employment in fair and amusement parks in East Berkshire (6%) compared to nationally.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 59
Figure 4‐22: East Berkshire Local Authorities – Key tourism sub sectors, 2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
4.45 In the town centre areas, restaurants, bars and hotels make up the majority of tourism
employment, particularly in central Maidenhead and Windsor and Eton. This is less notable
in Slough, where there appears to be marked under representation of employment of this
type. Windsor Castle is evidently the focal point for the tourism sector in Windsor and Eton
– with 12% of the sector’s employment being accounted for by employment in museums
and historical buildings.
Figure 4‐23: East Berkshire town centres‐ Key tourism sub sectors, 2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
17%
22%
25%
26%
10%
15%
18%
12%
6%
14%
19%
21%
17%
13%
11%
10%
30%
12% 6%
10%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Slough
East Berkshire
Windsor and Maidenhead
GB
% of tourism employment
Restaurants HotelsBars CateringTransport agencies Fair and amusement parks
31%
35%
37%
45%
4%
18%
26%
7%
3%
19%
29%
5%
10%
23%
4%
8%
11%
12%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Slough Centre
Slough Trading Estate
Windsor and Eton Centre
Maidenhead Centre
% of tourism employment
Restaurants BarsHotels CateringTransport agencies Travel agencies and tour operatorsFair and amusement park Museum activities / historical buildings
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 60
4.46 Figure 4‐24 provides a more detailed breakdown of the size band and sectoral make up of
RBWM’s tourism employment base. Smaller businesses evidently provide the lion’s share of
tourism employment (particularly in the restaurants, bars and catering sectors.) It is
interesting that such a small proportion of the borough’s hotel employment is provided by
smaller (most likely, independent hotels). There are just 15 hotels employing less than 10
people in the borough and the majority of hotel employment is provided by medium sized
businesses employing between 50 and 199 people. Much of this employment will be linked
to hotels operated by large, often multinational, hotel chains such as Ramada, Holiday Inn,
and Premier Inn that have premises in Windsor and Maidenhead.
Figure 4‐24: Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead – tourism employment by size band and sector
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
4.47 This analysis further emphasizes the importance of visitor attractions such as Legoland and
Windsor Castle which accounts for the majority of RWBM’s very large concentrations of
employment in fair and amusement parks (LQ vs GB of 21) and museums / historical
attractions (LQ vs GB of 2.9). As well as creating direct tourism employment in the borough
these visitor attractions clearly also play a role in stimulating demand for other tourism
businesses (particularly hotels, restaurants and bars).
720575
54
637
83 122
1,104
865
387
210
112
1,042
148795
2870
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
Restaurants
Bars
Hotels
Catering
Fair and Amusement Parks
Travfel agencies / tour operators
Museums / historical buildings
6022 : Taxi operation
Transport
Other recreational
Cam
ping / caravan sites
Others
Number of employees
1‐10 employees 11‐49 employees 50‐199 employees 200 or more employees
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 61
Figure 4‐25: Size band breakdown of tourism employment in RBWM
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
4.48 Overall, the business size band breakdown of RWBM’s tourism sector is similar to nationally,
although there are some key differences in the centres; Windsor and Eton has a similar
structure, but there is a clear under representation of smaller tourism employers in
Maidenhead, which is clearly contributing to the comparatively lower levels of employment
in this sector in Maidenhead.
4.49 Tourism employment in RBWM has been volatile over recent years, but there has been an
overall trend towards increasing employment that has far outstripped the more steady rate
of increase occurring nationally. Windsor and Eton is a key driver of this growth –
employment in tourism increased steadily since 2003 (but did decline slightly between 2007
and 2008).
30% 29% 33%
21%
36% 36%
67%
43%
19% 20% 23%
14% 15% 13%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Windsor and Maidenhead Great Britain Maidenhead Windsor and Eton
% of employm
ent
1‐10 employees 11‐49 employees 50‐199 employees 200 or more employees
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 62
Figure 4‐26: Trends in employment in Tourism
The Tourism Industry in RBWM Overview The tourism industry has long been an important component of the RBWM economy. The Borough is home to a diverse range of both natural and cultural visitor attractions. Windsor and Eton is at the heart of the local tourist industry, with attractions including Windsor Castle, Eton College, Windsor Great Park and Windsor Racecourse. Maidenhead is also a location for business tourism, with a range of conferencing facilities. Attractions also exist throughout other parts of the Borough – including Legoland, the food offer of Bray, Ascot Racecourse and the River Thames.
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
160
170
180
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Inde
xed
Chan
ge (
1998
= 1
00)
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Great Britain South East
East Berkshire
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Inde
xed
Chan
ge 2
003
-10
0)
Maidenhead Centre Slough CentreSlough Trading Estate Windsor and EtonEast Berkshire
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 63
A Significant Contribution to the Local EconomyThe importance of the tourism industry in RBWM is highlighted by the impact that it has on the local economy. A recent study3 highlights that across the Borough, the industry sustains around 5,900 FTE jobs, equating to 7,935 actual jobs. The sector also supports business turnover of around £511.4 million. Visitor number trends It is estimated that 6.3 million day trips and 602,000 overnight trips were made to RBWM in 2008. Performance in recent years has varied according to the type of trip made – whilst day trips to RBWM increased by 4% from 2006 to 2008, overnight trips decreased by 5.5% (largely as a result of declines in domestic overnight stays. Despite the presence of a number of defined attractions in RBWM, it is important to note the importance of the overall combined and nonspecific visitor offer. This is highlighted in Windsor – here for example, the top purposes of visits in 2009 were visiting a cafe / restaurant / pub (84% of visitors), visiting the shops (83%) and visiting the River Thames (55%). Those visiting to see a specific destination such as Windsor Castle or Eton College typically account for a smaller proportion of visitors. Weakness and threats There are a number of weaknesses and challenges for the visitor economy in RBWM. These include:
The performance of the local visitor economy is largely dictated by external influences – in recent years for example, the global economy, changing holidaying trends and events like the ash cloud and snowfall have all impacted upon visitor flows. It is difficult to mitigate and plan for these events.
One of major weakness (and opportunity) of the RBWM visitor economy is perceived to be the relatively low levels of overnight stays and high number of day trips. Addressing this balance is a key aim of local strategy, with an aim of increasing the length and quality of visits rather than the overall number of visitors.
Accommodation has long been an issue in RBWM, especially at the time of major events such as Royal Ascot. However, supply of accommodation has been improving in recent years with new hotels in the area (Macdonald Hotels, the Dorchester Resort at Sunningdale and Travelodge in both Windsor and Maidenhead). There is a need to work across boundaries to ensure that future demand and supply across the wider Berkshire area is accounted for.
Transport around the area is also an issue – exploring the area without a car is difficult especially in the south of the Borough; whilst there are issues relating to the price and availability of parking in Windsor. These issues are considered in more detail in a later chapter.
Employment and training is also an issue for the local tourist sector. Anecdotally, there is concern locally that not many local people are employed in the leisure and hospitality sector. As a result, in some cases, local businesses which are struggling to find staff recruit via overseas agencies. There is a feeling that employment provided by the sector is often undervalued locally – despite the fact that it offers a relatively easy route in employment (in terms of qualification requirements) and offer good opportunities for progression. As such, a policy aim locally is to encourage more young local people into the industry – one area of focus for the Grow Our Own programme. However, there is a feeling amongst some stakeholders that more can be done by local providers to match local residents to local jobs. These issues are discussed in more detail later.
Going Forward – Opportunities for the Tourism Industry in RBWM There are a number of opportunities going forward for the RBWM tourism industry. These include:
The 2012 Olympics provides a significant opportunity going forward for tourism in RBWM. The rowing, canoeing and adaptive rowing events – to be held at Dorney Lake – are expected to
3 The Economic Impact of Tourism in Windsor and Maidenhead, Tourism South East, accessed at http://www.windsor.gov.uk/xsdbimgs/pdf%20Maps%20and%20Guides/Windsor%20report.pdf
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 64
result in around 64,000 commercial bednights in the Borough and an overall economic impact of around £11.8 million4. Aside from maximising the direct economic impact generated by the 2012 Games, RBWM is focusing efforts on ensuring a strong legacy. This is particularly the case around using the games – and the increased visitor numbers – as a chance to showcase the Borough and effectively act as a springboard for future performance.
As discussed above, a key focus of RBWM policy on tourism is upon increasing number of overnight stays rather than increasing the actual quantum of visitors. There are a number of interrelated factors which are important within this. The first is ensuring adequate supply of bed space – as discussed above. In increasing the number of overnight visitors, however, there is also a need to better define the offer of the wider area. Facilitating stronger relationships between the different visitor attractions and also working across local authority boundaries will help to define and promote a wider and more inclusive offer for visitors, which makes the overnight visits more appealing and feasible.
Changing Sectoral Profile of Employment
Recent change has followed national trends…
4.50 Figure 4‐27 provides an overview of the changing levels of employment for broad sectors
benchmarked against the changes occurring nationally.
Figure 4‐27: Employment change by broad industrial sector 2003– 2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the
permission of the controller of HMSO.
4 Economic Impact Forecasts for Rowing, Flatwater Canoeing and Adaptive Rowing at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (2008), Sheffield Hallam University
‐30%
‐95%
‐22%
80%
11%
‐11% ‐10%
14% 15%
‐120%
‐100%
‐80%
‐60%
‐40%
‐20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Agri and Fishing
Energy and W
ater
Manufacturing
Construction
Distrib, hotel and rest
Transport and comms
Banking, finance. Insurance
Public admin
Other services
% change
in employm
ent
Slough England
East Berkshire Windsor and Maidenhead
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 65
4.51 Broadly speaking, East Berkshire’s employment base has followed the same national trends
of:
Increasing employment in public administration. The percentage increase in public
sector admin in East Berkshire (particularly in Slough) has been much greater than
nationally, although the overall level of public sector employment remains much
smaller in East Berkshire.
Shrinking employment in manufacturing. The 22% shrinkage in employment in
Manufacturing in East Berkshire that occurred between 2003 and 2008 was slightly
larger than that occurring nationally. The strong recent increases in GVA per job in
this sector suggest that the decline in manufacturing employment in East Berkshire
has been largely a result of increases in productivity in the sector. At the same time
as overall manufacturing employment levels are falling, the absolute level of GVA
produced by the sector (for Berkshire as a whole) has actually increased, further
underlining productivity as the key driver of the shrinkage.
Increasing employment in banking, finance and insurance. Following the national
trend, employment in this sector has increased substantially in East Berkshire over
recent years although rate of growth nationally outstripped that of East Berkshire,
this is largely a result of the high baseline level of employment in this sector in East
Berkshire.
4.52 Although the impact of the recession is not yet fully reflected in official statistics, it is already
clear that the recession has affected some sectors more than others. Automotive, real
estate, software, electrical and financial services sectors fared badly while businesses in
machinery and equipment, logistics and business services were not affected to the same
degree.
…with the construction industry seeing the largest growth
4.53 Construction has been the largest source of employment growth in East Berkshire over the
past five years. This has also been the case nationally, although the expansion of
construction employment has been much more pronounced in East Berkshire. Growth has
largely been driven by a remarkable increase in employment in plumbing which has more
than doubled to its current level of 1,423 since 2003. Interestingly, the majority (87%) of East
Berkshire’s plumbers are based in Windsor and Maidenhead (where the sector has an LQ of
3.2). Plumbing employment in RBWM increased dramatically from 189 employees in 2003 to
1,245 by 2008.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 66
Figure 4‐28: Key Growth Sectors in East Berkshire 2003‐2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the
permission of the controller of HMSO.
…and the telecommunications sector performing differently in the two boroughs
The loss of almost 1,700 Post and Telecommunications jobs from RBWM almost completely
cancelled out growth in Post and Telecommunications employment in Slough in the same
period. More detailed analysis shows that the loss of employment in Windsor and
Maidenhead was primarily Telecommunications related, while employment in Slough
increased within all subdivisions of the post and telecoms sector; telecommunications
employment increased by 20%, employment in national post activities more than doubled
and there was a 30% increase in employment in courier activities.
2,040
1,153
985
742
365
365
326
305
269
233
‐349
‐856
‐1,681
625
2,220
999
182
168
190
285
252
603
1,520
‐2,000 ‐1,000 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000
64 : Post and telecommunications
85 : Health and social work
45 : Construction
15 : Manufacturing of food and beverages
63 : Supporting and auxiliary transport activities
92 : Recreational, cultural and sporting activities
90 : Sewage and refuse disposal
70 : Real estate activities
60 : Land transport;
32 : Manufacture of radio, television and …
66 : Insurance and pension funding
93 : Other service activities
67 : Activities auxiliary to financial intermediation
80 : Education
52 : Retail trade
Change in Employment
Slough RBWM
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 67
Figure 4‐29: Change in telecommunications employment 2003‐2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the
permission of the controller of HMSO. Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance
Survey on behalf of the controller of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 68
Increases in retail employment may be misleading…
4.54 There appears to have been a significant increase of retail jobs in RBWM (c. 1,500) while
Slough has lost 860 retail jobs in the same period. Closer analysis suggests that this very
large increase in employment in the retail trade may be an inconsistency in the data. All of
this increase has occurred within one Super Output area (E01016590) and is within the other
retail sale in specialised stores sector. There is no known retail development of sufficient
scale to lead to this level of increase.
Employment loss has been focused on lower value manufacturing…
4.55 Manufacturing sectors are most common amongst those that have lost significant
employment over the past five years. Fortunately, many of the declining manufacturing
sectors are lower value e.g. manufacturing of paper and manufacture of rubber and plastic
products. Employment in higher value manufacturing sectors (e.g. manufacture of medical
instruments and pharmaceuticals) has been expanding rapidly over recent years, but these
gains have not fully offset the contraction of more traditional manufacturing sectors.
Figure 4‐30: Sectors with largest employment losses in East Berkshire 2003 ‐ 2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the
permission of the controller of HMSO.
…but higher value sectors have also contracted
4.56 Losses of employment in the other business activities sector have affected RBWM quite
badly. (Slough actually added 1,500 employees to its workforce in this sector). Two sub‐
sectors account for a particularly large amount of the lost employment:
‐925
‐790
‐474
‐783
1,513
‐375
‐631
‐154
‐331
‐332
76
‐2,129
‐545
‐469
‐344
314
‐2,500
‐2,000
‐1,500
‐1,000
‐500 0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
40 : Electricity, gas, steam and hot water …
29 : Manuf. of machinery and equipment
28 : Manuf. of fabricated metal products
55 : Hotels and restaurants
74 : Other business activities
72 : Computer and related activites
65 : Financial intermediation
21 : Manuf. of pulp, paper and paper products
31 : Manuf. of electrical machinery and …
51 : Wholesale trade and commission trade
71 : Renting of machinery and equipment
25 : Manuf. of rubber and plastic products
Change in employment
Slough RBWM
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 69
Labour recruitment and provision of personnel. Employment in this sector declined
by 31% (almost 1,000 jobs). As Figure 4‐31 shows, this is a high volume sector in
which employment has been steadily declining since 1999 (although there has been
a small amount of employment growth since 2006).
Market research and public opinion polling. As Figure 4‐31 shows, this sector had
grown rapidly in East Berkshire during the late 1990s and early 2000s, but now
appears to be in decline. Employment in this sector is highly concentrated in RBWM
(with an LQ of 8.5) and the 43% decrease in employment in this sector since 2003
represents a loss of more than 1,000 jobs in RBWM).
…including financial intermediation
4.57 Financial intermediation employment decreased by almost 800 jobs across East Berkshire
between 2003 and 2008. RBWM was disproportionately affected by this, with almost 500 of
these jobs being lost from the borough. The majority of employment losses in this sector
were in the other monetary intermediation sub sector, in which employment shrank by 55%
in the five years to 2008. It is notable from Figure 4‐31 that this decline was in motion before
the economic slowdown, although it has clearly accelerated over recent years.
Figure 4‐31: Trends in key declining sectors for East Berkshire
Source: Annual Business Inquiry. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the
permission of the controller of HMSO.
**NOTE: data not available for Other Software Consultancy and Supply for 1990 to 2003.
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
6512 : Other monetary intermediation
7222 : Other software consultancy and supply**
7230 : Data processing
7413 : Market research and public opinion polling
7440 : Advertising
7450 : Labour recruitment and provision of personnel
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 70
Figure 4‐32: East Berkshire Local Authorities ‐ Trends in employment in key sectors
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis© Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Indexed Change
(1998 = 100)
Wholesale and Commission Trade
Slough Windsor and MaidenheadGreat Britain South EastEast Berkshire
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Indexed Change
(1998 = 100)
Retail Trade
Slough Windsor and MaidenheadGreat Britain South EastEast Berkshire
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Indexed Change
(1998 = 100)
Other business activities
Slough Windsor and MaidenheadGreat Britain South EastEast Berkshire
60
110
160
210
260
310
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Indexed Change
(1998 = 100)
Education
Slough Windsor and MaidenheadGreat Britain South EastEast Berkshire
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 71
Figure 4‐33: East Berkshire Town centres ‐ Trends in employment in key sectors
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis© Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Indexed Change
(1998 = 100)
Wholesale and Commission Trade
Maidenhead Centre Slough Centre
Slough Trading Estate Windsor and Eton Centre
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
240
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Indexed Change
(1998 = 100)
Retail Trade
Maidenhead Centre Slough Centre
Slough Trading Estate Windsor and Eton Centre
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Indexed Change
(1998 = 100)
Other business activities
Maidenhead Centre Slough Centre
Slough Trading Estate Windsor and Eton Centre
60
110
160
210
260
310
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Indexed Change
(1998 = 100)
Education
Slough Windsor and MaidenheadGreat Britain South EastEast Berkshire
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 72
Future Prospects
4.59 The expectation that London will remain a globally important location for business is clearly
a positive sign for East Berkshire’s economy and will no doubt present some opportunities
for the area. Slough in particular, will be set to benefit from continued growth of London’s
economy due to its particularly strong links with central London.
4.60 Broad sectoral changes in East Berkshire’s underlying economic base are likely to follow
those expected to occur in London where it is anticipated that intellectual capital and
knowledge exchange will become increasingly vital drivers and influencers of the economic
offer overall – particularly as other global areas will be able to compete on a much better
cost basis. This is likely to remain a key factor for East Berkshire.
Forecasts suggest comparatively poor performance in Slough…
4.61 In spite of Slough’s recent strong economic performance, the employment projections
presented indicate that growth in the authority is not expected to be as strong as nationally
or regionally. From 2012 onwards, the rate of employment increase in RBWM is expected to
outstrip Slough’s, and RBWM’s employment base will expand by 19% to 107,000 by 2030.
This outstrips the anticipated national growth by some seven percentage points and is 11
percentage points ahead of what is anticipated for Slough.
4.62 Such a marked disparity between the performances of the two boroughs seems
counterintuitive, especially considering Slough’s particularly strong economic performance
over recent years and specialisation in a number of key growing sectors. The model’s
assumption that industries where employment is particularly concentrated (or above the
potential level of employment specified in the model) will gradually decline over time whilst
those below their potential will gradually expand goes some way to explaining this trend. In
sectors such as Transport and Communications and Finance, business and other market
services, growth is slower in Slough (as the local authority has particular concentrations in
industries within these sectors (such as telecommunications) that are greater than those in
RBWM.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 73
Figure 4‐34: Employment projections (Indexed Change 1981 = 100)
Source: Cambridge Econometrics Integrated Policy Model
95
100
105
110
115
120
125
130
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
2028
2030
Indexed change
1981 = 100
UK SE Slough RBWM East Berkshire
80
85
90
95
100
105
110
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
2028
2030
NUmber of employees (000s)
Slough RBWM
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 74
Table 4‐12: Employment projections to 2030
UK Slough RBWM
2030 empl,(000s)
% change2008‐2030
2030 empl, (000s)
% change2008‐2030
2030 empl, (000s)
% change2008‐2030
Agriculture 362 ‐29% 0.04 ‐41% 0.4 ‐35%
Mining & Quarrying 43 ‐36% 0.01 ‐43% 0.02 ‐41%
Manufacturing 2,139 ‐32% 8 ‐34% 2 ‐50%
Electricity, Gas & Water 82 ‐38% 0.3 ‐34% 0.01 ‐33%
Construction 2,194 0% 6 ‐7% 9 ‐3%
Distribution, Hotels etc 7,402 5% 19 2% 22 9%
Transport & Communications 2,002 7% 12 ‐1% 5 4%
Fin., Bus. & Other Mkt. Service 11,422 32% 36 36% 49 44%
Non‐Market Services 9,624 20% 15 14% 19 17%
Total 35,268 12% 96 8% 107 19%
Source: Cambridge Econometrics Integrated Policy Model
4.63 There is clearly a logic to the suggestion that longer term trends (Figure 4‐35) suggest that
changes in employment in the two boroughs have been broadly similar over recent years
(particularly since 1997) and that the projected disparity in employment growth indicated by
the projections is a clear break from recent trends.
Figure 4‐35: Employment in Slough and RBWM 1981 ‐ 2030
Source: Cambridge Econometrics Integrated Policy Model
4.64 It is difficult to predict how changing economic conditions will affect East Berkshire’s
economy. The key trends that are likely to affect the areas employment profile include:
The anticipation that London will continue to be an important global economic
centre. In spite of competition from emerging economies, London looks set to
remain a globally important city and will continue to drive economic growth in East
Berkshire (particularly Slough) and the wider South East region. BRIC and Middle
Eastern economies will continue to be important inward investors and demand for
London (or close to London) locations looks set to continue.
Increasing dominance of knowledge based industries as key drivers of economic
success and competitiveness. East Berkshire has already established itself as a
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2021
2023
2025
2027
2029
NUmber of employees (000s)
Slough RBWM
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 75
location for KBIs (with concentrations of employment in telecommunications and
advanced manufacturing, IT and Software for example) so has a strong platform on
which to build.
Continued, but less rapid growth in the finance and business services sector means
that this sector will continue to underpin East Berkshire’s economy, but will not be
the central source of growth. The emergence and importance of new sectors such as
Low Carbon technologies, biotechnology, health and Life Sciences, digital media and
software will present opportunities for East Berkshire to broaden its economic base
and by diversifying into these rapidly growing sectors
Summary and Policy Implications
4.65 East Berkshire has a strong employment base overall, with high job densities in both Slough
and RBWM. Within each of the boroughs, employment is concentrated around a handful of
focal points, particularly town centres, motorway corridors and the Slough Trading Estate.
Employment levels have been unstable over recent years and some parts of East Berkshire
are performing much better than others in terms of employment generation (town centre
employment has declined rapidly while there has been notable growth in non central
locations).
4.66 On the whole, East Berkshire performs well on enterprise indicators but there is a marked
disparity between the levels of self employment in Slough and RBWM. Slough has a
particularly low rate of self employment, while RBWM’s is remarkably high.
4.67 East Berkshire’s economy is characterised by a strong private sector and concentrations of
employment in high value added sectors. In particular, employment is concentrated on
banking, finance and insurance, transport and communications, and higher value
manufacturing. Recent changes in the sectoral make up of East Berkshire’s employment
base have been focused on lower value added sectors (particularly certain manufacturing
sub sectors) although there has been some loss in higher value added professional service
sectors (including labour recruitment and provision of personnel and market research) and
the financial services sector (particularly monetary intermediation) which do not appear to
be explicitly linked to the economic slowdown.
4.68 East Berkshire’s economic success and strength as a wealth generator is closely linked to the
high value added sectoral make up of its employment base. As global competition for FDI
intensifies (particularly from emerging economies that can compete effectively on price) it
will be important to continually reinforce East Berkshire’s competitive position by ensuring
access to highly skilled labour, innovation and R&D facilities, knowledge based institutions
etc. Key policy implications for employment include:
Investment in town centres: Employment levels across East Berkshire have been
unstable over recent years but there has been an overall increase of 2% between
2003 and 2008. Much of the growth in employment has occurred outside of existing
employment hubs and all of East Berkshire’s main urban areas (Slough, Maidenhead,
Windsor and Eton) have suffered a notable decline in employment. The loss of
employment in town centres against a backdrop of growing employment elsewhere
indicates a marked decline in the economic health of these areas relative to their
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 76
surrounding areas and supports the case for investment in these town centre
locations to enhance competitiveness, attract further investment and create
employment.
Address decline on the Eastern Side of Slough Trading Estate. Recent employment
trends suggest that while one side of the Slough Trading Estate is thriving, the other
is not. The western side of the trading estate continues to attract investment from a
range of high value sectors (in particular telecommunications) and is characterised
by recent, modern office developments. Conversely, the eastern side of the trading
estate is fully built out and there are concentrations of employment in
manufacturing sectors (particularly more traditional, lower value added sectors that
have been in decline for some time). As a result, there has been an ongoing decline
of employment on this side of the estate. As a key driver of economic growth in East
Berkshire, it is important to address this decline through interventions to encourage
inward investment, stimulate enterprise and broaden the base of economic
activities on this side of the estate.
Address barriers to enterprise in Slough. On the whole, East Berkshire performs
well in enterprise indicators, although this masks a particularly large polarisation in
the rates of enterprise amongst residents of Slough and RBWM. In RBWM, rates are
notably high (largely as a result of the relative affluence of the borough’s
population) whilst Slough’s rates of enterprise are particularly poor. Aside from
being linked to financial barriers to enterprise, this is likely to also be linked to the
dominance of large employers in Slough’s employment base and potentially Slough’s
sites and premises offer. Although Slough’s economic performance is strong overall,
the low levels of enterprise represent a key weakness that may eventually erode the
economic success of the area, particularly as reliance on a smaller number of large
organisations for the lion’s share of employment leaves Slough vulnerable to
external economic changes. Enterprise policy should focus on understanding and
responding to the enterprise barriers faced by Slough’s residents.
Ensure continued success of key sectors while diversifying into emerging ones. East
Berkshire has key sector specialisms in business management and consultancy,
management activities of holding companies, IT and software, advanced
manufacturing, telecommunications and tourism (particularly in RBWM). These are
important sectors in terms of employment and wealth generation and underpin the
success of East Berkshire’s economy. Whilst it will be important to seek to maintain
the performance of these sectors, policy makers should seek new sector
opportunities for East Berkshire e.g. in Low Carbon technologies, life sciences and
other emerging, high growth sectors.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 77
Key sub sectors for East Berkshire Local Authorities
2 digit 4 digit
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead East Berkshire
Number LQ vs GB % change
2003 – 08 Number LQ vs GB
% change
2003 – 08 Number LQ vs GB
% change
2003 – 08
Transport and
Communications
6420 : Telecommunications 3,638 6.5 21% 1,473 2.63 ‐52% 5,111 4.55 ‐16%
6411 : National post activities 1,856 3.5 167% 353 0.67 4% 2,210 2.09 113%
6340 : Activities of other transport agencies 1,588 8.5 ‐9% 63 0.34 133% 1,650 4.43 ‐7%
6312 : Storage and warehousing 460 1.1 6% 1,016 2.40 653% 1,475 1.73 160%
6412 : Courier activities other than national post activities 1,061 5.5 30% 74 0.39 ‐57% 1,135 2.97 15%
6330 : Activities of travel agencies and tour operators; tourist
assistance activities not elsewhere classified 401 1.4 127% 337 1.22 23% 738 1.33 64%
Manufacturing
1584 : Manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery 1,188 23.3 ‐30% 0 ‐ ‐ 1,188 11.66 ‐30%
1513 : Production of meat and poultry meat products 945 7.5 ‐ 21 0.17 200% 966 3.82 13700%
2452 : Manufacture of perfumes and toilet preparations 353 9.2 1% 480 12.59 63% 832 10.88 29%
2430 : Manufacture of paints, varnishes and similar coatings,
printing ink and mastics 742 16.0 ‐4% 0 ‐ ‐ 742 8.04 ‐4%
3310 : Manufacture of medical and surgical equipment and
orthopaedic appliances 493 5.1 9760% 129 1.35 ‐22% 622 3.25 264%
2924 : Manufacture of other general purpose machinery n.e.c 388 4.5 26% 232 2.72 729% 620 3.62 85%
2441 : Manufacture of basic pharmaceuticals 529 26.4 49% 1 0.05 ‐ 529 13.23 49%
2222 : Printing not elsewhere classified 210 0.7 52% 288 0.97 ‐10% 498 0.84 8%
1581 : Manufacture of bread; manufacture of fresh pastry goods
and cakes 334 1.7 62% 156 0.80 41% 489 1.25 54%
Banking, finance
and Insurance
7222 : Other software consultancy and supply 2,817 2.7 17% 4,484 4.33 ‐6% 7,301 3.51 2%
7450 : Labour recruitment and provision of personnel 4,637 1.9 8% 2,169 0.91 ‐31% 6,806 1.42 ‐8%
7414 : Business and management consultancy activities 1,847 1.9 169% 1,913 1.99 23% 3,761 1.95 68%
7487 : Other business activities not elsewhere classified 893 0.9 ‐29% 2,187 2.28 24% 3,081 1.60 2%
7470 : Industrial cleaning 1,539 1.2 98% 1,225 0.97 24% 2,764 1.09 57%
7415 : Management activities of holding companies 831 2.5 2% 1,403 4.25 42% 2,234 3.38 24%
7310 : R&D on natural sciences and engineering 994 3.2 1% 905 2.97 12% 1,900 3.11 6%
7413 : Market research and public opinion polling 105 0.6 84% 1,468 8.49 ‐43% 1,572 4.53 ‐40%
7260 : Other computer related activities 465 1.8 ‐9% 849 3.33 ‐1% 1,314 2.57 ‐4%
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 78
Key sub sectors for East Berkshire Local Authorities
2 digit 4 digit
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead East Berkshire
Number LQ vs GB % change
2003 – 08 Number LQ vs GB
% change
2003 – 08 Number LQ vs GB
% change
2003 – 08
Other high LQ
sectors
6340 : Activities of other transport agencies 1,588 8.5 ‐9% 63 0.3 133% 1,650 4.4 ‐7%
1584 : Manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery 1,188 23.3 ‐30% ‐ 0.0 ‐ 1,188 11.7 ‐30%
7310 : Research and experimental development on natural sciences
and engineering 994 3.2 1% 905 3.0 12% 1,900 3.1 6%
1513 : Production of meat and poultry meat products 945 7.5 ‐ 21 0.2 200% 966 3.8 13700%
2452 : Manufacture of perfumes and toilet preparations 353 9.2 1% 480 12.6 63% 832 10.9 29%
9233 : Fair and amusement park activities ‐ 0.0 ‐ 796 21.2 194% 796 10.6 194%
2430 : Manufacture of paints, varnishes and similar coatings,
printing ink and mastics 742 16.0 ‐4% ‐ 0.0 ‐ 742 8.0 ‐4%
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis© Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 79
5. Business Base, Innovation, R&D and Supply Chains
5.1 This section will focus on understanding East Berkshire’s business base in terms of its size
and structure, innovation and R&D behaviour and the supply chain linkages between
businesses in East Berkshire.
Business Base – Key characteristics
Although there has been sustained growth in East Berkshire’s business base over the past four years, the 9% growth between 2003 and 2008 has not kept pace with the growth occurring nationally or regionally (11% increase in the same period).
While employment in town centres has decreased over the last five years, the number of business units has actually increased but the rate of increase in central areas has generally been slower than the East Berkshire average, which suggests that there are areas of significant business growth outside of the town centres.
East Berkshire’s high business density in comparison to the national average (82 businesses per 1,000 working age residents in East Berkshire compared to 67 nationally) is largely due to the particularly strong performance of RBWM on this indicator (the business density of 105 businesses per 1,000 working age residents is only exceeded by South Buckinghamshire). Slough’s business density is considerably lower, at just 58 businesses per 1,000 working age residents.
Slough’s low business density may be related to the dominance of larger employers, but there is also evidence of much lower start up and survival rates.
RBWM’s business base is particularly skewed towards small businesses, which reflects the strong start up rates in this borough.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 80
Strong growth in East Berkshire’s business base…
5.3 There are 14,000 businesses based in East Berkshire. Although the area has seen sustained
growth in the size of its business base over the past four years, the 9% growth in the size of
the business base between 2003 and 2008 has not kept pace with the growth occurring
nationally or regionally (11% increase in the same period). With the exception of Hounslow
and South Buckinghamshire, the rate of growth in East Berkshire’s business base has
exceeded that of other comparator areas.
Table 5‐1: East Berkshire Local Authorities and comparators ‐ Number of business units 2003 – 2008 (000s)
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 % change 2003‐08
Slough 4.4 4.3 4.5 4.5 4.6 4.8 9%
Windsor & Maidenhead 8.4 8.4 8.5 8.7 9.0 9.1 9%
Hillingdon 10.1 10.1 10.2 10.5 10.6 11.0 9%
Hounslow 9.2 9.2 9.6 9.7 9.9 10.3 12%
Reading 6.4 6.4 6.6 6.6 6.8 6.9 8%
South Bucks 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 11%
Spelthorne 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.1 4.3 7%
Wycombe 9.1 9.2 9.2 9.2 9.2 9.5 4%
East Berkshire 12.8 12.7 13.0 13.2 13.6 14.0 9%
TVB LEP area 38.7 38.6 39.6 40.2 41.2 41.9 8%
South East 358 362 374 382 390 396 11%
GB 2,212 2,236 2,313 2,361 2,406 2,446 11%
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
Windsor and Maidenhead’s businesses base almost twice the size of Slough’s …
5.4 Although Slough, and Windsor and Maidenhead’s economies support a similar number of
jobs, the strong bias towards larger firms in Slough is evident in the size of the area’s
business base; it is almost half the size of Windsor and Maidenhead’s. 65% of the 14,000
businesses located in East Berkshire are located in Windsor and Maidenhead. This is also
evident in the information for town centres which is presented in Table 5‐2; both Windsor
and Eton and Maidenhead centres support a far larger number of businesses than Slough
town centre and the trading estate.
5.5 Although employment in all town centre areas has decreased over the last five years, the
number of business units has actually increased. The rate of increase in business numbers
has however, been slower than the East Berkshire average everywhere except Slough town
Centre, which suggests that there are areas of significant business growth outside of the
town centres.
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 81
Table 5‐2: East Berkshire town centres and comparators ‐ Number of businesses 2003 – 2008 (000s)
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 %
change 2002‐08
East Berkshire 12.8 12.7 13.0 13.2 13.6 14.0 9%
Slough Town Centre 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 9%
Slough Trading Estate 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.7 6%
Windsor and Eton 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 6%
Maidenhead 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 4%
Basingstoke 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 15%
High Wycombe 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.9 ‐7%
Hounslow 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.9 9%
Reading 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.8 6%
Uxbridge 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 8%
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
…and business density in Windsor and Maidenhead is particularly high
5.6 East Berkshire’s business density of 82 businesses per 1,000 working age residents compares
very well to the national average of 67. This is largely due to the particularly strong
performance of RBWM on this indicator (the business density of 105 businesses per 1,000
working age residents is only exceeded by South Buckinghamshire) as Slough’s business
density is considerably lower at just 58 businesses per 1,000 working age residents.
Figure 5‐1: East Berkshire Local Authorities and Comparators – Business Density 2003 – 2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
..and Slough’s low business density is linked to dominance of large businesses
5.7 Slough’s comparatively low business density is related to the dominance of larger employers
in the borough. As Figure 5‐2 shows, Slough’s business base is strongly weighted towards
115
101
90 93
80
72
72
67
63 64
64
57
121
105
95
95
82
77
76
68
67
66
66
58
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
South Bucks
Windsor and
Maidenhead
Wycombe
Tham
es Valley LEP
East Berkshire
South East
Spelthorne
Reading
England and W
ales
Hillingdon
Hounslow
SloughBusiness Density (Businesses per 1,000 W
AP)
2003 2008
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 82
larger firms (only Uxbridge has a smaller base of businesses with less than 10 employees).
This comparatively modest base of small businesses in Slough is linked to issues around
enterprise and entrepreneurial activity; the employment section has already identified the
marked difference in self employment rates between the two boroughs and linked this to a
number of factors including financial barriers, lack of entrepreneurial culture and lack of
appropriate sites and premises for start up businesses.
Figure 5‐2: East Berkshire Local Authorities and Comparators – Business Size, 2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
5.8 Strict rules governing the publication of ABI data prevent further exploration of this as it is
not possible to disclose statistics relating to small numbers of firms. As Table 5‐3 shows,
there are businesses in Slough in the much larger size bands, although data relating to the
number of businesses in these size bands has been suppressed to maintain data
confidentiality.
Table 5‐3: East Berkshire Local Authorities – Detailed Size Bands (2008)
Great Britain East Berkshire Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Number % of total
Number % of total
Number % of total
Number % of total
1 to 4 1,739,520 71% 10,270 74% 3,230 67% 7,040 77%
5 ‐ 10 339,180 14% 1,710 12% 670 14% 1,040 11%
11 ‐ 24 190,880 8% 990 7% 400 8% 590 6%
25 ‐ 49 91,180 4% 470 3% 230 5% 240 3%
50 to 99 47,780 2% 240 2% 130 3% 110 1%
100 to 199 21,500 1% 190 1% 110 2% 80 1%
200 to 299 6,970 0.3% 40 0% * 0% 30 0%
300 to 399 3,140 0.1% * 0% * 0% ‐ 0%
400 to 499 1,700 0.1% * 0% * 0% * 0%
500 to 749 2,050 0.1% * 0% * 0% ‐ 0%
750 to 999 770 0.0% * 0% ‐ 0% * 0%
1000 to 1499 590 0.0% ‐ 0% ‐ 0% ‐ 0%
90%
88%
88%
87%
87%
86%
86%
86%
85%
84%
82%
81%
72%
8%
9%
9%
10%
10%
10%
10%
10%
12%
11%
14%
13%
19%
2%
2%
2%
3%
2%
3%
3%
3%
3%
4%
4%
5%
6%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
South Bucks
Wycombe
Windsor and Maidenhead
Spelthorne
South East
Hounslow
Thames Valley LEP
East Berkshire
Great Britain
Hillingdon
Reading
Slough
Uxbridge
1‐10 employees 11‐49 employees
50‐199 employees 200+ employees
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 83
1500 to 1999 230 0.0% ‐ 0% ‐ 0% ‐ 0%
2000 to 4999 440 0.0% ‐ 0% ‐ 0% ‐ 0%
5000 or more 70 0.0% ‐ 0% ‐ 0% ‐ 0%
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
Note: Figures marked with * have been suppressed to maintain data confidentiality
5.9 East Berkshire’s Town centres reflect this business size make up to differing degrees; the
under representation of smaller businesses is more evident on the Slough Trading Estate
(where just 70% of businesses employ less than 10 people) and in central Slough (77% of
businesses employ less than 10 people) than it is across the authority as a whole.
Conversely, Windsor and Eton centre has a high proportion of smaller businesses.
Figure 5‐3 East Berkshire town centres and Comparators – Business Size (2008)
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
5.10 As Figure 5‐4shows, the average number of employees per business for East Berkshire as a
whole is broadly similar to the national average (and has followed a similar trend over recent
years). There is however, a marked difference between Slough and RBWM in this regard and
the size band make up of the business base of both authorities differs considerably from the
national average. The average number of employees per business in Slough is twice that in
RBWM, this is as much a reflection of the very strong tendency towards larger employers in
Slough as it is an indication of the very strong small business base in RBWM.
86%
83%
81%
80%
80%
77%
71%
70%
68%
10%
13%
16%
15%
16%
15%
21%
21%
23%
3%
3%
3%
4%
3%
7%
6%
8%
7%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
East Berkshire
Hounslow Centre
Windsor and Eton Centre
High Wycombe Centre
Maidenhead Centre
Slough Centre
Reading Centre
Slough Trading Estate
Basingstoke Centre
1‐10 employees 11‐49 employees
50‐199 employees 200+ employees
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 84
Figure 5‐4: Average number of employees per business 1998 ‐2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry (1998 – 2008). ONS, Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
Rates of VAT registrations are particularly high in RBWM…
5.11 Although the rate of VAT registrations for East Berkshire as a whole (7.5 per 1,000 working
age residents) far exceeds the England and Wales average of 5.5, there is further indication
of a marked disparity between Windsor and Maidenhead, and Slough. Windsor and
Maidenhead’s VAT registration rate of 9.1 per 1,000 working age residents is almost twice
the national average (which goes some way to explaining the apparent overrepresentation
of smaller companies in RBWM). Conversely, the rate of VAT registrations in Slough only
marginally exceeds the England and Wales average and lags behind that of the South East of
England.
5.12 The large gap between VAT registration rates in Slough and RBWM indicates that, in spite of
the area’s very strong economic performance, there are some significant issues around
enterprise in Slough.
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008Average
employees per business
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
GB South East
East Berks
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 85
Figure 5‐5: VAT registrations
VAT registrations and de‐registrations. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is
reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
1,265
1,055
710
1,110
795
630
405
470
425
‐855
‐705
‐580
‐660
‐570
‐400
‐315
‐285
‐250
11,405
8,435
8,275
8,085
7,760
4,965
4,235
3,645
3,515
‐2,000
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
East Berkshire
Hillingdon
Wycombe
Hounslow
Windsor and M
'head
Reading
South Bucks
Slough
Spelthorne
Number
Registrations Deregistrations Stocks
10.4
9.1
7.6
7.2
7.1
6.4
6.3
6.2
5.7
5.5
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
South Bucks
Windsor and M
'head
Spelthorne
Wycombe
Hounslow
Hillingdon
South East
Reading
Slough
England and W
ales
VAT registrastions per 1,000 W
AP
2003 2007
East Berks 2003 East Berks 2007
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 86
5.13 There are some indications that enterprise performance in Slough is beginning to improve –
there was a marked increase in the rate of VAT registrations in Slough between 2006 and
2007, although as Figure 5‐5 shows, this has done little to close the gap with other areas.
Figure 5‐6: East Berkshire Local Authorities and comparators – VAT registrations per 1,000 WAP 2001‐2007
VAT registrations and de‐registrations. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is
reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
5.14 The sectoral breakdown of VAT registrations and de‐registrations provided in Figure 5‐8
suggests some key differences East Berkshire to the national average; in particular there is a
far greater proportion of registrations in real estate, renting and business activities across
East Berkshire than nationally, more than half of registrations in East Berkshire (56%) in 2007
were in this sector compared to 44% nationally.
Two out of five businesses are in the banking, finance and insurance sector…
5.15 The sectoral breakdown of East Berkshire’s business base follows trends explored in
employment analysis in the previous section and accentuates the high value nature of East
Berkshire’s economy. Banking, Finance and Insurance businesses make up the largest
proportion of East Berkshire’s business base. As Figure 5‐7 shows, there is a marked
overrepresentation of businesses in this sector in Windsor and Maidenhead, where this
sector accounts for almost half of the total. While the proportion of businesses in this sector
is much smaller in Slough (36%) this remains a greater proportion than nationally.
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
VAT registrations per 1,000 W
AP
Slough Windsor and M'head
East Berkshire South East
GB
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 87
Figure 5‐7: East Berkshire Local Authorities and Comparators – Business Units by Broad Industrial Sectors, 2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright
material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
5.16 This concentration is also reflected in the sectoral breakdown of VAT registrations by broad
industrial sector provided in Figure 5‐8. There is a marked overrepresentation of start‐ups in
the real estate, renting and business section for East Berkshire as a whole and in RBWM in
particular (where almost three in five – 58% of start ups – are in this sector).
…and business management and consultancy is particularly well represented
5.17 Within the business, finance and insurance sector, there is a particular concentration of
businesses within the Business Management and Consultancy sub sector. There are more
than 1,000 businesses in this sector, giving it a LQ of 1.6. The majority of these businesses
(83%) are in RBWM, where the sector has a LQ of 2, which means that RBWM’s business
base is twice as dependent on this sector as nationally. There has been a strong recent
growth in the business base in this sector, with the number of businesses increasing by 42%
between 2003 and 2008.
….along with labour and personnel recruitment businesses
5.18 Labour recruitment and recruitment of personnel is another key sector within the business,
finance and insurance sector. The concentration of businesses in this sector is twice the
national level in both Slough and RBWM, and there has been a 29% increase between 2003
and 2008. It was noted in the employment analysis that this sector is a major employer in
East Berkshire, accounting for almost 7,000 employees.
36%
46%
35%
40%
42%
44%
34%
42%
43%
44%
38%
33%
28%
23%
27%
25%
27%
20%
25%
21%
24%
23%
24%
27%
6%
9%
7%
10%
7%
12%
10%
9%
8%
8%
8%
8%
7%
7%
11%
6%
7%
9%
11%
10%
7%
9%
11%
10%
6%
7%
6%
7%
8%
6%
6%
6%
6%
7%
8%
9%
10%
3%
9%
8%
4%
4%
8%
3%
6%
4%
4%
4%
6%
5%
5%
4%
4%
4%
5%
7%
5%
5%
6%
6%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Slough
Windor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon
Hounslow
Reading
South Bucks
Spelthorne
Wycombe
East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP area
South East
GB
Banking finance and insurance Distribution, hotels and restaurants
Other services Construction
Public admin Transport and communications
Manufacturing Agri and fishing
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 88
Figure 5‐8: VAT registrations by Broad industrial sector
VAT registrations and deregistrations. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is
reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
47%
51%
60%
53%
54%
44%
58%
53%
44%
48%
56%
16%
15%
14%
14%
15%
18%
13%
15%
17%
15%
13%
13%
9%
8%
10%
9%
11%
7%
10%
12%
13%
8%
6%
7%
7%
5%
2%
7%
8%
5%
9%
7%
7%
7%
5%
3%
9%
4%
8%
4%
3%
4%
4%
6%
3%
3%
2%
4%
4%
4%
4%
3%
5%
4%
4%
4%
7%
3%
3%
9%
7%
3%
5%
5%
5%
3%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Hillingdon
Hounslow
Reading
Slough
South Bucks
Spelthorne
Windsor and Maidenhead
Wycombe
England and Wales
South East
East Berkshire
Registrations
Real estate, renting & buiness Wholesale, retail Construction
Hotels & restaurants Transport, storage & comms Manufacturing
Public admin Mining, quarrying, elec & gas Educ, health and social work
Financial intermed. Agriculture
35%
38%
48%
34%
48%
34%
54%
47%
35%
41%
47%
22%
23%
16%
29%
13%
22%
16%
15%
20%
17%
20%
12%
7%
10%
9%
10%
12%
7%
8%
11%
12%
8%
6%
10%
4%
7%
14%
12%
9%
9%
7%
8%
8%
6%
5%
6%
4%
5%
4%
4%
7%
7%
6%
4%
8%
8%
9%
7%
3%
6%
4%
6%
9%
7%
5%
8%
8%
5%
11%
5%
10%
4%
3%
5%
5%
6%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Hillingdon
Hounslow
Reading
Slough
South Bucks
Spelthorne
Windsor and Maidenhead
Wycombe
England and Wales
South East
East Berkshire
Deregistrations
Real estate, renting & buiness Wholesale, retail Construction
Public admin Mining, quarrying, elec & gas Manufacturing
Hotels & restaurants Transport, storage & comms Agriculture
Financial intermed. Educ, health and social work
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 89
Concentration of transport and communications businesses reflects specialism in Telecommunications…
5.20 As suggested by the employment analysis, the Transport and Communications sector is
overrepresented in East Berkshire’s business base in comparison to nationally (accounting
for 6% of all businesses compared to 4% nationally). This is even more pronounced in Slough
where 10% of the business base trades in this sector. This is largely a reflection of Slough’s
specialism in the telecommunications sector, which has an LQ of 2.5 in Slough.
Business survival rates are lower in Slough than RBWM…
5.21 Businesses started in East Berkshire have a slightly better chance of survival than the
national average. A three year survival rate of 68% is three percentage points better than
the national average. This is strong indicator of the economic health of the area. There is
some variation between survival rates in Slough and Windsor and Maidenhead. Slough’s
three year survival rate is four percentage points lower than Windsor and Maidenhead’s,
and two percentage points lower than the average for the South East.
5.22 This is particularly interesting in the context of Slough’s comparatively poor performance on
enterprise indicators more generally (i.e. low start up rate and business density). It suggests
that in addition to there being factors that may prevent businesses starting up in the first
place, there may be more substantial barriers to business survival in the borough too.
East Berks Local Authorities – Survival Rates for businesses started in 2006
Source: ONS business demography.
5.23 Unsurprisingly, business closures focused primarily on micro businesses with 91% of those
closing in 2008 having less than four employees. All of business closures in Slough in 2008
were businesses with less than 19 employees, while a small proportion (five businesses) in
94%
96%
94%
95%
96%
96%
96%
96%
95%
95%
94%
79% 84%
78%
80%
79% 83%
80% 86%
82%
82%
80%
65% 69%
64%
60% 67%
68%
64% 71%
68%
67%
65%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
Slough
Windsor &
Maidenhead
Hillingdon
Hounslow
Reading
South Bucks
Spelthorne
Wycombe
East Berkshire
South East
GB
Survival rate
1 year survival rate 2 year survival rate 3 year survival rate
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 90
Windsor and Maidenhead were slightly larger (20+ employees)
East Berks Local Authorities – Business Closures, 2008
0 ‐ 4 employees 5 ‐ 9 employees 10 ‐ 19 employees 20 + employees
Business
closures
% of
total
Business
closures
% of
total
Business
closures
% of
total
Business
closures
% of
total
Slough 335 88% 35 9% 10 3% 0 0%
Windsor & Maidenhead 700 92% 40 5% 15 2% 5 1%
Hillingdon 890 91% 65 7% 20 2% 5 1%
Hounslow 870 93% 45 5% 20 2% 5 1%
Reading 550 87% 45 7% 20 3% 20 3%
South Bucks 395 90% 30 7% 10 2% 5 1%
Spelthorne 325 90% 20 6% 15 4% 0 0%
Wycombe 660 91% 35 5% 20 3% 10 1%
East Berkshire 1,035 91% 75 7% 25 2% 5 0%
South East 30,090 90% 2,170 7% 800 2% 310 1%
GB 190,885
89% 15,670 7% 5,820 3% 2,325 1%
Source: ONS business demography.
5.24 Unfortunately, the most up to date information on business closures does not reflect the
impact of the economic downturn. However, there is some indication that (prior to the
recession at least) East Berkshire’s economic was performing well and the number of
business closures had decreased overall between 2004 and 2007 (although there was a small
increase in closures between 2006 and 2007). As the business demography dataset from
which this data is drawn is relatively new, there is insufficient time series data to draw on to
analyse trends and draw out implications for East Berkshire.
Innovation Indicators
5.25 Data on investment in research and development is not readily available at the local level.
However, regionally, it is clear from Figure 5‐9 that the South East of England performs
particularly strongly on this measure and has the largest number of FTE employees engaged
in R&D activities of all the regions (35,000). In terms of absolute investment in R&D, the
South East performs far better than other regions and is second only to the East of England –
in 2009 more than £3.5 billion was invested in R&D by companies in the South East
5.26 The performance of businesses in the South East of England, with regard to R&D is also
strong in relative terms – expenditure on R&D by firms in the South East represents 2% of
the region’s GVA. This is considerably more than the England average of 1.4% and second
only to East of England, where investment in R&D is 3.6% of GVA (East of England’s strong
performance in R&D is closely linked to the high concentration of R&D activities around the
region’s key KBIs, including Cambridge).
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 91
Figure 5‐9: Headline investment and employment in R&D by Region, 2009
Source: ONS, expenditure and employment in R&D by government office region.
5.27 As for investment in R&D, the proportion of the South East’s employees engaged in R&D
activities is amongst the highest nationally and is second only to East of England.
Figure 5‐10: Investment in R&D as % of GVA and total employment
Source: ONS, expenditure and employment in R&D by government office region and Business Register and Employment Survey / ONS NUTS1 GVA at current basic prices, 2009. © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO.
30
35
14 15
10 1012
7 7
£3,898
£3,598
£2,050
£1,267
£984
£926
£873
£644
£452
£321
£313
£297
£0
£500
£1,000
£1,500
£2,000
£2,500
£3,000
£3,500
£4,000
£4,500
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
East of England
South East
North W
est
South W
est
East M
idlands
London
West Midlands
Scotland
Yorkshire and the
Humber Wales
North East
Northern Ireland
R&D investment (£millions)
Number of FTEs
Employment on R&D activities Expenditure on R&D
1.3%
1.0%
0.7%
0.5% 0.5%
0.4%0.3%
0.3%
3.6%
2.0%
1.7%
1.3%
1.3%
1.0%
0.8%
0.7%
0.6%
0.5%
0.3%
0.0%
0.5%
1.0%
1.5%
2.0%
2.5%
3.0%
3.5%
4.0%
0.0%
0.2%
0.4%
0.6%
0.8%
1.0%
1.2%
1.4%
East of England
South East
North W
est
South W
est
East M
idlands
West Midlands
North East
Wales
Scotland
Yorkshire and The
Humber
London
Investment in R&D as % of GVA
Employm
ent in R&D as % of total employm
ent
R&D employment as % of total employment Investment in R&D as % of GVA
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 92
5.28 As Figure 5‐11 shows, investment in manufacturing R&D makes up the lion’s share of R&D
investment for all regions (with the exception of London, where more than half of
expenditure is related to the service sector). Around three quarters of the South East’s total
R&D investment is carried out by companies in the manufacturing sector. This is almost the
same in absolute terms as in the East of England, but the amount of R&D expenditure in the
service sector is comparatively smaller.
Figure 5‐11: Investment in R&D by sector
Source: ONS, expenditure and employment in R&D by government office region
5.29 Based on this data and the strong concentrations of high value manufacturing, and other
R&D and innovation dependent industries (such as telecommunications and software and IT)
it is likely that the behaviour of businesses in East Berkshire (particularly the larger firms
located in Slough) will follow the pattern exhibited for the South East of England as a whole
and perform well with regard to investment and innovation.
5.30 Reponses to the 2009 UK Innovation Survey also suggest a likelihood that a larger proportion
of East Berkshire’s business base might be more actively engaged in innovation activity than
nationally. Across the full range of headline innovation indicators outlined in Figure 5‐12,
businesses in the South East perform markedly better than nationally. Overall, 63% of
businesses in the South East are classed as Innovation Active (i.e. had reported investing in
activities related to innovation of products of processes), five percentage points greater than
the national average. Interestingly, the propensity to engage in product innovation (rather
than process innovation) appears much larger in South East companies – where 28% of firms
(four percentage points more than nationally) had reported innovation activity. Although the
proportion of South East companies reporting process innovation (14%) is still larger than
nationally (13%) the gap in performance is much smaller.
£2,689
£2,658
£1,887
£898
£862
£668
£324
£1,181
£801
£0
£500
£1,000
£1,500
£2,000
£2,500
£3,000
£3,500
£4,000
£4,500
E SE NW SW EM WM Scot YH Lon NE Wales NI
Investment in R&D (£ millions)
Manufacturing Services Other
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 93
Figure 5‐12: UK innovation Survey . Headline indicators, 2009
Source: UK Innovation Survey Statistical Annex 2009
5.31 The slightly greater concentration of firms classed as Wider Innovators in the South East is
also notable. Wider innovation relates to improved forms of organisational structures or
practices aimed at improving internal effectiveness or efficiency of approaching markets or
customers. This sort of organisational innovation is becoming increasingly important in
determining the competitiveness of an organisation.
5.32 Results from this survey are only available at a regional level, so this interpretation assumes
that the performance of businesses in East Berkshire will mirror the South East average
(while this seems intuitive given the concentration of businesses and employment in higher
value, knowledge intensive activities, it is not possible to test this assumption).
Inward Investment
5.33 The following maps outline recent FDI activity in key sectors in the UK. Berkshire has clearly
been successful in attracting FDI projects to the county. Investments have been most
numerous in three key sectors; ICT, Life sciences and Advanced Engineering. However, it is
only in the ICT sector that Berkshire appears to have equalled the performance of other
areas. There were more than 20 FDI projects relating to ICT in Berkshire between 2003 and
2009. As this sector encompasses telecommunications activity, and it is likely that the recent
growth and strong performance of this sector in East Berkshire will have driven much of this
investment (for example investments by Hutchinson 3G and O2 will have contributed to
this).
58%
24%
13%
27% 27%
55%
63% 28% 14% 33% 29% 60%0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Innovation Active
Product innovators
Process innovators
Either product or process
innovators
Wider innovators
Engaged in innovation related
activities
% businesses
UK South East
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 94
Figure 5‐13: Overview of FDI projects by sector 2003 – 2009
● East Berkshire Local Economic Assessment ●
Page 95
Figure 5‐13: Overview of FDI projects by sector 2003 – 2009
Source: UKTI online interactive map of FDI flow activity 2003‐9 (http://www.ukti.gov.uk/investintheuk/investorsmap.html)
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 96
Supply Chains
5.34 Our discussions with firms in East Berkshire have indicated that to a large extent supply
chains are often national or international, particularly with some of the major national or
internationally owned firms.
5.35 The public sector has an important role in providing local supply chain opportunities, with
local authorities, hospitals, colleges and so on having a responsibility to act as an exemplar
for the private sector.
Summary and Policy Implications
5.36 East Berkshire has a strong business base that has been steadily growing in terms of the
number of units and the employment it supports. While both Slough and RBWM are strong
performers, there are some marked disparities between the strength of their business bases.
In particular, the large disparity between the rates of enterprise in the two authorities
suggests that Slough may be more vulnerable to the impact of economic shocks (such as loss
of major employers) than RBWM. Although the two authorities support similar volumes of
employment, Slough’s business base is almost half the size of RBWM’s. While this is not
currently having any adverse affects for Slough, increasing global competition, coupled with
the relatively footloose nature of many of the sectors in which Slough specialises, suggests
that the authority could be vulnerable. Overall, rates of enterprise in Slough are much lower
than RBWM and business survival rates are also markedly lower.
5.37 Clearly, efforts to retain the large companies that have underpinned much of Slough’s recent
economic growth will be crucial. But there is also a need to foster and encourage enhanced
enterprise performance in Slough to mitigate the potential risks that the borough faces from
loss of larger employers.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 97
6. East Berkshire’s Labour Market
6.1 This section of the report explores the supply of labour across East Berkshire. An analysis of
the area’s demographic characteristics sets the context for an examination of the levels of
education, the skills pool present amongst residents and levels of economic activity and
worklessness.
6.2 The following measures have been used in order to understand what has been happening in
the area in recent years:
Population and Demographics
Skills – Qualifications, School Performance and Occupational groupings
Economic activity and Employment rates
Worklessness – Economic Inactivity and Unemployment
Travel to work patterns
East Berkshire Labour Market: Headline Characteristics
Labour market characteristics within East Berkshire vary significantly – with RBWM typically
performing above the regional average and Slough at or below it.
East Berkshire has a population of around 272,200, with Slough and RBWM contributing around
128,400 and 143,800 respectively. However, due to high levels of population transience Slough, the
Borough Council believe the local population to be closer to 140,000.
Theoretically indicating the presence of a large labour pool, a relatively high proportion of East
Berkshire residents are of working age – particularly the case in Slough. In RBWM there is a higher
proportion of more elderly residents. Slough is characterised by high levels of ethnic diversity and
population transience.
Across East Berkshire’s functional economic geography area, there are over half a million
economically active residents and over quarter of a million working age residents with Level 4 or
higher qualification – a significant pool of highly skilled labour. Within East Berkshire, Slough
performs relatively poorly in terms of labour market skills – especially in relation to RBWM.
There is an important disparity between the relatively low skills levels of Slough residents and the
typically highly skilled nature of the jobs available in the Borough. This skills gap has implications
both in terms of levels of worklessness and commuting to work patterns.
A similar labour market challenge exists in RBWM. Here, the higher skills profile of residents results
in lower uptake of local leisure and hospitality jobs by local residents. Again there are implications
for economic performance and commuting patterns.
However, Slough performs strongly in terms of secondary school performance and progression of
residents to further and higher education – a positive indicator for future performance
Levels of economic inactivity and unemployment vary with East Berkshire. Levels of economic
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 98
inactivity and employment are much lower in RBWM than they are in Slough. In Slough, economic
inactivity rates are high amongst particular groups – including ethnic minority females. Rates of
inactivity and unemployment have increased across East Berkshire during the recessionary period.
Underpinning the performance of the East Berkshire economy and the local labour market are
dynamics and dependencies which transcend local authority boundaries. Most significant are travel
to work patterns. There is a daily net inflow of commuters to East Berkshire of over 16,000, whilst
(as indicated by the trends described above) within East Berkshire there is a net movement of
people from RBWM to Slough. Reflecting the above trends, people tend to commute into Slough
from the surrounding areas to access highly skilled jobs, whilst Slough residents with lower skills
tend to commute out of the Borough.
Population and Demography
A Large (and Growing) Working Age Population....
6.3 According to 2009 Mid Year Population Estimates form ONS, the population of East
Berkshire stood at around 272,200 in 2009, with Slough and RBWM contributing around
128,400 and 143,800 respectively. The three main town centres in East Berkshire are of
similar size in terms of population – Maidenhead, Slough Town Centre and Windsor and Eton
have 6,600, 7,600 and 7,100 residents respectively.
6.4 The 2009 midyear population estimates from ONS suggest that the East Berkshire
population has grown by 7% since 2001 and by 6% and 8% in Slough and RBWM
respectively. Population growth in the town centres has been stronger – amounting to
around 17% in Windsor and Eton, 13% in Maidenhead and 12% in Slough Town Centre.
Figure 6‐1: Population Summary, 2009
All Ages Working Age( males ‐ 16‐64; females ‐ 16‐59 )
Number % Change 2001‐2009
Number % of Total % Change 2001‐2009
Town Centres
Maidenhead 6,661 13% 4,220 63% 15%
Slough 7,612 12% 5,196 68% 12%
Windsor and Eton 7,141 17% 4,709 66% 18%
Basingstoke 2,128 48% 1,606 75% 67%
High Wycombe 6,631 9% 4,415 67% 10%
Hounslow 19,030 51% 14,315 75% 64%
Reading 8,146 25% 6,494 80% 28%
Uxbridge 4,043 ‐3% 2,693 67% ‐2%
Boroughs Slough 128,400 6% 84,300 66% 8%
Windsor & Maidenhead 143,800 8% 88,200 61% 6%
Hillingdon 262,500 7% 168,500 64% 9%
Hounslow 234,200 8% 159,600 68% 11%
Reading 151,800 5% 103,800 68% 7%
South Bucks 66,600 8% 39,100 59% 6%
Spelthorne 92,600 2% 56,500 61% 1%
Wycombe 163,600 1% 99,200 61% ‐2%
Wider Geographies
East Berkshire 272,200 7% 172,500 63% 7%
Thames Valley LEP 854,000 6% 547,300 64% 6%
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 99
South East 8,435,700 5% 5,135,300 61% 4%
England 51,809,700 5% 32,083,300 62% 5%
Source: ONS Mid Year Population Estimates © Crown Copyright
6.5 When considering population trends, however, it is important to note that Slough Borough
Council hold concern over both the accuracy of data concerning Slough from the 2001
Census and subsequent Mid Year Population Estimates. It has been estimated that in 2001
the population of Slough was underestimated by as much as 30,000 – the result of a
combination of factors including high levels of household overcrowding locally, the diverse
nature of local population and the transient nature of the local population. Each of these
factors is considered in more detail in later sections. Over a three year period after the 2001
Census, Mid Year Population Estimates suggested a decline in population in Slough – in
direct contrast to evidence presented by local tax returns and school roll data. Recent
changes in the methodology behind Mid Year Population Estimates have reversed this trend
and as a result the dataset is believed to be moving towards a more accurate reflection of
the local population.
6.6 However, the under‐estimation during the period 2002‐2004 continues to have a bearing
and Slough believe, that a more accurate picture of local population is approximately
140,000 (as opposed to 128,000). Indeed, recent research by Slough Borough Council using
data from Thames Water suggests that based on the size of the flow of sewage through
Slough Sewage Treatment Works, the population equivalent needed to produce the load
was approximately 150,000 (once trade and non resident sewage is taken out of the
equation).
6.7 Population estimates in RBWM are thought to be a more accurate reflection of reality.
6.8 Population estimates have an important bearing on financial allocations given to local
authorities and thus ultimately upon services provided to local residents. As a result of this,
Slough Borough Council is focused upon ensuring that the 2011 Census is conducted as
accurately as possible locally.
A Relatively Young and Diverse Population in Slough...
Large Working Age Cohorts in Slough BC and in the Town Centres
6.9 The working age population provides a good indication of the size of the local labour force.
Across East Berkshire, around 63% of residents are of working age – slightly higher than
regional and national averages. However, there is disparity between within the area in this
respect – whilst around 61% of RBWM residents are of working age, in Slough the rate is
around 66%.
6.10 Looking at population age profiles in more detail, the lower working age population in
RBWM can be explained by the presence of a more elderly population profile – 34% of the
population is over the age of fifty, and just under a fifth is over working age. In Slough, 42%
of the population are in the 25‐40 age group – higher than the majority of comparator areas.
Despite this disparity having a contrasting population profile to Slough, the population
profile of RBWM is broadly similar to that seen regionally and nationally.
6.11 At a more local level, the working age population is relatively large in both Slough Town
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 100
Centre (68%) and Windsor and Eton (66% ‐ including a very high proportion in the 16‐24
cohort) – a trend which would be expected in town centre areas. Indeed in several of the
comparator town centres, working age population levels are even higher – for example in
Reading (80%) Basingstoke (75%) and Hounslow (75%). Contrary to this trend, Maidenhead
has a lower working age population (63%).
Figure 6‐2: Population by Key Age Groups, 2009
Source: ONS Mid Year Population Estimates © Crown Copyright
The Importance and Implications of Population Age ProfileA key determinant of the size of the labour market, local demographic profiles play an important role in local economic performance. As such, in efforts to plan for – and ultimately achieve – economic growth it is vital that local population trends and their implications are understood. The challenge in East Berkshire varies in this respect:
In Slough, the most significant challenges exist around population transience. In recent years
the area has been subject to large flows of migrant groups into and out of the area, with
associated difficulties in assessing which groups are likely to stay and which are passing
through. The challenges around population transience in Slough are discussed in more detail
in the next section.
RBWM has an overall more elderly population profile than Slough, but not in comparison to
regional and national averages. Despite this, given the perceived attractiveness of RBWM as a
place to live, anecdotally parts of the Borough are perceived to be attractive to more elderly
people as places to retire to. It is important that these trends are understood at a very local
level to ensure correct targeting of services.
Future decades are widely projected to see an overall trend of ageing population in the UK. This is a trend which will affect all areas and as such it will be important for both Slough and RBWM to be in a position to project future population trends, understand their implications and where necessary, take steps to mitigate against them.
21% 21% 22% 22% 20% 20% 19% 18% 20% 18% 21% 21% 20% 19% 19%
9% 11% 20% 11% 10% 13% 12% 17% 9% 10%10% 11% 12% 11% 12%
43%46%
35%42%
37%37% 44% 40%
33% 36% 35% 39% 38%34% 35%
11%11% 11% 13%
15%13%
12% 11%
17% 15% 15%14% 14%
15% 15%
16% 11% 12% 13%19% 15% 13% 14%
22% 21% 19% 16% 16% 20% 19%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%M
aide
nhea
d
Slou
gh
Win
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and
Eto
n
Slou
gh
Win
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and
Mai
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Hill
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Hou
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Read
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Sout
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Spel
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Wyc
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East
Ber
kshi
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Tham
es V
alle
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P
Sout
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st
Engl
and
Town Centres Boroughs Wider Geographies
% o
f Po
pula
tion
by A
ge G
roup
, 20
09
Aged 0-15 Aged 16-24 Aged 25-49
Aged 50-64 (Males), 50-59 (Females) Aged 65 and Over (Males), 60 and Over (Females) Aged 16-64 (Males), 16-59 (Females)
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 101
High Levels of Ethnic Diversity in Slough BC
6.12 The population of East Berkshire as a whole is more ethnically diverse than is average
regionally and nationally. However, there is large disparity within the area – with very high
levels of ethnic diversity in Slough and more average levels in RBWM.
6.13 The proportion of Slough residents in the white ethnic groups is 61% ‐ much lower than the
regional average of 92% and the national average of 88%. Slough has a particularly high
proportion of residents in the Asian or Asian British ethnic group – around 29% of residents.
Within this, around 15% of all residents are in the Indian ethnic sub group, whilst around
12% are in the Pakistani sub group.
6.14 Conversely, the proportion of people in the white ethnic group in RBWM is around 89% ‐
above national average and just below the regional average.
Figure 6‐3: Population by Broad Ethnic Sub‐Groups, 2007
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
East Berkshire Thames Valley LEP South East England
White British 56% 80% 69% 79% 87% 84%
Irish 2% 1% 2% 1% 1% 1%
Other White 4% 8% 6% 5% 4% 3%
Total 61% 89% 76% 86% 92% 88%
Mixed White and Black Caribbean 1% 0% 1% 1% 0% 1%
White and Black African 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
White and Asian 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%
Other Mixed 1% 1% 1% 0% 0% 0%
Total 3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2%
Asian or Asian British
Indian 15% 3% 9% 4% 2% 3%
Pakistani 12% 2% 7% 3% 1% 2%
Bangladeshi 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 1%
Other Asian 2% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%
Total 29% 6% 17% 8% 3% 6%
Black or Black British
African 2% 1% 2% 1% 1% 1%
Caribbean 2% 0% 1% 1% 1% 1%
Other Black 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Total 5% 2% 3% 3% 2% 3%
Chinese or Other Ethnic
Group: Chinese 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%
Group: Other Ethnic Group 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%
Total 1% 2% 2% 2% 1% 2%
Source: ONS Mid Year Population Estimates © Crown Copyright
6.15 Further information on the ethnic origin of local residents is provided by the Annual
Population Survey and this data further emphasises the disparities which exist within East
Berkshire in terms of population characteristics. Levels of ethnic diversity in Slough are
higher than across all comparator geographies.
6.16 Across East Berkshire around 63% of residents are white UK nationals whilst around 83% are
UK nationals. In Slough and RBWM respectively, the proportion of residents who are white
UK nationals stands at 42% and 82%, whilst the proportion of UK nationals stands at around
77% and 90%.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 102
6.17 East Berkshire also has a relatively high proportion of residents who are non‐UK nationals –
again reflecting the population characteristics of Slough more than RBWM. In particular,
Slough has a high proportion of residents who are ethnic minority non UK nationals – around
14% of the total population (less than 3% in RBWM). Levels of population in the white non‐
UK national group are similar in both Slough and RBWM at around 8%. This group would
include residents with Eastern European origin.
Figure 6‐4:Population by Ethnic Origin, 2009
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
6.18 Recent years have seen trends of increasing levels of ethnic diversity on both Slough and
RBWM. Since 2005, the number of white UK national residents has declined in Slough
sharply by around 19%. The number of Slough residents has increased sharply in the white
non UK national group (+65%), the ethnic minority UK national group (+21%) and the ethnic
minority non UK national group (+29%). In RBWM an increase in the number of white UK
national residents has been outweighed slightly by increases in the number of residents with
other origins – including ethnic minority UK national (+19%) and ethnic minority non UK
national (+92% albeit from a small base).
42.1
82.7
55.2
45.5
65.8
88.6
76.8
76.4
63.7
87.0
83.9
8.7
7.9
8.4
9.7
11.6
5.0
6.9
7.0
8.3
5.0
4.5
34.7
6.8
25.5
25.0
10.0
6.4
13.9
10.4
19.9
4.7
7.3
14.2
2.7
10.9
19.8
12.5
2.4
6.0
8.1
3.1
4.2
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Slough
Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon
Hounslow
Reading
South Bucks
Wycombe
Thames Valley LEP
East Berkshire
South East
Great Britain
Local Authorities
Wider G
eographies
% of population aged 16‐64 who are white UK national % of population aged 16‐64 who are white not UK national
% of population aged 16‐64 who are ethnic minority UK national % of population aged 16‐64 who are ethnic minority not UK national
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 103
Figure 6‐5: Change in Population by Ethnic Origin, 2005‐2009 – Absolute Change (%) (top) and % point change (bottom)
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
Population Transience in Slough As discussed above, one of the majors factors undermining attempts to accurately estimate local population change is population transience. Strong evidence exists which suggests that population transience is an important consideration in East Berkshire and in Slough in particular. Efforts to understand the main trends and characteristics regarding local population change are clearly important. Accurately estimating local population is key to ensuring that local funding allocations are correct. Understanding local population trends is also hugely important socially – in terms of recognising the specific characteristics and needs of local groups and where necessary ensuring that adequate community support mechanisms are in place.
-18.9
5.6
-1.6 -3.5
0.4
-0.3 -0.3 -0.3
65.1
2.8
45.6
26.3
45.9 47.144.1 43.6
21.5 18.9
26.121.0
24.220.3 20.2 20.0
28.9
92.3
43.0
34.6
47.0
39.2 37.3 36.3
‐40
‐20
0
20
40
60
80
100
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Thames Valley LEP
East Berkshire South East Great Britain England and Wales
England
Local Authorities Wider Geographies
Absolute Chnage 2004‐9 (%
)
% of population aged 16‐64 who are white UK national % of population aged 16‐64 who are white not UK national
% of population aged 16‐64 who are ethnic minority UK national % of population aged 16‐64 who are ethnic minority not UK nation
-11.6
-1.3
-5.4-5.8
-3.2 -3.4
3.3
-0.3
1.91.4 1.4 1.3
5.2
0.6
1.82.6
0.8 1.0
2.8
1.21.6 1.8
0.9 1.1
‐14
‐12
‐10
‐8
‐6
‐4
‐2
0
2
4
6
8
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Thames Valley LEP East Berkshire South East Great Britain
Local Authorities Wider Geographies
% Point Chnage
% of population aged 16‐64 who are white UK national % of population aged 16‐64 who are white not UK national
% of population aged 16‐64 who are ethnic minority UK national % of population aged 16‐64 who are ethnic minority not UK national
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 104
Despite this, levels of population change and transience in the local area are difficult to measure. In the absence of definitive data on migrant flows it is necessary to examine information from a range of different sources to build up a picture of the main trends. Other than the main demography data sources discussed above, informative data sources include:
NHS Patient Registrations – Flag 4 GP registrations indicate the local presence of people who
were previously living overseas. In Slough, the number of Flag 4 registrations is high – the rate is
currently 30 per 1,000 population, having risen from 18 per 1,000 population over the past 5
years. The comparable rates in RBWM and across the South East are 12 and 10 per 1,000
population respectively. These figures seemingly highlight high levels of in‐migration to the area
School Rolls – school roll data provides a good indication of the ethnic make‐up of the local
population, reflecting changes in the adult population which are more difficult to measure. In
Slough, only 35% of the secondary school population is classified as being white British. This
contrasts significantly with the figure of 56% in the total population suggested by the Mid Year
Population estimates. School rolls highlight large Pakistani and Indian pupil populations (25% and
14% respectively) and along with significant white non‐British school and Black African population
(9% and 7% respectively). School roll data also provides information on languages spoken at
school, suggesting that English is first language for only 46% of pupils – a very low proportion. It is
important to note that this is likely to reflect pupils from established ethnic minority communities
in Slough, along with more recent migrants. In total, over 14 languages are spoken in Slough’s
schools.
Further Education Provision – courses provided by local Further Education providers presents
further evidence. At East Berkshire College, there are over 1,000 learners on ESOL (English for
Speakers of Other Languages) courses starting at pre entry and going up to level 2. The college
also runs ESOL for Work and Citizenship courses. First languages spoken on these courses include
Somali, Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu and Polish – however, in total over 100 different languages are
spoken at the college – reflecting the high degree of diversity locally.
Anecdotal evidence is also very important in building up a picture of local population trends, providing intelligence which might not be picked up quantitatively. Consultation with stakeholders involved in community networks has, for example, highlighted the presence of a small Sudanese community (around 60 or 70 families) in the Borough, along with growing Somali and Zimbabwean community. Anecdotal evidence also points to an emerging trend whereby some Eastern European migrants are now returning home – take up of ESOL courses is said to have fallen, whilst the relevant recruitment agencies are experiencing quieter times. Anecdotal evidence suggests a number of reasons for the transient nature of the population in Slough – these include proximity to Heathrow and London, the availability of work and the low cost of housing relatively to regional averages.
Strong Population Growth Projected for Future Years...
6.19 Population projections for the period 2001‐2026 have been produced by the Greater London
Authority for the Berkshire Observatory (Figure 6‐6 ).
6.20 The projections suggest strong population growth in Slough between 2001 and 2026 of
around 14%. In real terms this amounts to around 17,000 people and would result in a 2026
population of 137,306. Population growth for males is projected to be almost double the
rate for females.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 105
6.21 Population growth in RBWM is projected to be slower – at around 5.5% between 2001 and
2026 (7,000 people in real terms). Growth at this rate would result in a 2026 population of
around 141,000. The majority of this growth is expected to be accounted for by males.
Figure 6‐6: Population Projections 2001‐2026
Slough RBWM
Year Population Males Females Population Males Females
2001 120,577 60,850 59,727 133,541 65,886 67,655
2006 123,560 62,876 60,684 135,124 67,408 67,716
2011 129,243 66,214 63,029 138,581 69,622 68,959
2016 135,858 70,125 65,733 139,334 70,692 68,642
2021 137,511 71,452 66,059 140,993 72,243 68,750
2026 137,306 71,638 65,668 140,830 72,831 67,999
Absolute Change 2001 ‐2026 16,729 10,788 5,941 7,289 6,945 344
Change 2001‐2026 13.9% 17.7% 9.9% 5.5% 10.5% 0.5%
Absolute Change 2010‐2026 8,558 5,774 2,784 2,725 3,584 ‐859
Change 2010‐2026 6.6% 8.8% 4.4% 2.0% 5.2% ‐1.2%
Source: Berkshire Observatory; Data produced by GLA Data Management and Analysis Group
Skills: Qualifications, Schools Performance and Occupations
6.22 The presence of a skilled and educated resident working age population bears a large degree
of importance for the economic vitality of an area. In seeking to analyse the level of skills in
East Berkshire, this section takes into account a number of indicators including
qualifications, school performance and occupations.
A Highly Skilled Population in RBWM but Lower Skills Levels in Slough...
6.23 Overall, across East Berkshires functional economic geography area, there are over a quarter
of a million working age residents with Level 4 or higher qualifications – this broadly
highlights the highly skilled pool labour which the local economy is able to draw upon.
6.24 The proportion of East Berkshire working age residents with no qualifications (8.3%) is below
regional and national average, whilst the proportion of residents qualified to Level 4 or
above (34%) is similar to regional average. Across the area, on average males perform better
than females in terms of skills – particularly in terms of the proportion of those with no
qualifications.
6.25 Despite overall strong performance across East Berkshire, there are important variations to
consider within the area.
6.26 The resident population of RBWM performs strongly in terms of skills – the proportion of
residents with no qualifications is very low, whilst at the other end of the skills spectrum, a
relatively high proportion of residents are qualified to Level 4 or higher (39% of residents
compared to 33% across the South East). Males and females perform similarly in terms of
Level 4 or higher qualifications. Whilst a higher proportion of female have no qualifications
than males, this reflects a national trend and both figures remain significantly below
average.
6.27 Performance in Slough is weaker. Around 11% of residents have no qualifications – two
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 106
percentage points above regional average. There is a strong disparity between males and
females in this respect – amongst the latter group around 14% of residents have no
qualifications. Anecdotally this is likely to reflect the ethnic makeup of the local population,
with cultural factors explaining lower skills levels amongst females in certain ethnic groups.
6.28 Around 28% of the Slough’s population is qualified to Level 4 or above – below regional and
national average and below the average seen across many of the comparator geographies.
Whilst again there is disparity amongst male and female groups in this respect, the disparity
is not as stark and reflects trends seen in other geographies.
Figure 6‐7: Overview of Qualifications Levels – Overall (top) and by Gender (bottom)
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
27.9
39.231.7 34.9 33.9 37.6
24.931.4 33.9 36.3 32.6 29.9
11.9
16.1
16.511.2 13.2
16.3
22.1
14.314.1
15.416.2
15.5
16.1
14.5
1312.3 11.9
21.1
16.2 15.1 15.213.9 16.4
16.1
12.6
10.4
11.98.7 10.9
10
17.915.4 11.5
12.0 1413.5
17.5
10.3
12.115
17.7
7.17.7
9.9 13.7 11.3 7.88.8
11.35.7
12.6 15.510
1.96.7 8.7 8.3 7.8 9.1 12.3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Slou
gh
Win
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and
Mai
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Hill
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Hou
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Read
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Sout
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Spel
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Wyc
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East
Ber
kshi
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Tham
es V
alle
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P
Sout
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st
Gre
at B
ritai
n
Local Authorities Wider Geographies
% o
f W
orki
ng A
ge R
esid
ents
% with NVQ4+ - aged 16-64 % with NVQ3 only - aged 16-64 % with Trade Apprenticeships - aged 16-64% with NVQ2 only - aged 16-64 % with NVQ1 only - aged 16-64 % with other qualifications - aged 16-64% with no qualifications - aged 16-64
29.4
39.7
34.837.0
32.3
29.4
8.6
4.56.5 6.7
8.3
11.2
26.2
38.7
33.0
35.5
32.9
30.4
14.0
6.8
10.19.0 9.9
13.4
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
East Berkshire Thames Valley LEP South East Great Britain
Local Authorities Wider Geographies
% of Working Age
Residents
Males % with NVQ4+ ‐ aged 16‐64 Males % with no qualifications ‐aged 16‐64
Females % with NVQ4+ ‐ aged 16‐64 Females % with no qualifications ‐ aged 16‐64
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 107
6.29 In recent years, East Berkshire has seen strong improvement in terms of qualifications levels
of residents – mainly the result of improving performance within Slough. It is important to
note, however, that such improvement could be the result of either improvement amongst
existing residents, or the inflow of new residents holding higher skills levels.
6.30 The proportion of working age residents with Level 4 or higher qualifications has increased
by 7.6 percentage points (including strong improvement for both men and women) since
2004. During the same time period the proportion of residents with no qualifications has
decreased by 2.6 percentage points (again for both men and women). The proportion of
people registering ‘other qualifications’ has increased by 1.3 percentage points, possibly
reflecting in‐migration from overseas.
6.31 RBWM has also experienced improvement – in particular in terms of a 4.4 percentage point
fall in the proportion of residents with no qualifications.
Figure 6‐8:Overview of Change in Key Qualification Levels 2004‐2009– Overall (top) and by Gender (bottom)
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
7.6
1.4
6.7
9.2
-3.9
4.5
-0.7
-2.4
4.5
2.73.4
3.8
1.3
0.3
-1.6
-6.7
7.5
-1.9
1.2
3.1
0.7
2.2
0.1 0.4
-2.6
-4.4
-1.2
3.4
-0.1
0
-4.8
-1.7
-3.6
-2.2-1.8
-2.8
‐8
‐6
‐4
‐2
0
2
4
6
8
10
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
Local Authorities Wider Geographies
% Point Change
2004‐2009
% with NVQ4+ ‐ aged 16‐64 % with other qualifications ‐ aged 16‐64 % with no qualifications ‐ aged 16‐64
8.2
0.9
4.6
2.02.7
3.1
-2.8
-4.9
-3.9
-2.1 -2.0
-2.8
6.8
2.0
4.5
2.93.5
4.5
-2.5
-4.0-3.4
-2.2-1.6
-3.0
‐6.0
‐4.0
‐2.0
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
East Berkshire Thames Valley LEP South East Great Britain
Local Authorities Wider Geographies
% Point Change
in Qualifications Levels
Males % with NVQ4+ ‐ aged 16‐64 Males % with no qualifications ‐ aged 16‐64
Females % with NVQ4+ ‐ aged 16‐64 Females % with no qualifications ‐aged 16‐64
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 108
6.32 Annual Population Survey data does not allow for interrogation of data below Local
Authority level. In the absence of such data, a useful indication of more local trends relating
to resident qualifications can be gained by examining the Indices of Multiple Deprivation
(IMD). The IMD uses a number of indicators to assess levels of deprivation in an area. The
causes of the deprivation can be analysed by drilling down into deprivation domains –
indicators which measure levels of deprivation according to separate social and community
factors. The different IMD domains are considered where relevant throughout the rest of
this report.
6.33 The Skills, Education and Training IMD domain is mapped below, with the darker colours
representing the more deprived localities in relation to localities across the country. The
map highlights overall higher levels of deprivation relating to Skills, Education and Training
within Slough, with particular concentrations of deprivation to the north of the Borough in
the Britwell area.
6.34 It is important to note that whilst overall levels of relative multiple deprivation appear low
across RBWM, pockets of deprivation do exist – it is important that these pockets and the
issues behind them are not ignored in the face of more positive Borough wide averages.
Figure 6‐9: Indices of Multiple Deprivation: Deprivation related to Skills, Education and Training
Indicators incorporated within data includes: Average test score of pupils at Key Stage 3; Best of 8 average capped points score at Key Stage 4 (this includes results of GCSEs, GNVQs and other vocational equivalents); Proportion of young people not staying in school or non‐advanced education above the age of 16; Secondary school absence rate; Proportion of those aged under 21 not entering higher education; Proportions of working age adults (aged 25‐54) in the area with no or low qualifications
Source: IMD Data from CLG; Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. © Crown Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved. Licence number 1000199918.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 109
Strong Education Performance Young Residents and in East Berkshire Schools...
Primary and Secondary Education
6.35 An overview of school characteristics in East Berkshire is presented below. Both boroughs
have a similar number of pupils in their schools. Perhaps most noticeable is the high number
of independent schools in RBWM – including Eton College. Independent schools – especially
boarding schools – are likely to attract pupils from a wide catchment area. Four of Slough’s
ten secondary schools are selective grammar schools – which also anecdotally attract pupils
from a wide catchment area.
Figure 6‐10: East Berkshire School Overview
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Pupil Headcount No. of Schools Pupil Headcount No. of Schools
Nursery 606 5 313 4
Primary 12,421 27 8,477 45
Secondary 8,838 10 10,129 13
Special 279 3 174 2
Pupil Referral Units 49 1 14 2
Independent 602 3 5,779 18
Academies 972 1 0 0
All schools 23,770 50 24,890 84
Source: Department for Education
6.36 Some of these trends are empathised by analysis of pupils flow data. There is a large inflow
of pupils to secondary school in RBWM of around 2,100 (net 1,100). This is likely to attract
the strong pull of the area’s independent schools. Also noticeable is the overall outflow of
Slough residents to go to primary school and the inflow of pupils to Slough to go to Sixth
Form College (likely to reflect the pull of East Berkshire College).
Figure 6‐11: East Berkshire School Pupils Flows
Inflow Outflow Net Flow
Primary School Slough 524 1021 ‐497
Windsor and Maidenhead 589 609 ‐20
Secondary School Slough 1761 1835 ‐74
Windsor and Maidenhead 2141 997 1144
Special School Slough 18 6 12
Windsor and Maidenhead 25 32 ‐7
Sixth Form Slough 562 325 237
Windsor and Maidenhead 495 363 132
Source: Department for Education
6.37 Performance by pupils within East Berkshire’s schools to some extent mirror those trends
described previously in terms of general skills.
6.38 Despite improving performance in recent years, Key Stage 2 Level performance is below
national and regional average by pupils in Slough’s schools in Maths, English and Science.
The opposite is true in RBWM, with pupils at schools in the Borough outperforming
comparator averages.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 110
Figure 6‐12: Key Stage 2 Performance in East Berkshire Primary Schools
English Maths Science
% Pupilsachieving Level 4+
% PointChange 2005‐9
% Pupilsachieving Level 4+
% Point Change 2005‐9
% Pupils achieving Level 4+
% PointChange 2005‐9
Slough LA 77 1 74 5 84 3
Windsor and Maidenhead LA 83 ‐2 81 2 91 1
South East Region 81 2 78 3 88 2
England 80 1 79 4 88 1
Source: Department for Education
6.39 Slough performs better at GCSE level, with a higher proportion of pupils in local schools
gaining 5 or more A* to C GCSEs than regionally and nationally average. Again pupils at
schools in RBWM perform strongly. Both local authority areas have seen strong
improvement in performance levels over the past five years. Anecdotal evidence suggests
that the strong performance of pupils at Slough secondary schools (in contrast to primary
school results and wider data on skills) is partly explained by the presence of four well
respected and popular Grammar Schools in the Borough.
Figure 6‐13: GCSE Performance in East Berkshire Schools
% of Pupils Gaining 5 A*‐C GCSEs 2009 Change 2005‐10
Slough 73.7 17.2 (% point change)
Windsor and Maidenhead 76.4 17.2 (% point change)
South East Region 70.1 12.5 (% point change)
England 70.0 13.7 (% point change)
Source: Department for Education
6.40 Statistics on pupil attendance allow further insight into local trends affecting education:
In Slough, rates of pupil absence are higher than in all comparator areas – including
RBWM, the region and the country. The opposite is true in RBWM – here, rates of
pupil absence or relatively low.
As is the trend across all benchmark geographies levels of pupil absence are higher
amongst free school meal pupils in East Berkshire.
Figure 6‐14: School Attendance Data
All Pupils Free School Meal Pupils
Overall Absence
Authorised Absence
Unauthorised Absence
Persistent Absentees
Overall Absence
Authorised Absence
Unauthorised Absence
Persistent Absentees
Slough 6.9 5.5 1.4 3.4 9.2 6.9 2.3 7.0
RBWM 5.5 4.9 0.6 2.2 8.8 7.2 1.6 6.8
Hounslow 6.0 4.7 1.3 2.5 7.5 5.5 2.0 4.1
Hillingdon 5.9 4.8 1.1 2.3 8.3 6.0 2.3 5.2
Reading 6.2 5.1 1.1 3.0 8.7 6.4 2.3 6.8
South Bucks 6.0 5.0 1.0 3.2 11.7 7.5 4.2 14.2
Spelthorne 6.0 5.1 0.9 3.1 9.5 7.0 2.6 7.8
Wycombe 5.8 5.1 0.7 2.4 9.0 7.2 1.8 6.6
South East 6.1 5.2 0.9 3.2 9.7 7.2 2.6 8.8
England 6.3 5.2 1.1 3.3 9.1 6.7 2.4 7.3
Source: Department for Education
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 111
6.41 The characteristics of East Berkshire’s schools themselves are impacted by the diverse local
population. As mentioned previously, in Slough, only 35% of the secondary school
population is classified as being white British. This contrasts significantly with the figure of
56% in the total population suggested by the Mid Year Population estimates. School rolls
highlight large Pakistani and Indian pupil populations (25% and 14% respectively) and along
with significant white non‐British school and Black African population (9% and 7%
respectively). By contrast, in RBWM, 80% of secondary school pupils are classified as white
British.
6.42 These trends have significant impacts on languages spoken in schools. Statistics suggest that
in Slough, English is first language for only 46% of pupils – a very low proportion. In RBWM,
the figure is 85%. It is important to note that this is likely to reflect pupils from established
ethnic minority communities in Slough, along with more recent migrants.
Figure 6‐15: First Language Spoken at School
Source: Department for Education
Post 16 Education
6.43 In recent years increasing levels of emphasis have been placed on efforts to 16‐18 year olds
are engaged in education, training or employment. Progression rates to post 16 education in
East Berkshire are set out below:
Slough performs strongly in this respect, with 89% of 16‐17 year olds engaged in full
time education and a very high rate (98%) engaged in either full time education, part
time education or work based learning. Whilst it is important to note that there are
caveats regarding the reliability of the data (see note in table below), it is significant
that the rate is more than ten percentage points above the regional and national
average and has increased by 13 percentage points over the decade.
In RBWM, around 71% of 16‐17 year olds are involved in full time education, with
76% involved in full time education, part time education or work based learning. This
rate is around 10 percentage points below regional and national averages and has
54
15
37
55
24
37
199
15
38
13
29
53
1925
147 11
46
85
63
44
76
62
8191
85
61
87
71
46
7874
8593 88
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Slou
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East
Ber
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Engl
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and
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Engl
and
Primary School Secondary School
Perc
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f Pup
ils
First language is known or believed to be other than English First language is known or believed to be English Percentage Unclassified
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 112
decreased by 12 percentage points over the decade.
Figure 6‐16: Progression to Post 16 Education in East Berkshire
Full Time Education WBL Part‐time education Total Education & WBL
% % Point Change 99‐08
% % Point Change 99‐08
% % Point Change 99‐08
% % Point Change 99‐08
Slough 89 20 4 ‐5 5 ‐2 98 13
RBWM 71 ‐8 2 ‐3 3 ‐2 76 ‐12
Hillingdon 85 12 5 ‐1 3 ‐2 93 9
Hounslow 86 4 4 ‐1 4 1 93 4
Reading 81 16 5 ‐1 3 ‐1 90 15
South East 77 7 5 ‐2 4 0 85 5
England 75 9 7 ‐3 4 ‐2 86 5
NOTE: It is important to note that due to technicalities involved with the methodology of the data set, in some cases pupils attending education in the local area but not residing locally may be counted.
Source: Department for Education
6.44 Despite strong performance at GCSE Level, performance is below regional and national
average at A Level (in terms of the average number of points scored by each candidate) in
both Slough and RBWM.
Figure 6‐17: A Level Performance in East Berkshire Schools
A Level Results – Average Points Score per Candidate 2009 Change 2005‐10
Slough 710.2 10.7 (change in points scored)
Windsor and Maidenhead 712.1 39.1 (change in points scored)
South East Region 732.9 15.7 (change in points scored)
England 739.1 17.6 (change in points scored)
Source: Department for Education
6.45 More information on the performance of young people in East Berkshire in terms of skills
can be gained by analysis of those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
6.46 Connexions calculate the number of people who are NEET based upon the proportion of
young people who are known to them. Data for 2009 indicates NEET rates for Slough and
RBWM of 6% and 5.5% respectively – similar to regional averages and below the national
average. The proportion of those classified as being in the NEET group has increased in
recent years –reflecting in part the wider economic context.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 113
Figure 6‐18: Estimated Proportion of 16‐18 Year Olds Not in Education, Employment or Training – 2008‐9
Note: 2009 data are an average of the figures provided by Connexions at the end of November 2009, December 2009 and January 2010. They include all young people known to Connexions who were aged 16, 17 or 18 at that time. The number of 16‐18 year olds known to Connexions includes those whose education establishment is located in the local authority area, regardless of where the young person resides. 16‐18 year olds known to be undertaking a Gap Year, or in custody, are not recorded by Connexions as NEET . The number and % of 16‐18 year olds NEET have been adjusted to assume a proportion of those whose current activity is not known are NEET. The figures above cannot be compared with the DfE estimate of the proportion of young people NEET (SFR 20/2010). The DfE figures use a range of data from different sources to estimate the proportion of the population that is NEET, and relate to the young person's academic age
Source: Connexions
6.47 Within Slough, the number of NEETs is highest in the Central, Chalvey and Wexham Lea and
Britwell wards. In RBWM, rates are highest in the Oldfield, Furze Platt, Clewer North and
Pinkneys Green wards.
Further Education Provision in East BerkshireThe main further education provider in East Berkshire is East Berkshire College. The College is a large general further education College operating in Slough, Windsor and the surrounding areas. It offers a diverse range of courses from pre‐entry to level 3 and, in some areas, level 4 for young people and adults. Higher education provision has been developed to meet local and regional employers’ skills needs. In 2009/10 there were 10,654 Learners (4,042 FTE or 5,460 SLN) at the college, with 16‐18 Provision representing around 55% of guided learning hours. Reflecting the local demography described previously, 37% of learners are from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities and at the last count there were over 100 different nationalities at the College. Langley campus houses mainly vocational programmes including Construction, Engineering, Hair and Beauty, and Health and Care. Windsor campus, a new build opened in 2006/07, houses A‐Level provision and a range of full time and part time programmes for adults and young people. In addition, the College operates from numerous community locations in the local area, Maidenhead and surrounding areas. The College’s largest area of provision is Skills for Life including ESOL and Construction. The growth in these areas is in response to local and regional needs Skills for Life provision, including a large ESOL offer, are offered in a wide range of venues as part of the College’s aim to aid social and educational inclusion. There are over 1,000 learners on ESOL courses starting at pre entry and going up to level 2. The college also runs ESOL for Work and Citizenship courses. First languages spoken on these courses
5.3%
5.1% 5.3% 5.5%
8.6%
5.2% 5.
7%
6.7%
6.0%
5.5%
5.4%
4.7%
6.5%
5.7%
5.8% 6.
4%
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
8%
9%
10%
Slough Windsor & Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading East Berkshire South East England
Local Authorities Wider Geographies
16‐18 year old NEET (%
)
2008 2009
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 114
include Somali, Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu and Polish. A large proportion of provision is level 2 or below. However, Foundation Degrees have been developed in key vocational areas to offer local progression to Higher Education. The college also manages a large work‐based learning contract with over 589 apprentices in Construction, Motor Vehicle and Engineering, Hairdressing and Care. The College has developed a large and successful Train to Gain provision that represents over £1M of business in 2009/10.
Higher Education
6.48 Whilst Slough and RBWM perform below average in terms of A Level result, both boroughs –
and particularly Slough – perform well in terms of progression to higher education. In
Slough, around 12 people for every 1,000 residents entered higher education in 2008/9 –
compared to 9.4 per 1,000 residents across the South East.
6.49 Anecdotally, the high number of Slough residents going to university reflects high aspirations
within the area’s BME communities. This trend – not necessarily the case amongst the wider
student population – also typically see local residents travelling relatively short distances to
university, living at home for the duration and staying in the area after graduating due to
family networks and communities.
Figure 6‐19: Entrants to Higher Education per 1,000 Residents
2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09
Slough 13.4 11.4 10.9 11.3 12.0
Windsor and Maidenhead 11.3 10.4 10.0 10.1 10.2
Hillingdon 9.8 10.3 9.9 10.3 11.1
Hounslow 11.3 11.6 10.9 11.6 12.1
Reading 11.1 10.7 9.6 10.9 10.4
South East Region 9.3 9.5 8.8 9.0 9.4
England 9.9 10.2 9.6 9.8 10.3
Source: Department for Education
6.50 Located in such close proximity to London, East Berkshire residents have access to a large
and diverse number of institutions with higher education provision. The main provider of
higher education in East Berkshire itself is Thames Valley University. Despite a strong
historical presence in Slough, Thames Valley University has been slowly moving away from
the area, moving students to campuses in West London and Reading. The Slough campus is
expected to close in the near future, with the site forming part of the Heart of Slough
development proposals.
6.51 As discussed above, East Berkshire College offers a small amount of Higher Education
provision.
A Gap Between the Skills of Slough Residents and the Jobs Available Locally...
6.52 A further indication of the skills levels of local residents can be gained by analysis of the
occupational profile of the local population.
6.53 Overall, East Berkshire has a relatively skilled labour market in terms of the occupational
profile of residents – around 35% of residents are employment as either managers and
senior officials, or in professional occupations, a higher proportion than that seen regionally
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 115
and nationally.
6.54 However, reflecting those trends described previously, there is a large degree of disparity
within East Berkshire. Whilst skills levels of RBWM residents are on average high (over a
quarter of residents are employed as managers and senior officials), the opposite is true in
Slough. Here, the proportion of residents in occupations perceived to require higher levels of
skill is below average, whilst the proportion of those working in bobs which are perceived to
require lower skills levels is above regional and national average.
Figure 6‐20: Occupation Profile of Residents, 2009
Note: The occupation groupings set out above refer to the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 2000 – a full definition of each of these codes is available at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/nsbase/methods_quality/ns_sec/soc2000.asp
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
6.55 One of the notable trends in terms of occupational structure in East Berkshire is the strong
disparity between workforce and resident skills levels in Slough. Whilst Slough residents are
on average occupied in less highly skilled jobs than average, the actual jobs on offer in the
Borough typically require higher levels of skills than average across comparator areas
(including RBWM, the South East and Great Britain). Around 45% of jobs in Slough are in
managerial or professional occupations – the average across the region is 31%.
6.56 The disparity between workplace and residents skills in Slough is highlighted in the charts
below.
13.4
25.215.6 16.9 17.1 17.4
26.320.0 21.3 18.2 15.7
13.9
15.1
10.6 15.6 18.5 17.1
16.5
14.6 15.914.5
13.7
13.7
19.1
13.2
17.1 14.7 15.1
15.4
16.7 15.015.2
14.7
12.3
11.6
10.5
11.3 9.9 15.811.8
11.9 11.711.6
11.2
8.3
9.1
9.6
8.1 5.77.1
8.58.8 7.9
9.810.4
8.3
7.3
9.3
6.96.9
8.46.5
7.7 7.6 8.68.7
7.5
5.0
9.97.5 8.2
2.55.0
6.1 6.4 6.77.4
8.1
1.3
10.5 5.2 5.17.1
2.04.3 4.4 5.0 6.6
13.36.3 10.2 10.9 13.6 9.5 7.9 9.4 9.4 10.0 11.1
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0
100.0
Slou
gh
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and
Mai
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Hill
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Hou
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Read
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Spel
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Wyc
ombe
East
Ber
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Tham
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P
Sout
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st
Gre
at B
ritai
n
Local Authority Areas Wider Geographies
% o
f Th
ose
in E
mpl
oym
ent
by O
ccup
atio
n
Managers And Senior Officials Professional Occupations Associate Prof & Tech OccupationsAdministrative And Secretarial Occupations Skilled Trades Occupations Personal Service OccupationsSales And Customer Service Occupations Process, Plant And Machine Operatives Elementary Occupations
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 116
Figure 6‐21: Occupation Profile of Workforce, 2009
Note: The occupation groupings set out above refer to the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 2000 – a full definition of each of these codes is available at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/nsbase/methods_quality/ns_sec/soc2000.asp
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
6.57 Consultation with stakeholders across East Berkshire has revealed this trend – a significant
gap between the skills held by Slough residents and the skills required by jobs on offer in the
Borough – to be one of the core labour market challenges for the area going forward. The
trend suggests that many of the jobs on offer in Slough are taken by residents outside of the
Borough – an issue which is explored in more detail later in this chapter.
Self Employment
6.58 Analysis of self employment data is important on a number of levels. Self employment can
provide further indication of skills levels within the labour market – strong levels of self
employment would usually indicate the presence residents with a strong skills set. The
presence of residents with entrepreneurial tendencies also has positive implications in terms
of local economic performance. From a more logistical point of view, areas with strong self
27%22%
17% 20% 19% 19% 23% 22% 25% 22%17% 16%
17%
17%
9%12% 20% 13%
17% 15%17%
18%
14% 13%
10%16%
16%
18%16%
18%
18%14%
14% 15%
15% 15%
11% 13%
10%
13%11%
11%
12%
12%12% 12%
12%11%
6%10%
8%
7%8%
11%
7%
8%8% 9%
10% 11%
7%5%
14%
8% 6% 9%6%
7%6% 7%
8% 8%
5%4%
6%5% 8% 4%
5%6% 4% 6%
8% 8%
7% 5%8%
6%5%
7%5%
5% 6% 5%5% 7%
10% 9% 12% 9% 7% 9% 7%12% 9% 8% 11% 11%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Slou
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Win
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and
Mai
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Hill
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Hou
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Read
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Sout
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Spel
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Wyc
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East
Ber
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Tham
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P
Sout
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Gre
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ritai
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Local Authorities Wider Geographies
% o
f W
orke
rs
Managers and Senior Officials Professional Occupations Associate Prof & Tech Occupations Administrative and Secretarial Occupations Skilled Trades Occupations Personal Service Occupations Sales and Customer Service Occupations Process, Plant and Machine Operatives Elementary occupations
48%
33%
18%
41%
36%
21%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Higher Skilled Occupations Intermediate Skilled Occupations Lower Skileld Occupations
Proportion of those in Employm
ent
Slough Workplace Slough Residents
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 117
employment bases need to give consideration to the needs of this group – whether it in
terms of business accommodation (there are often also implications in terms of home
working) or tailored business support.
6.59 Self employment was discussed in the previous chapter – in East Berkshire, the self
employment rate is 9.2% ‐ below the South East average of 10.4% but above the national
average. As is the case across all comparator geographies, self employment rates are more
than double for males than they are for females. Within East Berkshire, self employment
rates are 7.4% and 10.8% for Slough and RBWM respectively. A few trends are noticeable
here. In RBWM, the self employment rate amongst females (7.6%) is higher than in other
geography. Conversely, in Slough the self employment rate is for females is lower than most
benchmark geographies at 3.2%.
Strong Performance in RBWM in terms of Adult learning and job related training...
6.60 Adult learning and job related training is an important mechanism by which labour force
skills are refreshed and upgraded.
6.61 As highlighted in the figure below, levels of job related training remain significantly higher
for those in public sector occupations than those working in the private sector. Whilst levels
of job related training do not appear to vary significantly geographically (RBWM performs
slightly better than comparator geographies), there has been a noticeable decline in levels of
job related training since 2005. This is likely to reflect the pressure but on employers during
the recessionary period – a time during which ‘non‐essential’ outlays such as employee
training are often scaled back.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 118
Figure 6‐22: Job Related Training by Group (top) and % Point Change in Those Receiving Job Related Training, 2005‐ 2009 (bottom)
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
6.62 The Annual Population Survey provides detail on levels of learning more generally across the
adult population. East Berkshire performs strongly in this respect – the result of very strong
performance within RBWM.
6.63 The proportion of adults with no adult learning in RBWM is just under 30% ‐ a lower rate
than all comparator areas. This strong performance may reflect the success of various adult
skills programmes on offer in the Borough such as Grow our Own. It is also likely to reflect a
strong uptake in so called ‘leisure and pleasure’ courses amongst more affluent residents.
6.64 In Slough the rate of residents with no adult learning is similar to regional and national
comparators at 37%. Here, there is a strong disparity between the proportion of males with
no adult learning (39%) and females (34%).
20.6
29.4
35.332.1
26.3
20.6
46.5
22.9
29.7
35.5
30.1
24
38.4
44.3
21.8
29.6
35.4
31
25
30.4
45.3
19.7
26.5
31.728.7
21.418.9
41.8
18.7
26.6
33.3
28.9
20.918.8
41.9
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
All people aged 16‐64
Employees & self emp. aged
16
In managerial & prof. occups.
In service industries
In private services
In production Public sector
% of all w
ho received job related training in
last 13 weeks
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead East Berkshire South East Great Britain
‐10
‐8
‐6
‐4
‐2
0
2
4
6
8
All people aged 16‐64
Employees & self emp. aged 16
In managerial & prof. occups.
In service industries
In private services
In production Public sector
% point change
2005‐2009
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead East Berkshire Thames Valley LEP South East Great Britain
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 119
Figure 6‐23: % of Residents with No Adult Learning, 2005‐ 2009
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
Skills Gaps in East Berkshire It is clear from the analysis in the preceding sections that skills gaps exist in East Berkshire. The nature of the skills gaps vary from Slough to RBWM. In Slough, there is a clear gap between the skills levels of the resident population and the jobs available in the local area. Levels of skills in Slough are relatively low in comparison to those in RBWM and across East Berkshire’s functional economic area. This places Slough’s residents at a considerable disadvantage and has real implications in terms of levels of economic activity and worklessness locally. This is examined in detail in the next section. In response a number of local partners (including East Berkshire College and JCP) are focusing on engaging with local employers to identify local skills needs and where necessary adjust provision to reflect these. The Slough Skills Campaign was launched in 2007 bringing together local businesses, training providers and government agencies to discuss the key skills challenges locally, including how to help local businesses be more competitive through the talent of their people and how to help local people develop the skills needed most by local employers. Other programmes involve the local Education Business Partnership, which focuses on matching schools to employers, along with a wider programme of business mentoring in schools. In coming years, SEGRO is also planning to deliver Slough Aspire – a dedicated skills training centre aiming to enhance collaboration between the community and business – as part of the Slough Trading Estate Masterplan. In RBWM, the skills gap is of a different nature. Whilst the population is on average relatively highly skilled, the nature of the local economy means that there are significant numbers of jobs in the leisure, hospitality and retail sectors – sectors which typically require lower levels of skill. Anecdotal evidence has suggested that in locations such as Windsor, local people are typically not accessing these jobs – examples are cited where local businesses in the hospitality sector recruit through overseas agencies. The desire that more local jobs are filled by local resident is highlighted by the focus of RBWM’s Grown our Own programme – which aims to ensure that local people have the adequate skills to fills local jobs – focusing in particular on sectors such as Leisure and Hospitality, Retail, and Travel and Tourism. Part of the programme focuses on engaging local employers and making them aware of the benefits of local recruitment. Reflecting the needs of local employers, East Berkshire College also focuses in particular on provision relating to these sectors. Other than the impact on levels of worklessness, the most tangible effects of East Berkshire’s skills
36.8
29.8
37.9 39
.1
31.5
37.4 38
.4
38.9
33.0
32.3
37.2 39
.2
39.3
28.5
40.4
36.8
31.3
39.2
37.0
45.5
33.6
31.8
37.6 39
.9
33.9
31.2
35.1
41.6
31.8
35.5
40.1
31.5 32
.5
32.8
36.8 38
.3
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
Local Authorities Wider Geographies
Proportion of residents with no adult learning
% with no adult learning ‐ aged 16‐64 % with no adult learning ‐males aged 16‐64 % with no adult learning ‐ females aged 16‐64
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 120
gaps relate to the impact that they have on migration and travel to work dynamics locally. As previously discussed, in recent years Slough has been the subject of significant in‐flows of migrants, many of whom are attracted to the area by the relatively low cost of living and the availability of work. On a more day‐to‐day basis, the skills gaps result in significant commuter flows both within and into / out of East Berkshire as people seek to access jobs equivalent to their skills levels. In turn, there are significant implications in terms of capacity of transport infrastructure and the more general environmental implications of such movements. These travel to work patterns are considered in detail later in this chapter.
Economic Activity and Employment Rates
6.65 Economic Activity and Employment Rates are key indicators of economic performance of an
area and of the labour pool that an area offers.
Higher Levels of Economic Activity and Employment than in Slough...
6.66 Economic Activity measures those who are either in employment or who are unemployed
but seeking employment.
6.67 There are over half a million economic active people across East Berkshire’s functional
economic area – a considerable labour pool for the local economy to draw upon.
6.68 East Berkshire’s economic activity rate of 78.9% is slightly below the regional average but
above the national average. Male economic activity rates are particularly high at 87.1%
whilst female economic activity rates are lower at 70.7%. However, this is a trend which is
replicated across each of the comparator geographies. In recent years, East Berkshire has
seen a small (0.3 percentage point) decline in economic activity rate, the result of a 5.4
percentage point decline in the economic activity rate of 16‐24 year olds. The trend affecting
this cohort mirrors that seen regionally and nationally.
6.69 The overall figure for East Berkshire, however, masks disparity in economic activity rates
between Slough and RBWM:
Slough – an economic activity rate of 76.7% (similar to the regional average and
above the national average). There is a larger than average disparity between the
male rate (86.6%) and the female rate (66.5%). Anecdotal evidence suggests that
the low levels of female economic activity in Slough can partly be explained by the
diverse nature of the local population and cultural factors particular to certain ethnic
groups. In recent years, the economic activity rate has fallen by 1.5 percentage
points. There have been relatively large declines in economic activity rates for
females (4.6 percentage points), 16‐24 year olds (6.5 percentage points) and 50‐64
years olds (3.7 percentage points).
RBWM – an economic activity rate of 80.9% ‐ above many of the comparator areas.
Economic activity rates are 87.6% and 74.3% for males and females respectively. The
Borough has noticeably strong levels of economic activity amongst the 50+ age
group (79.3% compared to 73% regionally). In recent years RBWM has seen an
overall small increase in economic activity rate. The female group and the 50‐64 age
group have seen increases of 4 percentage points and 5.8 percentage points
respectively. However, these increases have been offset by decreasing rates for
males and the 16‐24 age group.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 121
Figure 6‐24: Economic Activity Rates, 2009 – By Gender (top) and By Cohort (bottom)
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
76.7
80.9 80.277.2
80.5
75.677.3
80.978.9
81.0 79.676.5
86.6 87.684.7
81.9
87.490.7 90.4
87.4 87.1 87.6 86.182.7
66.5
74.3 75.872.2 72.8
61.164.7
74.470.7
74.2 73.270.3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Slough Windsor and
Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
Percentage
Economic activity rate ‐ aged 16‐64 Economic activity rate males ‐ aged 16‐64 Economic activity rate females ‐ aged 16‐64
64.261.9
68.5
56.8
64.8 65.9
82.1
75.6
63.166.5 66.9
64.1
84.587.6
85.982.2
87.8 87.0
81.8
88.886.1
88.1 87.585.2
67.0
79.375.8
80.0
71.5
63.9 62.6
70.674.4 75.1
72.8
67.9
7.210.7
6.510.2 11.3
14.212.0
6.09.6 11.0 9.7
7.9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
Percentage
Economic activity rate ‐ aged 16‐24 Economic activity rate ‐ aged 25‐49 Economic activity rate ‐ aged 50‐64 Economic activity rate ‐ aged 65+
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 122
Figure 6‐25: Change in Economic Activity Rates 2004‐2009 – By Gender (top) and By Cohort (bottom)
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
-1.5
0.9
2.6 2.4
0.0
-7.7
-4.7
-1.1-0.3 -0.5 -0.7
0.1
1.7
-2.3
0.0
-0.4 -0.9 -0.5
3.0
-0.9 -0.4-1.5 -1.4
-0.7
-4.6
4.05.2 5.2
0.9
-14.3
-12.0
-1.4
0.00.6 0.1
0.9
‐20
‐15
‐10
‐5
0
5
10
Slough Windsor and
Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
% Point Chnage
Economic activity rate ‐ aged 16‐64 Economic activity rate males ‐ aged 16‐64 Economic activity rate females ‐ aged 16‐64
-6.5
-3.7
3.3
-11.0
-2.7 -2.1
8.9
5.3
-5.4 -5.0-5.8
-4.1
1.4 0.71.8
0.8 1.5
-0.6
-7.5
1.3 1.1 0.6 0.5 1.0
-3.7
5.8 5.7
17.3
-5.3
-19.4
-8.6-6.7
2.00.7 0.9
1.80.5
1.60.7 1.1 1.3
5.6
3.4
-8.0
1.42.2
1.3 1.6
‐25
‐20
‐15
‐10
‐5
0
5
10
15
20
Slough Windsor and
Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
% Point Chnage
Economic activity rate ‐ aged 16‐24 Economic activity rate ‐ aged 25‐49 Economic activity rate ‐ aged 50‐64 Economic activity rate ‐ aged 65+
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 123
Figure 6‐26: Economic Activity Rate Changes 2004‐2009 – Slough (top), RBWM (middle) and East Berkshire (bottom)
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
6.70 Employment ‐ East Berkshire’s employment rate of 73.5% is slightly below the regional
average but above the national average. Male employment rates are particularly high at
80.1% whilst female economic activity rates are lower at 66.9% ‐ again a trend which is
replicated across each of the comparator geographies. Relative to the national average, East
Berkshire employment rates are particularly high in the 50‐64 age group (71.2%).
77
64
7
87
67
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Jan 2004-Dec 2004
Jul 2004-Jun 2005
Jan 2005-Dec 2005
Jul 2005-Jun 2006
Jan 2006-Dec 2006
Jul 2006-Jun 2007
Jan 2007-Dec 2007
Jul 2007-Jun 2008
Jan 2008-Dec 2008
Jul 2008-Jun 2009
Jan 2009-Dec 2009
Perc
enta
ge
Aged 16-64 Aged 16-24 Aged 25-49 Aged 50-64 Aged 65+ Males aged 16-64 Females aged 16-65
62
79
11
88
74
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Jan 2004-Dec 2004
Jul 2004-Jun 2005
Jan 2005-Dec 2005
Jul 2005-Jun 2006
Jan 2006-Dec 2006
Jul 2006-Jun 2007
Jan 2007-Dec 2007
Jul 2007-Jun 2008
Jan 2008-Dec 2008
Jul 2008-Jun 2009
Jan 2009-Dec 2009
Perc
enta
ge
Aged 16-64 Aged 16-24 Aged 25-49 Aged 50-64 Aged 65+ Males aged 16-64 Females aged 16-65
79
63
10
87
71
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Jan 2004-Dec 2004
Jul 2004-Jun 2005
Jan 2005-Dec 2005
Jul 2005-Jun 2006
Jan 2006-Dec 2006
Jul 2006-Jun 2007
Jan 2007-Dec 2007
Jul 2007-Jun 2008
Jan 2008-Dec 2008
Jul 2008-Jun 2009
Jan 2009-Dec 2009
Perc
enta
ge
Aged 16-64 Aged 16-24 Aged 25-49 Aged 50-64 Aged 65+ Males aged 16-64 Females aged 16-65
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 124
6.71 In recent years, the number of people in employment in East Berkshire has increased by
2.1% (around 2,600 people). Despite this, during the same time period the actual
employment rate has seen a 2.3 percentage point decrease – largely the result of a large (4.7
percentage point) increase in the female cohort. This trend – replicated across comparator
geographies – reflect the difficult economic conditions which have been experienced since
2007.
6.72 Again, however, the overall figure for East Berkshire, masks disparity in employment rates
between Slough and RBWM:
Slough – an employment rate of 70.1% (below the regional average and national
average). Again, the disparity between the male rate (78.4%) and the female rate
(61.4%) is high. Employment rates are particularly low in the 50‐64 age group (63%)
compared to RBWM (76.7%). In recent years, the total number of people in
employment in the Borough has fallen by 2.4% (around 1,400 people), whilst the
employment rate itself has decreased by 4 percentage points. The female group has
been disproportionately affected by this trend.
RBWM – an employment rate of 76.4% ‐ above many of the comparator areas.
Economic activity rates are 81.6% and 71.5% for males and females respectively. The
Borough has noticeably strong levels of employment amongst the 50‐64 age group
(76.7% compared to 69.8% regionally). In recent years RBWM has seen a large
increase in the absolute number of residents in employment (6%; around 4,000
people) – largely due to a large increase in the number of females in employment
(plus 12.8%). At the same time, however, the actual employment rate has decreased
by 1 percentage point – including a large increase in female employment rate and
decrease in male employment rate.
Figure 6‐27: Summary of Employment Levels, Working Age
2009 Change 2005‐9
No. % Number Absolute (%) % Point
Slough 57,200 70.1 ‐1,400 ‐2.4 ‐4.0
Windsor and Maidenhead 70,900 76.4 4,000 6.0 ‐1.0
Hillingdon 124,700 73.6 4,900 4.1 ‐0.8
Hounslow 110,400 70.2 8,900 8.8 1.6
Reading 75,700 74.7 1,500 2.0 ‐1.8
South Bucks 29,000 72.8 ‐1,800 ‐5.8 ‐8.0
Spelthorne 44,200 73.7 ‐1,200 ‐2.6 ‐5.2
Wycombe 75,100 74.2 ‐5,900 ‐7.3 ‐4.9
East Berkshire 128,100 73.5 2,600 2.1 ‐2.3
Thames Valley LEP 425,100 76.0 8,300 2.0 ‐2.5
South East 3,993,900 74.5 11,300 0.3 ‐2.8
Great Britain 27,225,700 70.3 104,100 0.4 ‐2.4
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 125
Figure 6‐28: Employment Rates, 2009 – By Gender (top) and By Cohort (bottom)
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
70.1
76.473.6
70.2
74.772.8 73.7 74.2 73.5
76.074.5
70.3
78.481.6
79.4
74.3
81.4
84.8 85.6
79.4 80.181.7
79.9
75.2
61.4
71.5
68.065.9
67.3
61.162.5
69.166.9
70.2 69.2
65.5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
Percentage
Employment rate ‐ aged 16‐64 Employment rate males ‐ aged 16‐64 Employment rate females ‐ aged 16‐64
51.2 51.9
56.3
45.5
58.8
65.9
79.6
52.8 51.6
57.155.3
51.4
79.1
84.0
80.2
76.0
81.9 81.2
77.5
84.781.6
84.0 83.5
79.8
63.0
76.7
71.774.4
66.363.9
60.4
69.571.2 71.4
69.8
64.8
7.210.4
6.5
10.2 10.814.2
12.0
6.09.3 10.5 9.4
7.7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe East Berkshire Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
Percentage
Employment rate ‐ aged 16‐24 Employment rate ‐ aged 25‐49 Employment rate ‐ aged 50‐64 Employment rate ‐ aged 65+
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 126
Figure 6‐29: Change in Employment Rates 2004‐2009 – Gender (top) and Cohort (bottom)
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
-2.4
6.0
4.1
8.8
2.0
-5.8
-2.6
-7.3
2.1 2.0
0.3 0.4
-0.3
0.3
3.6
7.3
3.1
0.0
3.7
-7.6
0.0 0.3
-1.4 -1.0
-5.0
12.8
4.7
10.5
0.3
-12.7
-9.9
-6.9
4.7 4.2
2.2 2.0
‐15
‐10
‐5
0
5
10
15
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
Absolute Change
(%)
Employment rate ‐ aged 16‐64 Employment rate males ‐ aged 16‐64 Employment rate females ‐ aged 16‐64
-4.0
-1.0 -0.8
1.6
-1.8
-8.0
-5.2 -4.9
-2.3 -2.5 -2.8-2.4
-1.5
-4.9
-1.3
0.0
-1.4
-2.6
1.5
-5.3
-3.2-3.8
-4.2 -3.9
-6.4
3.2
-0.3
3.2
-2.2
-13.1
-11.2
-4.3
-1.2 -1.1 -1.4-0.9
‐14
‐12
‐10
‐8
‐6
‐4
‐2
0
2
4
6
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
Percentage
Point Change
Employment rate ‐ aged 16‐64 Employment rate males ‐ aged 16‐64 Employment rate females ‐ aged 16‐64
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 127
Figure 6‐30: Change in Employment Rates 2004‐2009 ‐ Slough, RBWM and East Berkshire
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
Worklessness
6.73 Worklessness is a term used to describe those without a job. It includes working age people
(not in full time education or training) who are:
Economically Inactive – those without work and not actively seeking work; or
51
63
7
7480
67
59
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Jan 2004-Dec 2004
Jul 2004-Jun 2005
Jan 2005-Dec 2005
Jul 2005-Jun 2006
Jan 2006-Dec 2006
Jul 2006-Jun 2007
Jan 2007-Dec 2007
Jul 2007-Jun 2008
Jan 2008-Dec 2008
Jul 2008-Jun 2009
Jan 2009-Dec 2009
Perc
enta
ge
Aged 16-64 Aged 16-24 Aged 25-49Aged 50-64 Aged 65+ Males aged 16-64Females aged 16-65 Aged 16-64 white UK national Aged 16-64 white not UK national
52
84
10
727881
65
55
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Jan 2004-Dec 2004
Jul 2004-Jun 2005
Jan 2005-Dec 2005
Jul 2005-Jun 2006
Jan 2006-Dec 2006
Jul 2006-Jun 2007
Jan 2007-Dec 2007
Jul 2007-Jun 2008
Jan 2008-Dec 2008
Jul 2008-Jun 2009
Jan 2009-Dec 2009
Perc
enta
ge
Title
Aged 16-64 Aged 16-24 Aged 25-49 Aged 50-64
Aged 65+ Males aged 16-64 Females aged 16-65 Aged 16-64 white UK national
Aged 16-64 white not UK national Aged 16-64 ethnic minority UK national Aged 16-64 ethnic minority not UK national
52
71
9
7781
67
59
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Jan 2004-Dec 2004
Jul 2004-Jun 2005
Jan 2005-Dec 2005
Jul 2005-Jun 2006
Jan 2006-Dec 2006
Jul 2006-Jun 2007
Jan 2007-Dec 2007
Jul 2007-Jun 2008
Jan 2008-Dec 2008
Jul 2008-Jun 2009
Jan 2009-Dec 2009
Perc
enta
ge
Aged 16-64 Aged 16-24 Aged 25-49 Aged 50-64
Aged 65+ Males aged 16-64 Females aged 16-65 Aged 16-64 white UK national
Aged 16-64 white not UK national Aged 16-64 ethnic minority UK national Aged 16-64 ethnic minority not UK national
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 128
Unemployed – those without work and actively looking for a job
6.74 The workless group includes those who work in the informal economy and those who claim
benefits as well as those who do not. Many of those who are economically inactive are
outside of the labour market voluntarily, because of family responsibilities or early
retirement for example. Many others may have withdrawn from the labour market due to
discouragement and would work if they had the right opportunity, incentive or path back to
employment.
6.75 Workless residents face multiple barriers hindering them from finding work. These barriers
may include – the institutional benefits trap; low skill levels; poor language skills; poor
health; psychological barriers; poor transport links and other local barriers. Typically many
people face multiple barriers. These reinforce each other and make returning to work harder
to achieve.
High Rates of Economic Inactivity amongst Females in Slough...
6.76 Overall economic inactivity rates are the inverse of those economic activity rates described
previously. A summary of the key data for economic inactivity is presented below:
Across East Berkshire, around 36,700 people are classified as being economically
inactive. This amounts to a rate of 21.1%, slightly above the South East average.
Since 2004, the number of economically inactive people in East Berkshire has
increased by 8,100 (or 7.6%). This amounts to a 0.5 percentage point increase since
2004.
Within East Berkshire, there are 19,000 economically inactive people in Slough
(23.3%) and 17,800 economically inactive people in RBWM (19.1%) – this latter rate
is lower than most comparator geographies. In recent years, the absolute number of
economically inactive people has increased in both RBWM and Slough – the latter
has seen a relatively large increase of 1,800 people (10.5%). Indeed, the inactivity
rate has actually fallen in RBWM over that period.
Figure 6‐31: Summary of Economic Inactivity
2009 Change 2004‐2009
Number % Absolute(No.)
Absolute (%)
% Point Change
Slough 19,000 23.3 1,800 10.5 1.5
Windsor and Maidenhead 17,800 19.1 500 2.9 ‐0.9
Hillingdon 33,500 19.8 ‐2,700 ‐7.5 ‐2.6
Hounslow 35,900 22.8 ‐1,500 ‐4.0 ‐2.4
Reading 19,800 19.5 900 4.8 0.0
South Bucks 9,700 24.4 3,300 51.6 7.7
Spelthorne 13,600 22.7 3,200 30.8 4.7
Wycombe 19,400 19.1 900 4.9 1.1
East Berkshire 36,700 21.1 2,200 6.4 0.3
Thames Valley LEP 106,400 19.0 8,100 8.2 0.5
South East 1,094,400 20.4 77,700 7.6 0.7
Great Britain 9,104,400 23.5 291,300 3.3 ‐0.1
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 129
6.77 It is useful to analyse in more detail the characteristics of those who are economically active.
Gender – Economic inactivity rates are higher for females than males across all
geographies. In Slough, however, the disparity between rates for the two groups is
20 percentage points, with the female inactivity rate at 33.5%. This disparity is much
larger than in RBWM (around 13 percentage points) and across the South East (again
around 13 percentage points). Of the comparator areas, the economic inactivity rate
for females is higher only in Spelthorne and South Buck.
Age Cohort – Discounting the 65+ age group, economic inactivity rates are highest
amongst the 16‐24 and 50‐64 age groups across all geographies. In both Slough and
RBWM, the rate of inactivity amongst the 16‐24 age group is higher than the
regional average. However, RBWM performs particularly well in the older cohorts –
the inactivity rate of 50‐64 year olds in the Borough is well below many comparator
geographies including the regional average. Indeed, the rate is 13 percentage points
below that of Slough.
Ethnic Origin – as is the case across many comparator geographies, economic
inactivity rates are highest in the ethnic minority not UK national group, and lowest
amongst the white non UK group. This trend is replicated in Slough – the white non
UK ethnic group has a particularly low inactivity rate of 16.2%. This backs up
anecdotal evidence that worklessness tends to be less of an issue amongst more
transitory population which may include migrants from places such as Eastern
Europe. In RBWM, however, economic inactivity is lowest amongst the white UK
national group (at 17.7%). The Borough also has a higher rate of inactivity amongst
the ethnic minority non UK national group (38%) than any other geography.
Ethnicity – data suggests that in East Berkshire, economic inactivity is highest
amongst the Pakistani / Bangladeshi ethnic group and the other ethnic origin group
– again reflecting overall national and regional trends. There appears to be a
particular issue amongst the Pakistani / Bangladeshi group in RBWM – here, the
inactivity rate is 61.9% ‐ 22 percentage points higher than the rate seen in Slough
and 27 percentage points higher than the regional average. It is important to note
here that the confidence level for this data is low.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 130
Figure 6‐32: Economic Inactivity 2009 –By Gender (top) and By Cohort (bottom)
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
23.3
19.119.8
22.8
19.5
24.4
22.7
19.1
21.1
19.0
20.4
23.5
13.412.4
15.3
18.1
12.6
9.3 9.6
12.6 12.9 12.4
13.9
17.3
33.5
25.7
24.2
27.827.2
38.9
35.3
25.6
29.3
25.826.8
29.7
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe East Berkshire Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
Percentage
% who are economically inactive ‐ aged 16‐64 % of males who are economically inactive ‐ aged 16‐64 % of females who are economically inactive ‐ aged 16‐64
35.838.1
31.5
43.2
35.2 34.1
17.9
24.4
36.9
33.5 33.135.9
15.512.4
14.1
17.8
12.2 13.0
18.2
11.213.9
11.9 12.514.8
33.0
20.7
24.2
20.0
28.5
36.137.4
29.4
25.6 24.927.2
32.1
92.8
89.3
93.5
89.8 88.785.8
88.0
94.0
90.489.0
90.392.1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
Percentage
% who are economically inactive ‐ aged 16‐24 % who are economically inactive ‐ aged 25‐49
% who are economically inactive ‐ aged 50‐64 % who are economically inactive ‐ aged 65+
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 131
Figure 6‐33: Economic Inactivity 2009 – By Ethnic Origin (top) and By Ethnicity (bottom)
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
6.78 The Annual Population Survey allows analysis of the reason why people are economically in
active.
6.79 Across East Berkshire, around three quarters of those who are economically inactive do not
want a job – compared to 73% across the South East. In Slough and RBWM, the rate is 78%
and 73% respectively. In RBWM, however, the rate of males who are economically inactive
20.1
17.7
16.4
20.8 20.4
24.6
21.5
16.4
18.4 18.2
20.0
22.5
16.2
19.0
7.4
11.8
15.2
17.6 17.3
19.9 19.8
24.5
29.6
26.3
28.3
13.8
36.7
25.4
20.821.7
31.1
33.6
38.0
31.4
26.2
23.7
31.6
34.4
28.7
30.3
35.7
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
Percentage
Economic inactivity rate ‐ aged 16‐64 white UK national Economic inactivity rate ‐ aged 16‐64 white not UK national
Economic inactivity rate ‐ aged 16‐64 ethnic minority UK national Economic inactivity rate ‐ aged 16‐64 ethnic minority not UK national
19.417.8
15.2
19.2 19.618.4 18.1
20.0
22.324.4
44.4
53.9
14.4
18.6
23.6
30.7
19.4 19.3
15.2
21.8 21.219.4
16.318.0
25.5
39.3
61.9
18.9
43.4
36.6
42.1
39.0
34.6
43.9
18.7
25.9
50.3
47.5
16.0
20.219.0
23.1
28.1
31.6
35.2
31.7
24.8
17.2
32.9
26.9 27.6
35.0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading East Berkshire Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
Percentage
% of whites aged 16‐64 who are economically inactive % of mixed ethnic group of aged 16‐64 who are economically inactive
% of Indians of aged 16‐64 who are economically inactive % of Pakistanis/Bangladeshis of aged 16‐64 who are economically inactive
% of Black or Black British of aged 16‐64 who are economically inactive % of other ethnic group of aged 16‐64 who are economically inactive
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 132
and who do not want a job is noticeably low at 59.7%.
6.80 Of those who are economically inactive and who do want a jobs, the main reasons for not
looking in East Berkshire are students and looking after family / home. The student group is
particularly large in RBWM, whilst in Slough the top reason is looking after family / home.
Figure 6‐34: Economic Inactivity – % Who Are Economically Inactive and Do not Want A Job, and reasons for not looking 2009.
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
6.81 The charts below set out changes in economic activity rates affecting different groups in
recent years in Slough, RBWM and East Berkshire respectively. Overall trends highlight
78.0
72.7
78.2
74.0
66.4
89.5
75.4
68.7
75.4
72.073.4
76.173.8
59.7
84.2
79.8
69.5
100.0
63.8
57.0
66.7 67.669.2
72.1
79.8 78.8
74.6
70.0
64.7
87.1
78.4
74.4
79.3
74.175.5
78.4
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
Percentage
% aged 16‐64 economically inactive who do not want a job % aged 16‐64 economically inactive males who do not want a job
% aged 16‐64 economically inactive females who do not want a job
4.0
4.44.2
4.03.8
3.1
0.8 0.8 0.7
2.9
4.9
3.9
4.8
7.06.8
6.5
6.26.4
7.6
6.6
5.7
5.1
7.7
6.4
5.6
3.7 3.63.4
3.73.5
5.2
4.6
4.0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead East Berkshire Thames Valley LEP South East Great Britain
Percentage
% aged 16‐64 economically inactive who are seeking work but unavailable to start work % aged 16‐64 econ inact who want job reason not looking ‐ discouraged worker
% aged 16‐64 econ inact who want job reason not looking ‐ long term sick % aged 16‐64 econ inact who want job reason not looking ‐ looking after family/home
% aged 16‐64 econ inact who want job reason not looking ‐ student % aged 16‐64 econ inact who want job reason not looking ‐ other
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 133
increasing inactivity rates over the past few years – reflecting largely the changing
macroeconomic context. However, the performance of each group varies considerably in
both Slough and RBWM. Perhaps most noticeable are is the 16‐24 age group, which remains
the top inactive group in both boroughs and which has seen an increasing rate of inactivity in
recent years. The ethnic minority non UK group has also seen a relatively large increase in
inactivity rate in recent years.
Figure 6‐35: Change in Economic Inactivity Rates 2004‐2009 – Slough (top), RBWM (middle) and East Berkshire (bottom)
23.3
35.8
13.4
33.5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Jan 2004-Dec 2004
Jul 2004-Jun 2005
Jan 2005-Dec 2005
Jul 2005-Jun 2006
Jan 2006-Dec 2006
Jul 2006-Jun 2007
Jan 2007-Dec 2007
Jul 2007-Jun 2008
Jan 2008-Dec 2008
Jul 2008-Jun 2009
Jan 2009-Dec 2009
Perc
enta
ge
Economic inactivity rate - aged 16-64 white UK national Economic inactivity rate - aged 16-64 white not UK nationalEconomic inactivity rate - aged 16-64 ethnic minority UK national Economic inactivity rate - aged 16-64 ethnic minority not UK national% who are economically inactive - aged 16-64 % who are economically inactive - aged 50-64% who are economically inactive - aged 16-24 % who are economically inactive - aged 25-49% of males who are economically inactive - aged 16-64 % of females who are economically inactive - aged 16-64
19.120.7
38.1
25.7
0
10
20
30
40
50
Jan 2004-Dec 2004
Jul 2004-Jun 2005
Jan 2005-Dec 2005
Jul 2005-Jun 2006
Jan 2006-Dec 2006
Jul 2006-Jun 2007
Jan 2007-Dec 2007
Jul 2007-Jun 2008
Jan 2008-Dec 2008
Jul 2008-Jun 2009
Jan 2009-Dec 2009
Perc
enta
ge
Economic inactivity rate - aged 16-64 white UK national Economic inactivity rate - aged 16-64 white not UK nationalEconomic inactivity rate - aged 16-64 ethnic minority UK national Economic inactivity rate - aged 16-64 ethnic minority not UK national% who are economically inactive - aged 16-64 % who are economically inactive - aged 50-64% who are economically inactive - aged 16-24 % who are economically inactive - aged 25-49% of males who are economically inactive - aged 16-64 % of females who are economically inactive - aged 16-64
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 134
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
Relatively Low Unemployment Levels in RBWM; High in Slough....
6.82 Unemployment is a key indicator in assessing the relative vitality of a local labour market.
There are two measures of unemployment that are commonly used:
International Labour Organisation Unemployment (ILO) – This measures all those
people who want to work, are available to work, and who are actively seeking
employment. The ILO unemployment rate is based upon the Annual Population
Survey and includes a larger number of individuals than the claimant count.
The Claimant Count – this only measures those people who are claiming
unemployment related benefits. It does not include all unemployed people, as some
of those unemployed may not be able to claim benefits or chose not to do so. The
measure is based on records from Jobcentre Plus.
ILO Unemployment Rate
6.83 The ILO unemployment rate in East Berkshire stands at 6.9% (around 9,500 people in
absolute terms) – above that of the South East, but below that of Great Britain. In recent
years, the number of unemployed people has risen by 3,900 – a 69.6% increase in absolute
terms. This represents a 2.6 percentage point increase in unemployment rate since 2004
(slightly below the regional average).
Slough – The unemployment rate stands at 8.7% (5,400 people) – higher than all
comparator geographies apart from Hounslow. The number of unemployed people
has risen by 2,100 since 2004 – a 64% increase in absolute terms. This represents a
3.4 percentage point increase in unemployment rate since 2004 (above regional and
national average).
RBWM – Here the unemployment rate stands at 5.5% (1,800 people) – lower than all
comparator geographies. The number of unemployed people has risen by 1,800
since 2004 – a 78.3% increase in absolute terms. This represents a 2.2 percentage
point increase in unemployment rate since 2004 (below regional and national
21.1
25.6
36.9
12.9
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Jan 2004-Dec 2004
Jul 2004-Jun 2005
Jan 2005-Dec 2005
Jul 2005-Jun 2006
Jan 2006-Dec 2006
Jul 2006-Jun 2007
Jan 2007-Dec 2007
Jul 2007-Jun 2008
Jan 2008-Dec 2008
Jul 2008-Jun 2009
Jan 2009-Dec 2009
Perc
enta
ge
Economic inactivity rate - aged 16-64 white UK national Economic inactivity rate - aged 16-64 white not UK nationalEconomic inactivity rate - aged 16-64 ethnic minority UK national Economic inactivity rate - aged 16-64 ethnic minority not UK national% who are economically inactive - aged 16-64 % who are economically inactive - aged 50-64% who are economically inactive - aged 16-24 % who are economically inactive - aged 25-49% of males who are economically inactive - aged 16-64 % of females who are economically inactive - aged 16-64
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 135
average).
Figure 6‐36: Summary of Unemployment
Number % Absolute Change Number
Absolute Change (%)
% Point Change
Slough 5,400 8.7 2,100 63.6 3.4
Windsor and Maidenhead 4,100 5.5 1,800 78.3 2.2
Hillingdon 11,200 8.2 6,100 119.6 4.1
Hounslow 10,900 9.0 1,700 18.5 0.7
Reading 5,800 7.2 1,900 48.7 2.2
Wycombe 6,700 8.2 3,700 123.3 4.6
East Berkshire 9,500 6.9 3,900 69.6 2.6
Thames Valley LEP 27,700 6.1 11,600 72.0 2.4
South East 271,700 6.4 119,000 77.9 2.7
Great Britain 2,372,600 8.0 1,009,900 74.1 3.2
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
6.84 The key characteristics of those unemployed are summarised below:
Gender – across East Berks (as with most comparator geographies), unemployment
rates are higher for males than they are for females. In RBWM, there is a relatively
large disparity between the rates for males and females of 3 percentage points.
Age Cohorts – Across all comparator geographies, unemployment is highest amongst
the 16‐24 cohort – in East Berkshire, the rate for this group stands at 18.3%. Within
East Berks, the rate for this group is highest in Slough, where it stands at 20.2% ‐
three percentage points above regional average
Ethnic Origin – across East Berkshire, unemployment rates are highest amongst the
ethnic minority UK national and ethnic minority not UK national groups. In Slough
the unemployment rate is particularly low for the white not UK national group –
perhaps reflecting trends amongst migrant worker groups discussed previously
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 136
Figure 6‐37: Unemployment Rate, 2009 – By Gender (top), By Cohort (middle) and By Ethnic Origin (bottom)
Note: due to the small absolute numbers involved, data has been excluded where confidence levels are low
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
8.7
5.5
8.2
9.0
7.2
8.2
6.9
6.16.4
8.0
9.4
6.9
6.2
9.3
6.9
9.1
8.1
6.87.2
9.0
7.6
3.9
10.3
8.7
7.57.2
5.5 5.3 5.4
6.8
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading Wycombe East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
Percentage
Unemployment rate ‐ aged 16‐64 Unemployment rate males ‐ aged 16‐64 Unemployment rate females ‐ aged 16‐64
20.2
16.117.8
19.9
9.2
30.2
18.3
14.1
17.2
19.8
6.4
4.1
6.77.5
6.7
4.6 5.2 4.7 4.6
6.46.0
3.3
5.47.1 7.2
0.0
4.3 5.04.2 4.6
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading Wycombe East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
Percentage
Unemployment rate ‐ aged 16‐24 Unemployment rate ‐ aged 25‐49 Unemployment rate ‐ aged 50‐64
6.85.7
6.2
4.4
5.9 6.2 6.05.4
6.1
7.3
4.0
10.2
2.0
5.74.9
6.5
11.3
7.1
11.3
8.0
9.3
22.4
10.6 10.4 10.5
13.1
10.6
13.8
23.1
8.5
10.7
9.3
6.4
13.7
0
5
10
15
20
25
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading Wycombe East Berkshire
Thames Valley LEP
South East Great Britain
Percetage
Unemployment rate ‐ aged 16+ white UK national Unemployment rate ‐ aged 16+ white not UK national
Unemployment rate ‐ aged 16+ ethnic minority UK national Unemployment rate ‐ aged 16+ ethnic minority not UK national
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 137
6.85 As would be expected given the challenging economic context of recent years,
unemployment rates have risen in recent years – as highlighted by the charts blow. The
charts highlight that across East Berkshire unemployment remains highest amongst the 16‐
24 age group and this group has seen a larger than average increase in unemployment in
recent years.
Figure 6‐38: Change in Unemployment Rate 2004‐2009 – Slough (top), RBWM (middle) and East berks (bottom)
20.2
6.4
9.47.6
0
5
10
15
20
25
Apr 2004-Mar 2005 Apr 2005-Mar 2006 Apr 2006-Mar 2007 Apr 2007-Mar 2008 Apr 2008-Mar 2009 Apr 2009-Mar 2010
Perc
enta
ge
Unemployment rate - aged 16-64 Unemployment rate - aged 50-64 Unemployment rate - aged 16-24
Unemployment rate - aged 25-49 Unemployment rate males - aged 16-64 Unemployment rate females - aged 16-64
5.5
3.3
16.1
6.9
3.9
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Apr 2004-Mar 2005 Apr 2005-Mar 2006 Apr 2006-Mar 2007 Apr 2007-Mar 2008 Apr 2008-Mar 2009 Apr 2009-Mar 2010
Perc
enta
ge
Unemployment rate - aged 16-64 Unemployment rate - aged 50-64 Unemployment rate - aged 16-24
Unemployment rate - aged 25-49 Unemployment rate males - aged 16-64 Unemployment rate females - aged 16-64
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 138
Source: Annual Population Survey © Crown Copyright
Claimant Count Unemployment
6.86 In October 2010, East Berkshire’s claimant count rate stood at 2.7% (4,800 people in
absolute terms) – above the regional average but below the national average. Since 2004,
the number of claimants has increased by around 1,400 people (40%) and by 0.6 percentage
points – below regional and national averages. Within East Berkshire, these exists
considerable disparity:
Local Authority Area – the claimant count rates of Slough and RBWM stand at 3.6%
(3,200 claimants) and 1.8% (1,700 claimants) respectively. Whilst Slough stands
above all comparator geographies in this respect, the performance of RBWM
amongst the strongest in sub region. In recent years, Slough and RBWM have seen
absolute increases in claimant count rate of 47% and 29%. This has resulted in a
claimant count increase of 0.9 percentage points in Slough
Town Centre – Claimant count rates in Maidenhead, Slough TC and Windsor and
Eton are 2.7%, 5% and 1% respectively – highlighting a large degree in disparity in
performance. Again Slough TC stands above all comparator geographies in this
respect, whilst the performance of Windsor and Eton is the strongest in sub region.
In recent year, claimant count rate has increased most in Maidenhead – by 2.4
percentage points.
Figure 6‐39: Claimant Count Rate Summary
2010 Change 2004‐2010
Number % Absolute Change (no.)
Absolute Change (%)
% Point Change
Town Centres (ward definitions)
Maidenhead Wards 410 2.7 139 51.3 2.4
Slough Wards 936 5.0 244 35.3 0.5
Windsor and Eton Wards 73 1.0 ‐8 ‐9.9 0.8
Basingstoke Wards 148 4.3 92 164.3 0.8
High Wycombe Wards 175 2.7 34 24.1 1.6
Hounslow Wards 286 2.7 113 65.3 1.3
Reading Wards 374 4.8 150 67.0 0.8
6.9
4.3
18.3
8.1
5.5
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Apr 2004-Mar 2005 Apr 2005-Mar 2006 Apr 2006-Mar 2007 Apr 2007-Mar 2008 Apr 2008-Mar 2009 Apr 2009-Mar 2010
Perc
enta
ge
Unemployment rate - aged 16-64 Unemployment rate - aged 50-64 Unemployment rate - aged 16-24
Unemployment rate - aged 25-49 Unemployment rate males - aged 16-64 Unemployment rate females - aged 16-64
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 139
Uxbridge Wards 477 2.9 142 42.4 ‐0.2
Local Authorities
Slough 3,156 3.6 1,012 47.2 0.9
Windsor and Maidenhead 1,656 1.8 371 28.9 0.3
Hillingdon 5,257 3.0 1,537 41.3 0.7
Hounslow 4,988 3.0 1,584 46.5 0.8
Reading 3,590 3.4 1,438 66.8 1.2
South Bucks 605 1.5 184 43.7 0.4
Spelthorne 1,252 2.1 527 72.7 0.8
Wycombe 2,363 2.3 474 25.1 0.5
Wider Geographies
East Berkshire 4,812 2.7 1,383 40.3 0.6
Thames Valley LEP 13,309 2.3 4,978 59.8 0.7
South East 127,424 2.4 46,742 57.9 0.8
Great Britain 1,359,282 3.5 435,624 47.2 1.0
Source: NOMIS Claimant Count © Crown Copyright
6.87 The charts below highlight in more detail changes affecting claimant count rates across the
geographies in recent years. The charts highlight the large rises in claimant count rates seen
in 2008 due to the economic context and also highlight the disparity between male and
female claimant count rates (which is especially high in Slough TC):
Figure 6‐40: Claimant Count Rate, 2004‐2010 – All People (top), Males (middle) and Females (bottom)
5.0
1.0
3.6
1.8
2.72.4
3.5
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
ayJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
ayJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
ayJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
ayJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
ayJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
ayJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
ayJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Clai
man
t Cou
nt R
ate
(%)
Town Centres Maidenhead Wards Town Centres Slough Wards Town Centres Windsor and Eton Wards
Local Authorities Slough Local Authorities Windsor and Maidenhead Wider Geographies East Berkshire
Wider Geographies Thames Valley LEP Wider Geographies South East Wider Geographies Great Britain
4.1
6.6
1.1
2.4
3.53.2
4.9
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Febr
uary
Mar
chA p
rilM
a yJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chA p
rilM
a yJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chA p
rilM
a yJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
a yJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
a yJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
ayJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chA p
rilM
ayJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Mal
e Cl
aim
ant
Coun
t Ra
te (
%)
Town Centres Maidenhead Wards Town Centres Slough Wards Town Centres Windsor and Eton Wards
Local Authorities Slough Local Authorities Windsor and Maidenhead Wider Geographies East BerkshireWider Geographies Thames Valley LEP Wider Geographies South East Wider Geographies Great Britain
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 140
Source: NOMIS Claimant Count © Crown Copyright
Rates of Benefits Claimants Higher in Slough than RBWM...
6.88 In addition to Job Seekers Allowance (which forms the Claimant Count Rate), other data on
benefits claimants can be explored to help explain the reasons for economic inactivity and
the characteristics of worklessness.
6.89 As highlighted by the table below, there are around 7,500 ESA and incapacity benefit
claimants in East Berkshire. Although the number of people claiming these benefits has
increased in East Berkshire in recent years, the rate has remained relatively static. As a result
the total number of claimants (including JSA claimants) in East Berkshire is around 18,600 – a
rate of 10.4% which is close to the regional average.
Local Authorities – in Slough there are around 4,900 people claiming SDA /
incapacity benefits (a rate of 5.6%). The rate in RBWM is relatively low at 2.9% (with
around 2,700 people claiming these benefits).
Town Centres – the SDA / incapacity benefits claimant rates in Maidenhead, Slough
TC and Windsor and Eton are 3.7%, 6.2% and 1.7% respectively. The high rate in
Slough TC amounts to around 1,200 people in real terms.
Figure 6‐41: Summary of Benefits Claimants
Town Centres (ward definitions) Boroughs Wider Geographies
Maidenhead Slough Windsorand Eton
Slough Windsor andMaidenhead
EastBerkshire
Thames Valley LEP
SouthEast
GreatBritain
ESA and incapacity benefits group
Number 555 1,170 125 4,850 2,670 7,520 20,710 248,810 2,602,680
% 3.7 6.2 1.7 5.6 2.9 4.2 3.6 4.6 6.7
Change 2004‐10
80 85 0 520 160 680 1,580 13,060 ‐158,250
Change 2004‐10 (%)
16.8 7.8 0.0 12.0 6.4 9.9 8.3 5.5 ‐5.7
% Point Change 0.4 0.4 ‐0.2 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 ‐0.7
Total Claimants (including
Number 1,410 3,025 290 11,900 6,670 18,570 51,880 576,090 5,731,460
% 9.4 16.0 4.0 13.7 7.2 10.4 9.1 10.7 14.7
Change 230 520 5 1,970 760 2,730 8,830 91,450 426,420
3.1
0.9
2.5
1.2
1.8
1.5
2.1
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
ayJu
ne Jul y
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
ayJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
ayJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
ayJu
ne Jul y
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
ayJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
ayJu
ne July
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
rD
ecem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
chAp
rilM
ayJu
ne Jul y
Augu
stSe
ptem
ber
Oct
ober
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Fem
ale
Clai
man
t Co
unt
Rate
(%
)
Town Centres Maidenhead Wards Town Centres Slough Wards Town Centres Windsor and Eton WardsLocal Authorities Slough Local Authorities Windsor and Maidenhead Wider Geographies East BerkshireWider Geographies Thames Valley LEP Wider Geographies South East Wider Geographies Great Britain
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 141
JSA) 2004‐10 (No.)
Change 2004‐10 (%)
19.5 20.8 1.8 19.8 12.9 17.2 20.5 18.9 8.0
% Point Change 1.2 2.5 ‐0.2 1.2 0.4 0.9 1.0 1.4 0.6
Source: DWP Benefits © Crown Copyright
6.90 The charts below consider the characteristics of claimants in more detail:
Statistical Group – whilst the spread of East Berkshire claimants across the various
statistical claimant groups is broadly similar to regional averages, it is noticeable that
the area has a slightly higher proportion of claimants in the lone parent group. At a
more local level, this characteristic is explained by a higher than average proportion
of this group in Slough Borough (and town centre).
Duration of claimants – in East Berkshire there is a lower proportion of long term
(over two years) claimants than is average across the South East and a higher than
average proportion of people who have been claiming less than a year. This trend is
true in both Slough and RBWM. Despite this, around 50% of claimants have been
claiming over 2 years – a significant proportion given the challenges associated with
getting these groups back into work.
Age of claimant – The age profile of East Berkshire claimants is broadly similar to the
regional average and there is limited variation within East Berkshire in this respect.
Just fewer than 50% of East Berkshire’s claimants are between the ages of 35 and
54.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 142
Figure 6‐42: Benefits Claimants 2010 – By Statistical Group (top), By Duration (middle) and By Cohort (bottom)
Source: DWP Benefits © Crown Copyright
30% 30%22% 26% 27% 26% 26% 23% 24%
39% 39%43% 41% 40% 40% 40% 43% 45%
10% 15%10%
16% 11% 14% 14% 13% 12%
8%6%
7%6%
7%7% 7% 8% 8%
2%5%
5%4%
3%4% 3% 3% 3%
7%4%
9%5%
9% 6% 7% 8% 7%3% 1% 3% 2% 3% 2% 2% 2% 1%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Mai
denh
ead
War
ds
Slou
gh W
ards
Win
dsor
and
Eto
n W
ards
Slou
gh
Win
dsor
and
Mai
denh
ead
East
Ber
kshi
re
Tham
es V
alle
y LE
P
Sout
h Ea
st
Gre
at B
ritai
n
Town Centres Local Authorities Wider Geographies
Perc
enta
ge
statistical group - job seekers statistical group - ESA and incapacity benefits statistical group - lone parentsstatistical group - carers statistical group - others on income related benefits statistical group - disabledstatistical group - bereaved statistical group - unknown
25% 25% 24% 25% 25% 24% 23% 25% 25% 25% 22% 22%
12% 12% 11% 10% 12% 10% 11%12% 12% 12%
11% 11%
13% 12% 12% 9%14%
12% 13% 12% 12% 13%13% 12%
18% 17% 17% 17%
16%17%
18% 15% 17% 16%17% 16%
33% 34% 37% 39%33% 37% 34% 36% 34% 35% 38% 40%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Slou
gh
Win
dsor
and
Mai
denh
ead
Hill
ingd
on
Hou
nslo
w
Read
ing
Sout
h Bu
cks
Spel
thor
ne
Wyc
ombe
East
Ber
kshi
re
Tham
es V
alle
y LE
P
Sout
h Ea
st
Gre
at B
ritai
n
Local Authorities Wider Geographies
Perc
enta
ge
up to 6 months 6 months up to 1 year 1 year and up to 2 years 2 years and up to 5 years 5 years and over
15% 14% 17% 15% 14% 15% 12% 16% 15% 16% 14% 15%
21% 21%22%
22% 16% 18% 19%20% 18% 18% 21% 20%
24% 23%24%
23%
23% 23% 22%22% 22% 23% 23% 23%
23% 24%22%
22%24%
25% 25%23% 24% 23% 23% 23%
11% 12% 9% 12%14% 12% 13%
12% 12% 12% 12% 11%
6% 6% 6% 6% 9% 8% 8% 6% 8% 8% 7% 7%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Slou
gh
Win
dsor
and
Mai
denh
ead
Hill
ingd
on
Hou
nslo
w
Read
ing
Sout
h Bu
cks
Spel
thor
ne
Wyc
ombe
East
Ber
kshi
re
Tham
es V
alle
y LE
P
Sout
h Ea
st
Gre
at B
ritai
n
Local Authorities Wider Geographies
Perc
enta
ge
aged under 25 aged 25-34 aged 35-44 aged 45-54 aged 55-59 aged 60-64
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 143
Pockets of Relative Multiple Deprivation relating to Employment in Slough....
6.91 The Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) provides a spatial summary of the performance of
local areas in terms of employment and worklessness.
6.92 The Employment IMD domain is mapped below, with the darker colours representing the
more deprived localities in relation to localities across the country. The map highlights
overall higher levels of deprivation relating to employment within Slough, with particular
concentrations of deprivation to the north and west of the Borough (in the Britwell and
Chalvey areas).
6.93 Again, it is important to note that whilst overall levels of relative multiple deprivation appear
low across RBWM, there are pockets where deprivation levels are relatively higher
(especially around Maidenhead) – it is important that these pockets and the issues behind
them are not ignored in the face of more positive Borough wide averages
Figure 6‐43: Indices of Multiple Deprivation: Deprivation related to Employment
Indicators Used: Recipients of Jobseekers Allowance (both contribution‐based and income‐based): men aged 18‐64 and women 18‐59; Recipients of Incapacity Benefit (both contribution‐based and income‐based): men aged 18‐64 and women 18‐59; Recipients of Severe Disablement Allowance (both contribution‐based and income‐based): men aged 18‐64 and women 18‐59; Participants in the New Deal for 18‐24s who are not in receipt of JSA; Participants in the New Deal for 25+ who are not in receipt of JSA; Participants in the New Deal for Lone Parents (after initial interview).
Source: IMD from CLG; Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. © Crown Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved. Licence number 1000199918
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 144
Worklessness in Slough The local jobs density of just less than 1 highlights that there are nearly as many jobs in the Borough as there are working age residents. However, the analysis above highlights the high rates of worklessness amongst Slough – despite the local presence of a significant pool of employment. When considering and trying to understand this imbalance, there are a number of important interrelated demographic and labour market factors to take into account:
Economic inactivity rates are particularly high amongst females in Slough. Anecdotal evidence
suggests that this partly reflects the diverse ethnic makeup of the local area – with rates of
female inactivity very high amongst certain ethnic groups. This trend is thought to partly reflect
varying cultural characteristics and the local presence of relatively conservative communities
Economic inactivity rates – both male and female – also reflect the skills challenges and the
suitability of jobs available in the local area. As discussed there is a large gap between the
resident and workplace skills profiles of Slough, which impacts upon the ability of local residents
to work in the local area
Linked to the above, there are also a relatively lack of part time jobs available in the local area.
This means that those groups who wish to work part time – often residents in older age groups or
females – need to travel further afield to do so, something which may not be possible.
Clearly, worklessness and the various interrelated issues and dependencies relating to it are hugely important in the local area, impacting both upon the local economy and local social characteristics. Understanding and tracking the key issues – and how they relate to different groups and communities – will continue to represent a hugely important challenge going forward.
Travel to Work Patterns
6.94 Analysis of travel to work provides a deep insight into dynamics affecting local labour market
and hence the functionality of local economies.
6.95 Although now relatively dated, information from the 2001 Census provides the most
comprehensive coverage of travel to work patterns.
Daily Net Inflows of Commuters to East Berkshire and from RBWM to Slough....
6.96 The table below provides an overall summary of average distance travelled to work by place
of residence. East Berkshire does not vary significantly from the South East average in this
respect, with around 40% of residents travelling less than 5 km to work and around 14% of
residents working from home. Within East Berkshire there is a disparity between the
proportion of people who work from home – in Slough the figure is 12%, compared to
RBWM. This is likely to be explained by the more rural nature of RBWM and by the higher
levels of self employment in the Borough.
6.97 As would be expected given the physical characteristics of East Berkshire, the primary mode
of travel to work is the car.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
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Figure 6‐44: Travel to Work – Average Distance Travelled (top) and Mode of Transport (bottom)
Source: ONS Census 2001
6.98 There is a daily net inflow of commuters to all East Berkshire geographies. The key travel to
work trends for East Berkshire are summarised below:
There is a daily net inflow of commuters to East Berkshire of around 16,400.
There is a daily net inflow of commuters to Slough of around 13,800
The daily net inflow of commuters to RBWM is smaller – around 2,500
Within East Berkshire, there is an overall net daily movement of commuters from
Slough to RBWM of around 1,000
23%18% 21% 20% 20% 20%
23%16%
19% 20% 18% 20%
17%
16%
16% 16%15%
18%
14%
17%
16% 14%14%
15%
6%
6%6% 7%
7%
5%
12%16% 14% 14% 15% 14%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
East Berkshire Thames Valley LEP South East England
Local Authorities Wider Geographies
Perc
enta
ge
Less than 2km 2km to less than 5km 5km to less than 10km 10km to less than 20km 20km to less than 30km
30km to less than 40km 40km to less than 60km 60km and over Other
8%12% 11% 10% 10% 10% 10%
5%6% 4% 6% 5% 6%
5%
64%
63% 67% 63% 64% 62% 59%
7%4% 5%
6% 5% 6% 7%
11% 9% 9% 10% 10% 10% 11%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Wycombe East Berkshire Thames Valley LEP South East England
Local Authorities Wider Geographies
Perc
enta
ge
Work mainly at or from home Underground, metro, light rail, tram Train Motor cycle, scooter or moped Driving a car or van Passenger in a car or van Taxi or minicab Bicycle On foot Other
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 146
Figure 6‐45: Summary of East Berkshire Commuting Flows
Area In Commuters Out Commuters Net Flows
Internal Slough (from / to Windsor) 6,324 5324 1,000
External Slough 39,602 25,834 13,768
RBWM 35,249 32,750 2,499
East Berkshire 63,175 46,798 16,377
Source: Origin Destination Statistics, 2001 Census, ONS
6.99 The two tables below set out the mains origins and destinations of commuters moving into
and out of East Berkshire.
Figure 6‐46: Commuting Flows – Top Workplace Destinations
Area of Residence: Slough Area of Residence: RBWM Area of Residence: East Berkshire
Top Ten Workplace No. Top Ten Workplace No. Top Ten Workplace No.
Slough 32,381 RBWM 35,033 RBWM 40,357
Hillingdon 5,555 Slough 6,324 Slough 38,705
Windsor and Maidenhead 5,324 Hillingdon 4,008 Hillingdon 9,563
South Bucks 3,196 Bracknell Forest 2,375 South Bucks 4,808
Hounslow 1,589 Wycombe 2,302 Wycombe 3,132
Wycombe 830 South Bucks 1,612 Bracknell Forest 3,061
Westminster 750 Westminster 1,544 Hounslow 2,880
Ealing 703 Wokingham 1,421 Westminster 2,294
Bracknell Forest 686 Runnymede 1,321 Wokingham 1,989
Reading 670 Hounslow 1,291 Runnymede 1,940
Total 58,215 Total 67,783 Total 125,860
Source: Origin Destination Statistics, 2001 Census, ONS
6.100 These commuting flows are illustrated graphically below:
Areas in blue – those areas from where there is a daily net flow of commuters into
East Berkshire. In the mains, these areas are typically those which directly neighbour
East Berkshire (with the exception of Hillingdon and Runnymede).
Figure 6‐47: Commuting Flows – Top Residence Origins
Area of Work: Slough Area of Work: RBWM Area of Residence: Work
Top Ten Residence No. Top Ten Residence No. Top Ten Residence No.
Slough 32,381 RBWM 35,033 RBWM 41,357
Windsor and Maidenhead 6,324 Slough 5,324 Slough 37,705
South Bucks 4,278 Bracknell Forest 4,578 Bracknell Forest 6,348
Hillingdon 2,651 Wokingham 3,292 South Bucks 6,026
Wycombe 2,167 Wycombe 3,145 Wycombe 5,312
Wokingham 1,836 South Bucks 1,748 Wokingham 5,128
Bracknell Forest 1,770 Reading 1,206 Hillingdon 3,359
Hounslow 1,589 Surrey Heath 956 Ealing 2,283
Ealing 1,578 Runnymede 876 Hounslow 2,135
Spelthorne 1,458 South Oxfordshire 799 Reading 2,109
Total 71,983 Total 70,282 Total 142,237
Source: Origin Destination Statistics, 2001 Census, ONS
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 147
Areas in orange / red – those areas which receive a daily net flow of commuters
from East Berkshire. These areas include Hillingdon (as a result of East Berkshire
residents who work at Heathrow), Hounslow and central London Boroughs.
Figure 6‐48: Commuting Patterns
Source: Origin Destination Statistics, 2001 Census, ONS
6.101 One of the key characteristics of the East Berkshire labour market is the apparent disparity
between the skills held by residents in Slough and the jobs on offer in the Borough. This
characteristic is emphasised by the travel to work data – a relatively high proportion of
Slough out commuters are classified as having lower level skills, whilst a higher than average
proportion of those commuting into the Borough are classified as having higher level skills.
6.102 In RBWM, over 50% of both in‐commuters and out commuters are classified as having higher
level skills – reflecting the highly skilled nature of both local residents and jobs on offer
locally.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 148
Figure 6‐49: Commuting Flows – By Occupation type
NOTE: Occupation groups complied from SOC Codes – Higher Skilled incorporates higher managerial occupations, Higher professional occupations and Lower managerial and professional occupations; Intermediate Skills incorporates Intermediate occupations, Small employers and own account workers, and Lower supervisory and technical occupations; Lower Skilled Occupations incorporates Semi Routine and Routine Occupations. Other incorporates Never Worked, Students and Not Classified for Other Reasons
Source: Origin Destination Statistics, 2001 Census, ONS
Linkages and Dynamics Underpinning East Berkshire’s Labour Market
6.103 Analysis of labour market indicators highlights the importance that a variety of geographical
linkages and dependencies play in the functioning of the local area.
6.104 At its very core, the East Berkshire economy is underpinned by significant travel to work
movements – existing both internally within East Berkshire, but also transcending the areas
boundaries. The strength of the local economy is built upon the availability of highly skilled
labour. In total East Berkshire and its neighbouring local authorities provides a labour pool of
over half a million economically active residents and over quarter of a million working age
residents qualified to degree level or higher. The willingness of residents to travel to work
(combined with quality of life factors discussed later) and the demand for suitable
employees means that in practice, local authority boundaries are largely disregarded by
businesses and the workforce alike.
6.105 The dependencies which exist within East Berkshire are best illustrated through
consideration of Slough. Slough’s strong local economy is dependent upon the supply of
highly skilled labour from surrounding local authority areas. Without the presence of this,
the area would struggle to retain and attract investment. However, it is also important to
note that the areas providing the highly skilled labour – areas such as RBWM – are currently
dependent upon Slough to provide suitable jobs for their residents. In the absence of these,
highly skilled and mobile residents would move elsewhere. It is a two way dependency. On
the flip side, a high number of lower skilled Slough residents commute out of the Borough to
work – to locations such as Heathrow. As such, the future wellbeing of Slough and its
residents is dependent upon the continuing provision of jobs in other areas.
39%49% 53% 50% 46% 49%
34%
28%29% 30%
31%29%
26% 20% 15% 17% 20% 19%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Out
Com
mut
ers
In C
omm
uter
s
Out
Com
mut
ers
In C
omm
uter
s
Out
Com
mut
ers
In C
omm
uter
s
Slough RBWM East Berkshire
Perc
enta
ge
Higher Skilled Intermediate Skills Lower Skills Other
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 149
6.106 In addition to the dependencies created by travel to work movements, a number of other
dynamics are important to consider in relation to East Berkshire’s labour market. Most
significantly, in recent years the area – and particularly Slough – has been subject to high
levels of in‐migration and population transience. These flows – typically less local than those
described above – have become hugely influential on the economic and social characteristics
of the local area. It is important that
6.107 Where possible local trends in population are tracked and the impact of change on the local
area understood. It is important to consider – for example – the local economic impact of
migrants leaving the area and retuning home. It is also important to understand the
characteristics and needs of emerging communities.
6.108 As indicated throughout, it is important to note that the labour market indicators discussed
above are not the only factors underpinning economic flows and linkages. Numerous other
factors – including quality of life, physical infrastructure (including transport) and
environment factors – are inter‐related and combine to create the dependencies and
linkages discussed above. These other factors are considered in the next two chapters.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 150
7. Social Inclusion and Quality of Life in East Berkshire
7.1 Although somewhat intangible, Quality of Life is closely linked to economic performance.
Amongst other things, a high quality of life in a particular area has the potential to attract a
highly skilled workforce and interest from investors. As a result, an area with a higher quality
of life is likely to perform better economically than an area with a lower quality of life. Of
course, quality of life is not just important economically – it is of fundamental importance to
social wellbeing.
7.2 There is no set measure of Quality of Life. However, a picture of the Quality of Life in a
specific location can be built up by examining a number of different indicators. In this case
the following indicators have been considered:
Deprivation
Earnings
Health
Crime
Participation in Sports, Culture and Arts
Open Space
Social Inclusion of Quality of Life in East Berkshire: Headline Characteristics
Analysis of a variety of quality of life indicators suggests that – as with the labour market – there
is disparity in performance between Slough and RBWM. In RBWM, quality of life is generally
perceived to be strong. In Slough, quality of life levels are seen to be lower partly reflecting the
labour market characteristics described previously.
Pockets of deprivation exist in Slough – particularly in the Chalvey, Britwell and Foxborough
areas of the Borough and particularly in relation to employment, income and crime.
Concentrations of relative multiple deprivation are fewer and generally less severe in RBWM.
In Slough, average earnings for residents are significantly below those seen in comparator areas
and are below the regional average. Reflecting the labour market trend described previously,
earnings are higher for people working in Slough. Earnings are generally high in RBWM – both for
workers and residents.
In Slough, local crime rates remain above those seen in comparator areas, and there is an even
strong perception / fear of crime amongst local residents. Crime rates are typically lower in
RBWM.
The local housing market is a particular issue across East Berkshire. In Slough, there is a relatively
low quality housing stock and high levels of household overcrowding and HMOs. Reflecting a
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 151
combination of these indicators, house prices in Slough remain significantly below those seen in
neighbouring areas and across the region. In RBWM, there is an overall high quality housing
stock but levels of affordability are low. The potential for housing market growth is problematic
across East Berkshire – an issue considered in the next chapter.
Despite the overall disparity in performance between the two Boroughs, it is important that the
two areas are not viewed as separate entities. Quality of life indicators underpin the labour
market and economic characteristics especially in terms of where people live and work and
where businesses locate.
Deprivation
7.3 The level of deprivation in a community is an important indicator in analysing local
socioeconomic conditions. Analysis of deprivation is important in efforts to identify and
understand specific problems that may exist within local communities. Aside from obvious
social implications, deprivation also plays an important role in local economic performance,
bearing an important influence on the labour market ‐ both through potential to attract high
quality residents, and the ability to retain and up‐skill those currently in residence
7.4 In this section, overall deprivation trends are considered through use of the Indices of
Multiple Deprivation, before specific consideration is given to the occurrence of child
poverty.
Concentrations of Relative Multiple Deprivation Typically More Severe in Slough...
7.5 Overall levels of relative multiple deprivation in East Berkshire are mapped below. The map
highlights a number of key points:
Whilst overall levels of relative multiple deprivation across East Berkshire are low, there is a clear divide within the area between the characteristics of Slough and
RBWM.
The highest concentrations of deprivation in East Berkshire are found in Slough.
Here, as highlighted by the darker shading, several localities are classified as being in
the 10% most deprived localities nationally. These areas include localities within the
Chalvey, Britwell, and Colnbrook areas.
Levels of relative multiple deprivation in RBWM are lower. Relatively speaking, areas
around Maidenhead and in the Clewer part of Windsor be characterised by higher
levels of deprivation than is average across the Borough.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 152
Figure 7‐1: Indices of Multiple Deprivation – Overall Levels of Deprivation in East Berkshire
Source: IMD from CLG; Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. © Crown Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved. Licence number 1000199918.
7.6 The causes of the deprivation described above can be analysed by drilling down into
deprivation domains – indicators which measure levels of deprivation according to separate
social and community factors. The seven individual deprivation domains have been
presented and referred to where appropriate throughout this report. The key points are
summarised below:
The maps highlight that across East Berkshire, the most severe concentrations of
deprivation are found in relation to crime and housing. The former of these
categories is concentrated in town centres, whilst the latter category is found
throughout urban and rural areas. This reflects the fact that the domain includes
indicators on both overcrowding and housing affordability.
With the exception of the housing deprivation domain, concentrations of relative
multiple deprivation are more widespread throughout Slough than RBWM. Areas
most affected in Slough include localities within the Chalvey and Britwell wards.
With the exception of crime and housing (described above), the most severe
concentrations of relative multiple deprivation in these areas are in relation to
income and living environment.
Poverty Affecting Young People More Concentrated in Slough than RBWM...
7.7 Entitlement to free school meals is acknowledged to provide an indication of levels of child
poverty in an area. There is disparity within East Berkshire in this respect:
In Slough, pupil entitlement to free school meals is relatively high – 15.6% at primary
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 153
school level and 13.8% at secondary school level. The regional average is 8.1% and
8.6% respectively.
In contrast, in RBWM, entitlement to free school meals is relatively low – 8.1% at
primary school level and 6% at secondary school level
Figure 7‐2: Pupil Entitlement to Free School Meals
Source: Department for Education
Income and Earnings
Relatively High Earning Levels for RBWM Residents and Slough Workers; Low Earning for Slough Residents...
7.8 There is a large degree of variation between earnings for different groups in East Berkshire.
Not only is there disparity between the earnings of those living in RBWM and Slough, there
is also disparity between earnings of those who live and those who work in the area. The key
points are summarised below:
People working in Slough earn on average £89 per week more than those living in
Slough, £35 per week less than those working in RBWM, and £71 and £94 per week
more than those working in the South East and Great Britain respectively.
People living in Slough earn on average £180 per week less than those living in
RBWM, £42 per week less than those living in the South East, but £4 per week more
than those living across Great Britain.
Please working in Winsor and Maidenhead earn on average £55 per week less than
those living in Windsor and Maidenhead, but £106 and £130 per week more than
those working in the South East and Great Britain respectively.
People living in RBWM earn on average £138 and £184 per week more than those
living across South East and Great Britain respectively.
15.6
8.1
19.7
13.4
17.8
8.1
11.5
17.3
13.8
6.0
18.9
15.814.8
6.1
8.6
14.2
0
5
10
15
20
25
Slough
RBWM
Hounslow
Hillingdon
Reading
West Berkshire
South East
England
Slough
RBWM
Hounslow
Hillingdon
Reading
West Berkshire
South East
England
Maintained nursery and primary schools State‐funded secondary schools
% Pupils Eligible for Free School M
eals
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 154
7.9 These trends are illustrated in the charts below.
Figure 7‐3: Median Weekly Earning – Full Time Workers (Top) and Part Time Workers (Bottom)
NOTE: Data not available where bars are missing
Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings
7.10 Whilst average earnings amongst Slough residents are relatively low, there has been
improvement in recent years. Average earnings for residents working full time have
increased by 30% since 2002 – a higher rate than all comparator geographies. RBWM has
also performed strongly in this respect, resident earnings having increased by 29%. Earnings
for Slough residents who are part time workers have also increased at a rate higher than
regional and national average.
7.11 Since 2002, RBWM has also seen strong performance in terms of earnings for people
working full time in the Borough. There has been a rate of increase of 29% ‐ higher than the
rate seen across all comparator areas. In Slough there has been an increase of 23% ‐ again
slightly above the regional average (although lower than many of the other benchmark
areas).
£495
£675
£540 £537 £560
£625 £608 £608
£537
£491
£584 £620 £606 £591
£552
£610
£568 £574
£514 £490
£‐
£100
£200
£300
£400
£500
£600
£700
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe South East Great Britain
Local Authorities Wider Geographies
Median £ Earned per W
eek by Full Time W
orkers
Resident Analysis Workplace Analysis
£147
£-
£165 £151 £146
£-
£185
£161 £155 £153
£144
£120
£238
£143
£178
£-
£156
£138 £150 £153
£‐
£50
£100
£150
£200
£250
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe South East Great Britain
Local Authorities Wider Geographies
Meidian £ Earned per Week by Part Time W
orkers
Resident Analysis Workplace Analysis
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 155
Figure 7‐4: % Change in Median Weekly Earning 2002‐9 – Full Time Workers (Top) and Part Time Workers (Bottom)
Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings
7.12 In considering reasons for the disparity between earnings for Slough residents and RBWM
residents (and indeed Slough residents and workers) it is useful to note variations in earnings
between different industrial sectors.
7.13 As would be expected, the chart below highlights that ‘higher value added’ sectors which are
perceived to require higher skills levels typically indicate earnings levels above the regional
average. Conversely, those sectors which are perceived to be lower value added and require
lower skills levels are characterised by earnings levels below the regional average.
7.14 When considered in tandem with the labour market characteristics described earlier, these
trends provide a clear illustration of the challenges facing the Slough labour market.
30%29%
20%
17%
24%25%
15%
19%
23%25%
23%
29%28%
22%20%
27%
0%
21%22%
25%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe South East Great Britain
Local Authorities Wider Geographies
% Change
inMedian Weekly Earnings for Full Time
Workers 2002‐9
Resident Analysis Workplace Analysis
33%
11%
48%
32% 33%
24%
31%
25%
4%
46%
19%
28%
15%
24%
31%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe South East Great Britain
Local Authorities Wider Geographies
% Change
inMedian W
eekly Earnings for Partl Time
Workers 2002‐9
Resident Analysis Workplace Analysis
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 156
Figure 7‐5: Median Weekly Earning by Sector for the South East, 2009
NOTE: This chart presents median weekly earnings for each South East sector as a percentage of average earnings across all South East sectors. Therefore 100% = average, less than 100% = below average and more than 100% greater than average earnings
Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings
7.15 The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings does not allow for analysis of income trends at a
sub Borough level. However, an indication of spatial variations in earnings within Slough and
RBWM can be gained through analysis of the IMD Income domain. It is important to note,
however, that the IMD income domain focuses on income (especially in relation to benefits
claimants) rather than the scale of earnings.
7.16 The Income IMD domain is mapped below, with the darker colours representing the more
deprived localities in relation to localities across the country. The map highlights overall
higher levels of deprivation relating to Income within Slough, with particular concentrations
of deprivation in the Chalvey, Britwell and in the Foxborough and Colnbrook areas.
7.17 It is important to note that whilst overall levels of relative multiple deprivation appear low
across RBWM, pockets of deprivation do exist around Maidenhead and in the Clewer area of
Windsor.
85%
124%
148%
127%
126%
79%
111%
46%
169%
121%
97%
129%
82%
120%
91%
80%
70%
93%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% 140% 160% 180%
Agriculture, Forestry And Fishing
Mining And Quarrying
Manufacturing
Electricity, Gas, Steam And Air Conditioning Supply
Water Supply; Sewerage, Waste Management And Remediation Activities
Construction
Wholesale And Retail Trade; Repair Of Motor Vehicles And Motorcycles
Transportation And Storage
Accommodation And Food Service Activities
Information And Communication
Financial And Insurance Activities
Real Estate Activities
Professional, Scientific And Technical Activities
Administrative And Support Service Activities
Public Administration And Defence; Compulsory Social Security
Education
Human Health And Social Work Activities
Arts, Entertainment And Recreation
Other Service Activities
Index of Earnings by Sector: 100% = Average Gross Weekly Eaning Across All Sectors in the South East
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 157
Figure 7‐6: Indices of Multiple Deprivation: Deprivation related to Income
Indicators Used: Adults and children in Income Support Households; Adults and children in Income‐Based JSA Households; Adults and children in Pension Credit Households; Adults and children in those Working Tax Credit Households where there are children in receipt of Child Tax Credit whose equalised income (excluding housing benefits) is below 60% of the median before housing costs; Adults and children in those Child Tax Credit Households (who are not eligible for IS, Income – Based JSA, Pension Credit or Working Tax Credit)whose equalised income (excluding housing benefits) is below 60% of the median before housing costs; National Asylum Support Service supported asylum seekers in England in receipt of subsistence support, accommodation support, or both.
Source: IMD from CLG; Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. © Crown Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved. Licence number 1000199918.
Housing and Residential Property
Levels of Housing Overcrowding High in Slough...
7.18 Across East Berkshire, the average proportion of residents to number of dwellings is higher
than regional and national average at 2.5. Within East Berkshire, the rates for Slough and
RBWM are 2.6 and 2.4 respectively.
7.19 Consultation with stakeholders has highlighted that houses in multiple occupation are a
particular issue in Slough – the Borough has the second highest rate nationally after
Newham in this respect. The large number of migrants to the area and the transient nature
of this population are seen as key factors contributing to this trend.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 158
Figure 7‐7: Overcrowding – Average People per Dwelling
Source: Based on Dwelling Stock by Council Tax Band and Population Estimates from Neighbourhood Statistics
Low Rates of Housing Stock Growth in RBWM....
7.20 Over the past five years East Berkshire has seen a 4.3% increase in its dwelling stock –
slightly below the South East average. In RBWM the rate is increase has been particularly
low at 3.5%, whilst the rate in Slough has been stronger than average at 5.2%. The relatively
low rate of change in RBWM is likely to reflect to some extent the physical development
constraints that face the Borough – these are considered in more detail in the next chapter.
Figure 7‐8: Dwelling Stock Change 2005‐2010
Source: Dwelling Stock Statistics, CLG
2.0
2.4
2.5
1.8
2.3
1.6
2.6
2.4
2.3
2.4
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.3
2.3
1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.6
Maidenhead
Slough
Windsor and Eton
Basingstoke
High Wycombe
Reading
Slough
Windsor and Maidenhead
Reading
South Bucks
Spelthorne
Wycombe
East Berkshire
South East
England
Town Centres
Local Authorities
Wider
Geographies
Average People Per Dwelling
5.2%
3.5%
2.4%
5.4%
5.8%
3.9%
2.2%
3.7%
4.3%
4.5%
4.1%
0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6%
Slough
Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon
Hounslow
Reading
South Bucks
Spelthorne
Wycombe
East Berkshire
South East
England
Local Authorities
Wider
Geographies
% Change in Dwelling Stock 2005‐2010
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 159
...and a largely private, high quality dwelling stock in RBWM...
7.21 As highlighted by the chart below, Slough and RBWM vary in terms of the characteristics of
the dwelling stock. In RBWM, 86% of the stock is in private ownership, with the rest in the
hands of registered social landlords. No local authority stock remains. In Slough, a relatively
low proportion of the stock in private ownership (around three quarters), whilst 13% is
retained as local authority stock.
Figure 7‐9: Dwelling Stock by Ownership Type 2010
Source: Dwelling Stock Statistics, CLG
7.22 Changes in stock ownership over the past decade are set out in the table below and highlight
increasing levels of RSL stock in East Berkshire.
Figure 7‐10: Dwelling Stock by Ownership Type 2010
RSL Stock Local Authority Stock
2010 Stock per 1,000 population
% change 1997‐2010
2010 Stock per 1,000 pop
% Change 1997‐2010
Slough 3,810 30 128% 6,485 51 ‐23%
RBWM 7,677 53 9% 0 0 0%
Hounslow 6,970 30 53% 13,490 58 ‐18%
Hillingdon 6,190 24 108% 10,516 40 ‐16%
Reading 3,979 26 75% 7,094 47 ‐12%
West Berkshire 8,767 57 6% 30 0 ‐75%
South East 310,129 37 67% 181,216 21 ‐37%
England 2,242,657 43 128% 1,785,845 34 ‐47%
Source: Dwelling Stock Statistics, CLG
7.23 The stock of housing in East Berkshire is reflected in part by the spread of properties by
council tax band. Relative to the regional average, a greater proportion of properties in East
Berkshire are in higher council tax band. However, it is important to note that within East
Berkshire, there is a large disparity between Slough and RBWM in this respect.
In RBWM, less than 50% of properties are in Council Tax Bands A‐D (the regional
average is over 70%). A greater proportion of properties in the top council tax bands
are located in more rural areas – in Windsor and Eton and Maidenhead, around 62%
and 79% of properties respectively are in bands A‐D.
13% 15% 10% 11%5% 8%
8%
13%
8%6% 6%
14%8%
10%
79% 86%78% 82% 83% 86% 86% 82%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Slough RBWM Hounslow Hillingdon Reading West Berkshire
South East England & Wales
Perc
enta
ge o
f All
Dw
ellin
gs
Local Authority (incl. owned by other LAs) Housing association Other public sector Private sector
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 160
Across Slough nearly 90% of properties are located in Council Tax Bands A‐D. In the
Town Centre, this rate rises to around 96%.
Figure 7‐11: Dwelling Stock by Council Tax Band, 2008
Source: Dwelling Stock by Council Tax Band, Neighbourhood Statistics
Low Levels of Housing Affordability in RBWM, but Higher in Slough...
7.24 The trends set out above are highlighted further by consideration of residential property
prices. There is a large difference between the average price of property in Slough and the
average price of property in RBWM. In the latter area, the average price of residential
property stood at £320,267 in June 2010 – 50% higher than the regional average (£210,128)
and more than double the average price seen nationally (£165,980). In contrast, the average
price of property in Slough is very similar to the national average.
Figure 7‐12: Average House Prices, 1995‐2010
Source: Land Registry
18%
25%
11%
19%
6%
12%
17%
19%
38%
46%
19%
43%
15%
27%
26%
22%
20%
17%
30%
24%
25%
25%
20%
15%
8%
1%
19%
8%
21%
15%
13%
9%
8%
1%
8%
3%
13%
9%
8%
5%
5%
0%
10%
1%
15%
9%
6%
4%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Maidenhead
Slough
Windsor and Eton
Slough
Windsor and Maidenhead
East Berkshire
South East
England
Town Centres
Local
Authorities
Wider G
eographies
Dwelling Stock by Council Tax Band A Dwelling Stock by Council Tax Band B Dwelling Stock by Council Tax Band CDwelling Stock by Council Tax Band D Dwelling Stock by Council Tax BanD E Dwelling Stock by Council Tax Band FDwelling Stock by Council Tax Band G Dwelling Stock by Council Tax Band H Dwelling Stock by Council Tax Band I
£320,267
£282,806
£257,695
£197,032
£224,834£210,128
£165,980
£50,000
£100,000
£150,000
£200,000
£250,000
£300,000
£350,000
Jan-
95
Jan-
96
Jan-
97
Jan-
98
Jan-
99
Jan-
00
Jan-
01
Jan-
02
Jan-
03
Jan-
04
Jan-
05
Jan-
06
Jan-
07
Jan-
08
Jan-
09
Jan-
10
Aver
age
Pric
e (£
)
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead Hounslow Hillingdon Reading West Berkshire South East England & Wales
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 161
7.25 The trend of rising house process over the past 15 years has been well documented. In
RBWM, however, the proportional increase has been particularly high – around 211% across
all property types. This compares to 193% across the South East. The proportional increase
in Slough (162%) has been closer to the national average rate.
7.26 Levels of housing affordability in RBWM are considerably higher than the regional average.
In Slough, however, affordability is below both the regional and national average.
Figure 7‐13: Average House Prices by Property Type, 1995‐2010
Detached Semi‐Detached
Terraced Maisonette/Flat
All All: % Change 1995‐2010
Housing affordability index
Slough £310,573 £191,521 £168,613 £123,443 £165,993 162% 6.3
RBWM £579,042 £298,527 £270,417 £206,898 £320,267 211% 9.2
Hounslow £530,526 £308,699 £276,650 £240,039 £282,806 225% 9.7
Hillingdon £480,260 £266,784 £232,495 £194,550 £257,695 206% 8.6
Reading £378,228 £212,570 £172,242 £156,383 £197,032 193% 6.7
South East £366,067 £208,128 £164,111 £129,951 £210,128 193% 7.3
England & Wales £259,747 £156,837 £127,394 £155,215 £165,980 167% 6.4
NOTE: Housing affordability index is a ratio of median house prices against median gross earnings. A higher ration indicates lower levels of affordability.
Source: Land Registry
Relatively Low (and Declining) Levels of Homelessness...
7.27 Whilst levels of homelessness are higher in Slough than they are in RBWM, the rate remains
below that seen regionally and nationally – and has declined in recent years.
Figure 7‐14: Homelessness Rate Per 1,000 Households
Source: CLG – Live Tables on Homelessness
2.1
0.4
4.5
10.0
3.62.9
3.3 3.7
5.7
1.2
0.4
4.5
2.0
0.9
0.0
1.61.1
1.9
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading Spelthorne Wycombe South East England
Local Authority Areas Wider Geographies
Rate per 1,000 Households
2004/5 2009/10
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 162
Pockets of Relative Deprivation Relating to Housing Widespread Throughout East Berkshire...
7.28 Further indication of spatial variations in housing related issues East Berkshire can be gained
through analysis of the IMD Housing domain.
7.29 The Housing IMD domain is mapped below, with the darker colours representing the more
deprived localities in relation to localities across the country. The map highlights
concentration of relative multiple deprivation relating to housing across East Berkshire. In
RBWM, the concentrations of relative multiple deprivation observed in more rural parts of
the Borough are likely to relate to high house prices. When concentrations of relative
multiple deprivation exist in Slough, they are likely to represent the issues relating to
overcrowding discussed above.
Figure 7‐15: Indices of Multiple Deprivation: Deprivation related to Housing
Indicators Used: Household overcrowding; LA level percentage of households for whom a decision on their application for assistance under the homelessness provision of housing legislation has been made, assigned to constituent SOAs; Difficulty of Access to owner‐occupation; Road distance to GP surgery; Road distance to general stores or supermarket; Road distance to primary school; Road distance to a Post Office or sub post office
Source: IMD from CLG; Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. © Crown Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved. Licence number 1000199918
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 163
Health and Wellbeing
A Generally More Healthy Population in RBWM than in Slough....
7.30 The previous chapter highlighted the presence of health related issues in Berkshire through
analysis of ESA and incapacity benefit claimants. There are around 7,500 people claiming
these benefits in the area – a rate of 4.2% which is below regional and national average.
However, the data also revealed that the number of ESA / incapacity benefit claimants is
considerably higher in Slough (5.6%; 4,900 people) than in RBWM (2.9%; 2,700 people). The
ESA / incapacity benefits claimant rates in Maidenhead, Slough TC and Windsor and Eton are
3.7%, 6.2% and 1.7% respectively. The high rate in Slough TC amounts to around 1,200
people in real terms.
7.31 To establish a more detailed understanding of health related issues within East Berkshire,
this section considers a number of other indicators relating to health.
7.32 Life expectancy provides an indication of the health and life chances of local residents at the
broadest level. For females, life expectancy in RBWM is close to the regional average at 79.3
years. In Slough, however, female life expectancy is considerably lower at 77.5. For males,
life expectancy levels are similar in both Slough and RBWM (at 82.6 and 82.9 respectively).
Performance is above regional and national average. Across all benchmark geographies, life
expectancy has improved at similar rates for both males and females in recent years.
Figure 7‐16: Life Expectancy – Female (Top) and Male (Bottom)
80.2
81.881.4
79.8
81.1
81.682.0 81.9
81.6
80.7
82.682.9
83.2
81.6
82.1
83.9
83.3
84.0
83.0
82.0
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
Slough Windsor and
Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe South East England
Female Life Expectancy (years)
Jan01‐Dec03 Jan06‐Dec08
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 164
Source: Life Expectancy, ONS
7.33 The standardised mortality rate is below the national average in both Slough and RBWM. In
Slough, however, the rate is higher than both the RBWM and regional averages.
7.34 RBWM also performs well in terms of the rate of low birth weight births. Here, the 6.2%,
compared to 6.9% across the South East. The rate in Slough is relatively high at 9% ‐ well
above both national and regional average. In both Slough and RBWM, the rate has fallen by
over a percentage point in recent years.
Figure 7‐17: Standardised Mortality Rate, 2003 (top) and Low Birthweight Live Births (bottom)
75.4
77.4
76.5
75.3
75.8
78.8
78.278.0
77.4
76.2
77.7
79.3
78.1
77.477.7
81.3
79.7
80.2
79.2
77.9
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe South East England
Male Life Expectancy (years)
Jan01‐Dec03 Jan06‐Dec08
94
90
94
105
94
85 8586
92
80
85
90
95
100
105
110
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading Spelthorne South Bucks Wycombe South East
Rate Stardardised agaisnt England and W
ales average
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 165
Note: Mortality Rate standardised against England and Wales Average – 100= average
Source: ONS
7.35 In Slough, the rate of hospital admissions for coronary heart disease (18.5 per 1,000
population) is considerably higher than all benchmark geographies. The rate has more than
double in recent years. The rate has also doubled in RBWM – here there are 16.6 admissions
per 1,000 population – similar to the national average.
7.36 Hospital admissions for cancer have also increased sharply in both Slough and RBWM in
recent years. In this case, RBWM performs less well than Slough and has an admissions rate
(20.4 per 1,000 population) above the regional average.
Figure 7‐18: Hospital Admissions ‐ Coronary Heart Disease (top) and Cancer (excluding non‐melanoma skin cancer) (bottom)
10.2
7.37.6
8.1 7.9 8.17.7
7.46.9
7.7
9.0
6.2
7.6 7.4 7.37.7
6.56.9 6.9
7.6
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe South East England
Percentage
Jan02‐Dec02 Jan06‐Dec06
8.9
7.5
11.4 11.5
6.9
14.2
10.0
12.8
8.2
11.8
18.5
15.6
17.9
14.7
11.6
16.4
15.314.4
16.9
15.6
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading Spelthorne South Bucks Wycombe South East England
Rate ‐Hospital Admissions per 1,000 population
Apr02‐Mar03 Apr07‐Mar08
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 166
Source: Hospital Admissions, ONS
7.37 The key trends seen across a range of other health indicators include:
Alcohol related deaths – the rate in Slough is especially high at 17.8 per 100,000
population. The rate is especially high for males. The rate is also higher in RBWM
than regional and national average.
Teenage Conception Rates – the rate in Slough is slightly above regional average but
below national average although there has been strong improvement in recent
years. The rate in RBWM is less than half that of Slough and the regional average.
Prevalence of Obese Children – there is a higher prevalence of obese children in
Slough than regionally and nationally at both reception and year 6 levels. In contrast,
RBWM performs better than regional and national averages in this respect.
A diverse and significant range of health issues exist in Slough amongst the migrant
communities. Prevalence of diseases such as TB and HIV in certain localities
exemplify this. Household overcrowding and generally poor housing conditions are
thought to contribute to and exacerbate issues.
9.9
12.513.9
22.0
12.3
24.2
14.916.5
11.3
17.318.7
20.4
17.515.7
14.8
24.9
20.4
34.4
19.621.2
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading Spelthorne South Bucks Wycombe South East England
Rate ‐Hospital Admissions per 1,000 population
Apr02‐Mar03 Apr07‐Mar08
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 167
Figure 7‐19:Other Health Indicators: Alcohol Related Deaths (top), Teenage Conception rates (middle) and Prevalence of Obese Children (bottom)
Source: ONS
17.8
11.4 11.7
18.9
15.5
7.4
10.69.5
10.9
23.2
14.3
17.7
27.4
21.1
8.0
12.5
17.6
14.7
11.9
8.6
6.3
10.89.8
6.9
8.8
6.27.4
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Wycombe South East England
Alcohol Related deaths per 100,000 pop
Persons Males Females
47.8
26.0
42.8
48.1
58.6
36.1
21.6
30.6
36.6
45.0
38.1
18.1
43.245.9
50.6
37.6
24.8 24.0
33.0
40.9
-9.7-7.9
0.4
-2.2
-8.0
1.53.2
-6.6-3.6 -4.1
‐20
‐10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading Spelthorne South Bucks Wycombe South East England
Conceptions per 1,000 15‐17 year old females
1998‐00 2006‐08 Change in Rate 1998‐00 to 2006‐08
13.1
6.5
9.2
12.1
9.9 10.4
8.8
6.8
8.79.6
19.4
13.5
19.7
23.5
19.9
17.3 17.0
14.6
16.0
18.3
0
5
10
15
20
25
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon Hounslow Reading Spelthorne South Bucks Wycombe South East England
Percentage
Prevalence of Obese Children; Reception Prevalence of Obese Children; Year 6
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 168
7.38 The Health and Disability IMD domain is mapped below, and allows for broad spatial analysis
of health and disability related issues at a more local level. The map highlights overall higher
levels of deprivation relating to Health within Slough, with particular concentrations of
deprivation in Britwell, Chalvey and Foxborough.
7.39 Levels of deprivation relating to health and disability are considerably lower in RBWM. Here,
localities around Maidenhead suffer from higher levels of deprivation relating to health and
disability relative to the Borough average.
Figure 7‐20: Indices of Multiple Deprivation: Deprivation related to Health and Disability
Indicators Used: Years of Potential Life Lost; Comparative Illness and Disability Ratio; Measure of acute morbidity, derived from Hospital Episode Statistics; The proportion of adults under 60 suffering from mood or anxiety disorders based on prescribing.
Source: IMD from CLG; Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. © Crown Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved. Licence number 1000199918.
Crime and Safety
Crime – and the fear of crime – an issue in Slough and across the town centres...
7.40 Statistics from the British Crime Survey highlight a large degree of disparity between levels
of recorded crime in Slough and RBWM:
In 2008/9, the recorded crime rate in Slough was 83 offences per 1,000 population –
considerably higher than the rate of 56 offences per 1,000 population in RBWM and
nearly double the police force (Thames Valley) and national averages. The high crime
in Slough can partly be explained by the urban nature of the Borough – town centres
and urban areas often have the highest crime rates. Indeed, the crime rate in
Reading (a unitary authority with comparable urban characteristics) is similar to that
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 169
of Slough.
When total crime rates are broken down, it can be seen that two categories account
for the majority of criminal offences in Slough – violence against the person (31
offences per 1,000 population) and theft from a motor vehicle (20 offences per
1,000 population). The latter category is particularly high relative to regionally and
national averages.
Table 7‐1 Local Authority Areas: Recorded crime for seven key offences and Recorded crime BCS comparator 2009/10
Offences per 1,000 population 09/10
Violence against the person
Sexual offences
Robbery Burglary dwelling
Theft of a motor vehicle
Theft from a vehicle
Interfering with a motor vehicle
Recorded crime
Slough 31 2 3 9 3 20 2 83
RBWM 18 1 1 6 2 16 2 56
Hillingdon 23 1 3 9 3 12 1 56
Hounslow 24 1 3 9 3 10 0 58
Reading 29 2 2 12 3 13 1 81
Thames Valley 18 1 1 5 2 8 1 46
England and Wales 16 1 1 5 2 6 1 45
Source: The British Crime Survey from Home Office
7.41 The charts below highlight changes in the levels of recorded offences since 2002. The charts
highlight declining levels of crime in numerous categories including burglary, fraud and
offences against vehicles, but increasing crime rates in categories including drug offences,
‘other offences’ sexual offences and violence against the person.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 170
Figure 7‐21: Recorded Offences – Absolute Change 2003‐2010 (middle) and Rate per 1,000 Population Change 2003‐2010 (bottom)
Source: Home Office
7.42 The Crime IMD domain is mapped below, and allows for local variations in crime levels
within East Berkshire to be assessed. The map reinforces the trends described above, with
overall higher levels of crime in Slough than in RBWM. It also reinforces the idea that crime
rates are highest in more urban areas – concentration of crime related deprivation are seen
around Slough Town Centre, Windsor Town Centre and Maidenhead.
-55.1
-41.1
1.3
24.2
-53.2
-28.6
113.5
-15.3
-4.9
41.1
67.4
44.3
-30.7
-15.2 -18.3
81.9
-25.2
-13.0
34.3
-16.7 -14.8
35.530.9
67.4
-43.0
-32.3
-7.8
45.6
-45.7
-21.9
78.6
-16.0-7.5
38.6
51.1 53.1
‐80
‐60
‐40
‐20
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Burglary in a building
other than a
dwelling
Burglary in a dwelling
Criminal damage
Drug offences Fraud and forgery
Offences against vehicles
Other offences
Other theft offences
Robbery Sexual Offences
Violence against the person ‐ with
injury
Violence against the person ‐
without injury
Absolute Chnage (%
)
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead East Berkshire
-6.5-7.1
-0.8
0.7
-10.6
-11.6
1.1
-6.3
-0.3
0.4
4.35.1
-3.4
-1.5
-3.9
1.4
-1.8
-4.3
0.2
-5.3
-0.2
0.2
1.2
4.4
-4.9-4.1
-2.4
1.1
-5.9
-7.8
0.7
-5.8
-0.3
0.3
2.7
4.7
‐14
‐12
‐10
‐8
‐6
‐4
‐2
0
2
4
6
Burglary in a building other
than a
dwelling
Burglary in a dwelling
Criminal damage
Drug offences Fraud and forgery
Offences against vehicles
Other offences
Other theft offences
Robbery Sexual Offences
Violence against the person ‐ with
injury
Violence against the person
‐without injury
Percentage
Point Chnage
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead East Berkshire
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 171
Figure 7‐22: Indices of Multiple Deprivation: Deprivation related to Crime
Indicators Used: Burglary (4 recorded crime offence types, Police Force data for April 2004‐March 2005 constrained to Crime Disorder and Reduction Partnership (CDRP) level); Theft (5 recorded crime offence types, Police Force data for April 2004‐March 2005, constrained to CDRP level); Criminal Damage (10 recorded crime offence types, Police Force data for April 2004‐March2005, constrained to CDRP level); Violence (14 recorded crime offence types, Police Force data for April 2004‐March 2005, constrained to CDRP level)
Source: IMD from CLG; Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. © Crown Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved. Licence number 1000199918.
7.43 Away from the evidence provided by actual recorded crime figures, it is also important to
consider perceptions and fear of crime. Anecdotal evidence from consultation with
stakeholders suggests that across East Berkshire residents perceive crime issues to be
greater than they actually are – this is especially the case in the three main East Berkshire
town centres.
7.44 Data from the 2008 Place Survey regarding local perceptions of crime is set out below. In
comparison to more local benchmark area, the perception of crime is very high in Slough –
more than double the regional average across two of the indicators. Here, over a third of
residents perceive anti‐social behaviour to be a problem locally, 40% believe drunk and
rowdy behaviour to be any issue, whilst over half of residents believe that drug use or
dealing is a problem.
7.45 Perception of crime is clearly lower in RBWM – despite this however, it is important to note
that perception of crime is an issue for a considerable number of people in the Borough and
as such should not be ignored.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 172
Figure 7‐23: Perception of Crime
Percentage of residents who think anti‐social behaviour is a problem in their local area
Anti‐social behaviour Drunk and rowdy behaviour Drug use or drug dealing
Slough 35.3 40.3 52.7
RBWM 14.3 25.2 21.5
Hillingdon 25.9 37.7 35.9
Hounslow 33.3 38.3 44.0
Reading 27.0 41.3 39.4
South Bucks 15.1 18.0 19.7
Spelthorne 20.0 28.6 26.8
Wycombe 14.4 19.6 25.3
South East 16.2 26.6 24.4
England 20.0 29.0 30.5
Source: Place Survey 2008, CLG
7.46 A more up to date indication of local perceptions of crime is provided by the 2010 Slough
Attitudes Survey – a survey commissioned by Slough Borough Council assessing resident
views and opinions of living in Slough. The latest survey suggests that:
When asked about aspects of the area which most needed improving, the top
response was the level of crime (37% of respondents). When quizzed in more detail
about problems in Slough, 40% of respondents cited teenagers hanging around in
the street as a big or fairly big issue, 27% of respondents cited using or dealing drugs
as a big or fairly big issue, 24% of respondents cited vandalism / graffiti / other
damage to property as a big or fairly big issue and 14% of respondents cited people
being drunk or rowdy in public places as a big or fairly big issue
In terms of actual crime, one in ten residents said they had been a victim of crime in
the past year, with the most common cause of this theft from vehicles.
Whilst 90% of respondents said they felt safe in Slough during the daytime, this
figure drops to 42% during the night time. Areas of Slough where people feel most
unsafe at night time include Cippenham Green, (78%), Chalvey (42%), Cippenham
Meadows (42%), Colnbrook with Poyle (41%) and Wexham Lea (41%).
Participation in Sport, Culture and the Arts
Stronger Participation in Certain Leisure Activities Amongst RBWM residents...
7.47 National Indicators 8‐11 provide an overview of the participation of local residents in sport,
culture and the arts.
RBWM performs strongly, outperforming the South East average across all four
indicators. Performance is strong in relation to sport and recreation (27% of
residents participate in at least 30 minutes of recreation three or more times a
week). Around 60% of residents have visited a museum or gallery over the past year,
whilst 58% of residents have ‘engaged in the arts’ over the same time period –
considerably higher rates than seen across any benchmark area. These indicators
would seem to reflect the affluent population of RBWM and the perception of an
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 173
overall high quality of life
In comparison to RBWM, Slough performs less well across these indicators. Only
16% of residents participate in at least 30 minutes of recreation three or more times
a week (a low rate and one with health implications), 38% of residents have visited a
museum or gallery over the past year, whilst 29% of residents have ‘engaged in the
arts’ over the same time period. Slough performs below all benchmark geographies
across these indicators. The one indicator which Slough performs more strongly in is
use of libraries (around 47% of residents over the past year).
Figure 7‐24: Participation in Leisure and Culture
NI8: Percentage of adults (16+) who have participated in 30 minutes of moderate intensity sport and active recreation on three or more days in the past week (2007‐9)
NI9: Percentage of adults (16+) who have visited a public library in the past 12 months (2009)
NI10: Percentage of adults (16+) who have visited a museum or gallery in the past 12 months (2009)
NI11: Percentage of adults (16+) who have engaged in the arts at least three times in the past 12 months (2009)
Source: Department for Culture Media and Sport, 2009
Green and Open Space
High Levels of Green Space in East Berkshire – and in RBWM in Particular...
7.48 Ability to access ‘Open’ and ‘Green’ space is an important factor in perceptions of quality of
life, particularly in urban areas.
7.49 Reflecting the relatively urban nature of Slough, around a third of land in the Borough is
classified as green space, compared to 74% of land in the larger and less urban RBWM.
16.1
46.6
37.7
29.326.6
45.5
59.957.9
20.4
57.154.4
44.7
16.5
46.5
53.3
38.4
19.7
41.9
55.3
49.6
26.3
43.0
57.1
52.1
21.8
49.4 48.8
44.4
23.5
52.8 53.9 52.6
43.1
54.9
48.9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
National Indicator 8 National Indicator 9 National Indicator 10 National Indicator 11
Percentage
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead HillingdonHounslow Reading South BucksSpelthorne Wycombe South East
● East Berkshire LEA ●
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Figure 7‐25: Proportion of Green Space, 2005
Source: ONS Neighbourhood Statistics
7.50 Reflecting these characteristics, RBWM has 16,480 hectares of designated green belt land,
whilst in Slough the figure is 830 hectares. The implications of this in terms of planning and
development are discussed in the next section.
Community Inclusion and the Big Society
Higher Levels of Community Cohesion and Participation in RBWM, than Slough...
7.51 How people experience where they live and how they integrate with other residents is likely
to be a key factor in quality of life for individuals. Again, data from the 2008 Place Survey
can be used to gain an indication of resident’s perceptions of the local area.
7.52 Again, in comparison to more local benchmark areas, Slough tends to perform below
average (including the regional average). Around 69% of Slough residents agree that the
local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together, less than
half believe they belong to their immediate neighbourhood, and 64% of residents are
satisfied with their area as a place to live. In RBWM, the figures for these three indicators are
80%, 55% and 86% respectively.
35%
74%
49%
40%
33%
78%
41%
85%
68%
85%
87%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Slough
Windsor and Maidenhead
Hillingdon
Hounslow
Reading
South Bucks
Spelthorne
Wycombe
East Berkshire
South East
England
Local Authorities
Wider
Geographies
Area of Greenspace ‐ % of All Land
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 175
Figure 7‐26: Perception of Place and Community
% who agree that their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together
% who feel they belong to their immediate neighbourhood
% who are satisfied with their local area as a place to live
% people aged 65 and over who are satisfied with both home and neighbourhood
Slough 68.5 47.4 63.6 73.6
RBWM 80.2 54.5 86.3 85.8
Hillingdon 73.2 52.3 70.9 76.9
Hounslow 73.2 52.3 69.4 75.7
Reading 77.8 44.4 75.7 85.0
South Bucks 81.6 62.3 84.3 83.8
Spelthorne 74.2 55.5 75.4 80.8
Wycombe 76.8 58.6 83.6 86.1
South East 78.9 58.3 82.8 85.5
England 76.4 58.7 79.7 83.9
Source: Place Survey 2008, CLG
7.53 The Big Society is a key part of the Coalition Governments localism agenda and is based
upon the idea that local communities should become more engaged and active in decision
making and delivery.
7.54 The table below considers some of the key areas on which the Big Society is likely focus and
build upon:
In Slough, around 17% of the population have given unpaid help in the past year.
Around 44% of residents feel there is a problem with people not treating each other
with respect. Around 30% agree they can influence local decision making, but only
13% feel they have been involved in decision making in the past 12 months.
In RBWM, the rate of people who have given unpaid help in the past year is higher at
23%, but lower than in areas such as Wycombe and South Bucks. Around a quarter
think there is a problem with people not treating each other with respect. A lower
proportion (29%) believe they can influence decision making than in Slough, but a
higher proportion (15%) actually have in the past 12 months.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 176
Figure 7‐27: Perception of Place and Community
% who have given unpaid help at least once per month over the last 12 months
% who think there is a problem with people not treating each other with respect and consideration
in their local area
% who have been involved in decisions that affect the local area in the past 12
months
% who agree that they can influence
decisions in their local area
Slough 16.7 43.7 12.8 30.2
RBWM 23.2 25.1 14.9 28.7
Hillingdon 21.8 39.8 15.2 34.5
Hounslow 16.8 36.9 15.8 33.6
Reading 24.0 36.3 13.6 29.3
South Bucks 26.5 24.2 15.1 26.5
Spelthorne 16.9 33.2 11.0 22.1
Wycombe 30.0 25.8 16.9 28.5
South East 24.8 28.1 28.2 14.2
England 23.2 31.2 28.9 14.0
Source: The Place Survey, CLG
The Big Society in RBWM RBWM has been designated one of three vanguard local authorities specifically tasked with designing projects relating to the idea of the Big Society. Through the programme, the council aims to create an environment where it is easy for communities to do things for themselves, focusing on issues which are important to them. The council’s role is to facilitate activities which can ensure maximum community benefit. A wide range of projects are being delivered including the following:
Adopt a Street ‐ an expansion of the Council's current voluntary scheme where residents or communities adopt a specific area. This includes a focus on environmental issues that may be a concern to local people.
Ways into Volunteering ‐ A project that seeks to signpost potential volunteers ‐ particularly those that have never volunteered before to volunteering opportunities. At the heart of this project is the idea of mapping volunteering opportunities and of simplifying the process to put the volunteer directly in touch with voluntary opportunities.
Licensing ‐ allowing RBWM to raise revenue at nightclub doors and use that to commission more police at weekends.
Participatory Budgeting exercise ‐ this is being developed at a local level to give communities greater influence on public spending .
Linkages and Dynamics Underpinning Quality of Life and Social Inclusion in East Berkshire
7.55 Quality of life factors play an important role in defining East Berkshires functional economic
geographies.
7.56 As discussed in the previous chapter, East Berkshire and the wider area is characterised by
multiple labour market linkages and dependencies which underpin the functioning of the
local economy. Quality of life factors also underpin these dependencies, with relatively
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 177
highly skilled and affluent residents attracted to live in locations such as RBWM by the high
quality living environment, strong housing quality and prestigious image of the area. By
contrast, Slough – perceived to offer a lower quality of life and lower quality housing stock –
is characterised by the presence of lower skilled and less affluent residents. The
comparatively low cost living locally (combined with the location and the availability of jobs)
has also made Slough an appealing and to convenient gateway to the country for migrants.
7.57 As this suggests, housing markets play a particularly important role in defining sub‐regional
dynamics – and as such, going forward, how housing markets operate and change will help
to shape local economic performance. Under increasing pressures from competing locations
across the globe, existing competitive advantages of the local economy will need to be
maximised. In East Berkshire, the strong local economy will to a certain extent depend upon
the local labour market being retained and enhanced. However, the extent to which this can
be achieved will depend upon the ability of the local area to accommodate population and
housing growth. As discussed in the next chapter, there exist significant constraints in this
respect across East Berkshire.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 178
8. Sustainable Economic Growth in East Berkshire
8.1 The pursuit of sustainable economic growth is a key concern for any local authority. Our
consideration of the potential for sustainable economic growth in East Berkshire examines
two broad but interlinked themes:
Infrastructure – the extent to which infrastructure supports the economic
sustainability of the local area. This includes a detailed analysis of local commercial
property markets, an examination of trends in local employment land and a
consideration of transport infrastructure and the extent to which the area has good
external connectivity. The ability of an area to appeal to both people and firms is an
important element in boosting the economy and can impact subsequently on
demand for employment space.
Environmental sustainability – consideration of the physical environment is central
to any consideration of sustainable economic growth. Consideration here is placed
on the current environmental trends locally, including emissions of CO2 and rates of
local recycling. The broader environmental impacts of East Berkshire’s economy,
along with the potential environmental impacts of future growth, are also
considered.
Sustainable Economic Growth in East Berkshire: Headline Characteristics
The high quality natural and physical environment in RBWM is a contributing factor in
ensuring that the Borough is perceived as a desirable place to live. The image attached to
Slough in this respect is less strong.
However, these physical characteristics also have an impact in terms of the potential for
future development in East Berkshire. In RBWM, numerous development constraints exist
(including the Special Protection Area, the Flood Plain, the green belt and the historic
environment) which mean opportunities for future commercial and office developments
are limited. In Slough, the main constraint is the boundaries of the Borough – there is
seemingly little potential for further urban growth and ‘creep’ into neighbouring areas.
These factors are potentially important in terms of future economic performance,
especially in relation to competition from other locations.
Despite development constraints, efforts to enhance image of place and achieve urban
renewal are underway throughout East Berkshire. In Maidenhead – one area of RBWM
which has experienced declining town centre performance in recent years – the
establishment of PROM and the local area action plan targets future physical development
which will revitalise the town centre. In Slough, physical renewal is being sought through
the Heart of Slough scheme which is looking to provide new facilities for the town and
ultimately improve the image of place.
Aside from the natural environment, physical infrastructure also plays a core role in East
Berkshire’s economic performance. The area has strong connectivity to locations
● East Berkshire LEA ●
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throughout the South East of England and the world (via Heathrow), helped by proximity to
major motorways and important rail links. There are also several opportunities for the area
going forward in this respect. Infrastructure developments such as Crossrail and the
proposed western access to Heathrow will help to reinforce the attraction of the area to
both employers and employees and help to overcome capacity constraints.
Efforts to achieve future economic growth in East Berkshire – and indeed the design of
specific socio‐economic interventions that target growth – will be need to be set firmly in
the context of a wider strategy to achieve greater levels of environmental sustainability.
The industrial nature of the Slough economy means that current levels of commercial
emissions are high. Future growth may include the targeted development of the
environmental technologies sector, especially on the basis of servicing the needs of the
local population.
Land Use and Development
Important Development Constraints through East Berkshire...
8.2 As discussed in the previous chapter, Slough and RBWM have very different characteristics
in terms of levels of green space. This reflects major differences in the physical
characteristics of the two Boroughs and resultant land use. This is apparent in the chart
below with Slough having a high proportion of land built upon in comparison to RBWM.
Figure 8‐1: Generalised Land Use
Source: ONS, Generalised Land use Database
8.3 The table below summarises the characteristics of previously developed land in East
Berkshire:
8%
10%
4%
3%
7%
11%
14%
26%
3%
6%
2%
18%
18%
15%
5%
12%
4%
5%
2%
2%
4%
4%
26%
21%
8%
5%
24%
12%
14%
6%
4%
16%
15%
15%
73%
35%
74%
68%
85%
87%
5%
4%
4%
14%
18%
28%
5%
11%
2%
4%
2%
1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Maidenhead
Slough
Slough Trading Estate
Windsor and Eton
Slough
Windsor and Maidenhead
East Berkshire
South East
England
Town Centres
Local
Authorities
Wider G
eographies
Area of Domestic Buildings Area of Non Domestic Buildings Area of RoadArea of Path Area of Rail Area of Domestic GardensArea of Greenspace Area of Water Area of Other Land Uses
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 180
In 2005, there were around 50 hectares of vacant land in Slough, 50 hectares of land
allocated in a local plan or with planning permission, 190 hectares of unused land
which may be available for redevelopment, and 100 hectares of land currently in use
with known redevelopment potential but no planning allocation or permission. The
latter two figures are higher than any of the benchmark geographies
In RBWM, there were around 10 hectares of both vacant land and derelict buildings
in RBWM, 20 hectares of land allocated in a local plan or with planning permission,
80 hectares of unused land which may be available for redevelopment, and 50
hectares of land currently in use with known redevelopment potential but no
planning allocation or permission.
Figure 8‐2: Land Use – Previously Developed Land – March 2008
Hectares Vacant Land
Vacant Buildings
Derelict Land &
Buildings
Land Unusedor May be Available
for Redevelopment
Land in Use &Allocated in a
Local Plan or With Planning
Permission for any Use
Land Currently in Use with Known
Redevelopment Potential but No
Planning Allocation or Permission
Slough 30 0 0 190 50 100
RBWM 0 10 10 80 20 50
Hillingdon 10 0 0 50 30 0
Hounslow 0 0 0 100 80 20
Reading 0 0 0 120 100 10
Spelthorne 0 10 0 40 20 20
South Bucks 0 0 0 30 30 0
Wycombe 0 20 0 140 60 60
Source: HCA
8.4 It is important to note that these figures are for 2008 and that these figures are likely to
have changed in the intervening period – some land is likely to have already been
redeveloped / reused, whilst other land will have become available, especially given the
challenging economic context.
8.5 What the figures highlight, however, are the development constraints which exist in RBWM
and across East Berkshire. These constraints are discussed below.
Development constraints in East Berkshire There are several constraints to development activity in RBWM. The major ones include:
Greenbelt – as discussed previously, RBWM has 16,480 hectares of designated green belt land –
thee amounts to 83% of all land in the Borough.
Special Protection Area (SPA) – whilst only a small part (0.27 hectares) of the Thames Basin
Heaths SPA is in RBWM is located within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, there a
number of spheres of influence which affect the Borough – the 400m zone of influence; 400m to
5km zone and the 5km to 7km zone. Under the Habitat Regulations, in order for development
proposals to be acceptable, it must be demonstrated that they will have no likely significant
effect on the SPA, either alone or in combination with other proposals.
Flooding – the Environment Agency estimates that, within Windsor and Maidenhead, over
10,000 properties are at ‘significant’ risk of flooding, representing almost 40% of the total
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 181
number of properties within the Borough. This has significant implications for development
activity in the Borough.
Anecdotally, development activity is also constrained in locations such as Windsor by the historic nature of built environment and the presence of affluent residents who are often averse to physical development activity. Consultation with stakeholders has highlighted a number of examples where major development proposals have been rejected despite the support of local businesses – these include the proposed Park and Ride scheme at Eton Wick and the proposed Imperial House office development in Windsor. Physical development constraints also exist in Slough although typically of a different nature to those in RBWM. Anecdotally, Slough is physically constrained by its boundaries – the urban nature of the Borough means that there is less scope for urban expansion, especially given the development constraints which exist in neighbouring areas such as RBWM. By way of contrast, stakeholders gave the example of Reading which is less constrained in this respect and which by working with neighbouring areas has been able to expand organically into other local authority areas.
Ultimately, development constraints have the potential to have a significant impact upon the functionality of East Berkshire – affecting not only local economic growth and expansion but associated labour market flows and dependencies.
Commercial Property
8.6 The availability and quality of commercial property is of instrumental importance to local
economic performance, a key factor underpinning efforts to retain and attract investment to
an area.
8.7 In 2005, commercial property vacancy rates in Slough stood at 20% ‐ compared to 15% in
RBWM, 12% across Reading and 9% across the South East and across England. Again, it is
important to note that these figures are relatively old (for 2005) and the situation is likely to
have changed in the intervening period. It is, however, telling that vacancy rates were
relatively high in East Berkshire during a period a stronger economic performance.
Figure 8‐3: Commercial Property Vacancy Rates, 2005
Source: CLG
20
15 15
9
12
9 9 9
0
5
10
15
20
25
Slough RBWM Hounslow Hillingdon Reading West Berkshire
South East England
Percentage
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 182
8.8 Rateable values of commercial property are typically higher in East Berkshire than the
regional and national averages. However, rateable values also vary within East Berkshire,
with values typically higher in RBWM than in Slough. Rateable values are particularly strong
in RBWM for retail and office premises.
Figure 8‐4: Rateable Values, 2008
Source: CLG
East Berkshire by Area: Physical Development and Regeneration
8.9 In physical terms, the characteristics of place within East Berkshire’s town centres are
relatively diverse. This section considers the three main town centres in East Berkshire,
highlighting their strengths and weaknesses and outlining plans which exist for regeneration.
Windsor and Eton
Town Centre Strengths and Weaknesses
8.10 As discussed above, Windsor and Eton is a successful town centre with and diverse offer
based around leisure, the visitor economy and retail. The town has a strong town centre
partnership with good representation from local businesses.
8.11 In employment terms, Windsor and Eton is the smallest of the three East Berkshire town
centres, providing around 11,200 jobs. Around 70% of jobs in the town are accounted for by
two sectors – distribution, hotels and restaurants (which includes retail) and banking,
finance and insurance. Public administration, health and education also accounts for around
a fifth of jobs. In recent years, however, performance has been less strong – around 900 jobs
were lost in the town centre between 2005 and 2008. The overall trend of employment
decline in recent years is largely the result of the loss of around 1,000 jobs in the banking,
finance and insurance sector.
8.12 Our consultations suggested, that there are several constraints currently affecting Windsor
town centre. One of the biggest issues for Windsor is transport and parking. Whilst public
transport and train links are generally good, transport hubs are working at full capacity and
road congestion in the area is bad. Parking is a key issue – especially for local businesses
(including local hotels). The historic nature of the town means that parking spaces are hard
95
149
125
129
98
57
86
38
124
158
162
163
136
64 70
34
112
154
141
144
101
73
90
52
139 14
7
193
166
232
64
99
41
95
152
98 97
106
51
65
38
78
138
109
113
88
40
52
33
66
130
121 12
8
84
29
40
32
0
50
100
150
200
250
All Bulk Classes
Retail Premises
Offices Commercial Offices
Other' Offices Factories Warehouses Other Bulk Premises
Rateable Value per m
2
Slough RBWM Hounslow Hillingdon Reading South East England
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 183
to come by. The town has one multi‐storey car park, but this is owned by the King Edward
Court Shopping Centre and is aimed just at retail visitors. Anecdotal evidence has suggested
that lack of parking in local business premises presents major issues in terms of retaining
and attracting new business. Businesses such as Coca‐Cola and Intercontinental have left
due to parking and price issues – the feeling being that other locations are able to offer
more than Windsor in this respect. A Park and Ride scheme at Eton Wick was previously
seen as the ideal solution but was later rejected due to local resident concerns.
8.13 As discussed in the previous section, physical development is also perceived to act as a
constraint locally. The need to preserve the historic nature and atmosphere of the town has
stifled development activity in recent years. One recent example is Imperial House – a
proposed new office development which was rejected due to concerns of local residents.
There is concern amongst local businesses that lack of development activity will ultimately
stifle growth in the local economy, with a lack of suitable business accommodation proving
detrimental to efforts to retain and attract investment.
Physical Development and Regeneration
8.14 The development which has taken place at the King Edward Court and Royal Windsor
shopping centres in recent years has significantly improved the retail offer locally along with
the retail environment. Given the existing strong performance of Windsor Town Centre,
there are currently no major plans for physical regeneration in the town centre.
Maidenhead
Town Centre Strengths and Weaknesses
8.15 Maidenhead Town Centre accounts for around 15,000 jobs – around 65% of which are in the
banking, finance and insurance and distribution, hotels and restaurants sectors. Together,
construction and public administration, education and health account for a further quarter
of jobs. Since 2003, employment has contracted by around 7% (a loss of around 1,100 jobs).
This overall trend masks variation in performance by sector – whilst the local construction
and distribution, hotels and restaurants sectors have seen strong growth, the transport and
communications and banking, finance and insurance sectors have seen large employment
declines.
8.16 Consultation with stakeholders has highlighted that the town centre itself has been in
relative decline for several years. This decline includes an overall decline in the standard of
the retail offer and an associated decline in footfall / people using the town. The most recent
national retailer to leave the town was Waterstones in January 2011.
8.17 Evidence suggests that Maidenhead is unable to offer the premises desired by national
retailers which typically seek large footplates. Increasingly, Maidenhead is seen as being
unable to compete with other regional retail locations such as Reading and High Wycombe
which have improved their retail offer in recent years. Maidenhead has a relatively affluent
population but this population is increasingly choosing to shop elsewhere. This has
perpetuated the decline in retail quality. Landlords are keen to have their premises occupied
to avoid paying rates – often this ends in lower grade retailers. Stakeholders have also cited
changes in local car parking arrangements as a key factor which has negatively impacted
upon how shoppers use Maidenhead as a local service / convenience centre.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
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8.18 Anecdotal evidence also cites the perceived poor quality of Maidenheads night time offer. In
comparison to locations such as Windsor, the town no longer has much to attract a diverse
set of people in the evenings and as a result people do not visit the town centre in the
evening.
8.19 Stakeholders suggest that one issue in the past has been the lack of a coherent plan for
development in Maidenhead town centre – development has happened in a piecemeal way.
The recent establishment of the ‘Partnership for the Rejuvenation of Maidenhead’ (PROM) is
targeted at addressing this.
Physical Development and Regeneration
8.20 Acknowledging these challenges and the need for revitalisation in Maidenhead town centre,
PROM was established in 2007. PROM brings together political parties and community and
business organisations, with support from council officers to agree a way forward to
improve both the physical appearance and offer of the town centre.
8.21 The PROM vision for Maidenhead town centre states that Maidenhead will become “the
distinctive heart of the community, a place that celebrates its green Thames Valley setting,
which is welcoming, attractive, and accessible to all, and provides a strong economic focus
for the wider community”. The vision sets out ten strategic objectives to achieve this vision.
Building upon this PROM vision and strategic objectives, the recently published Maidenhead
Area Action Plan identifies six opportunity areas in the town centre. These – along with the
Area Action Plan ‘key diagram’ are set are set out in figures and table.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 185
Figure 8‐5: PROM Vision for Maidenhead and RBWM Area Action Plan for Maidenhead Town Centre
PROM Vision Strategic Objective: Area Action Plan Opportunity Areas:
Improve the quality, safety and provision of public space
Enhance and introduce the use of water, e.g. transform York Stream to
become an integral part of the town centre and link the Thames to the town
with a river walk and cycle route.
Introduce greenery to the town centre to reflect its Thames Valley setting
Promote higher quality buildings, e.g. create quality landmark buildings in all
new developments and improve the quality and character of High Street.
Make the town centre more accessible, e.g. ensure the train station becomes
a transport
Promote a more pedestrian‐friendly town, e.g. transform the area outside
the station to improve pedestrian crossing facilities into the town centre,
divert traffic away from the town centre and give pedestrians priority.
Promote mixed use development, e.g. draw up innovative development
briefs for key sites where mixed use would create new opportunities for the
town, e.g. the football ground/bowls club site and the West Street area.
Quicken the pace of urban development and promote economic growth, e.g.
move forward with development briefs for key areas.
Foster greater civic pride, e.g. promote improvements to public streets and
spaces, introduce new activities such as markets and festivals, building on
existing well‐developed town centre events, develop Maidenhead's heritage
and encourage more leisure activities in the town centre.
Improve the identity and image of the town centre, e.g. promote
Maidenhead to potential developers who can bring about a step change
towards a better quality town centre, along with a marketing campaign to
help change perceptions of the town both locally and nationally.
Broadway Triangle – allocated as an area for future major retail led
mixed use development. It is the highest priority area for major new
retail development in the town centre and the AAP state that a
comprehensive retail led mixed use regeneration scheme (incorporating
25,000 m2 of retail floorspace; 190 residential dwellings and 6,000 m2
of office floorspace) should be brought forward for this area early in the
plan period.
West Street Area – Allocated for a residential and office led mixed‐use
regeneration scheme (incorporation 21,000 m2 of office floorspace; 310
residential dwellings and complementary leisure provision)
York Road Area – Allocated for a residential and office led mixed use
development. (incorporating 12,000 m2 of office floorspace; 100 high
quality residential dwellings and a public square and green space
Railway Station – Allocated for office led mixed use development
(incorporating 15,750 m2 of office floorspace; 50 residential dwellings;
train/bus/taxi interchange with drop‐off and cycle parking facilities;
enhanced railway station and concourse;5. Small scale station‐related
retail, cafés and kiosk uses)
High Street East / York Stream – allocated for residential and office led
mixed use development (incorporating 100 residential dwellings; 6,500
m2 office floorspace; food and drink uses)
Stafferton Way – Allocated for employment development
(incorporating 9,000 m2 of office floorspace; 500 space multi storey car
park and 4,000 m2 of non‐office employment floorspace)
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 186
Figure 8‐6: Maidenhead Town Centre Area Action Plan – Key Diagram
Source: Maidenhead Area Action Plan Submission Document (2010), accessed at http://www.rbwm.gov.uk/web/pp_mtc_aap.htm
Slough
Town Centre Strengths and Weaknesses
8.22 In terms of employment, Slough Town Centre is of similar size to Maidenhead, providing
around 15,100 jobs. The main sectors of activity are banking, finance and insurance
(accounting for nearly 40% of jobs) and distribution, hotels and restaurants (accounting for
just over a quarter of jobs). In recent years, however, the town centre has performed weakly
– losing a fifth of jobs (around 3,900 in absolute terms). Jobs have been lost in all sectors
with the exception of construction. However, the worst performing sector has been the
distribution, hotels and restaurants sector, from which nearly 2,000 jobs have been lost.
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 187
Physical Development and Regeneration
8.23 Similar to Maidenhead, rejuvenation activity is underway in Slough town centre. Here the
£450m Heart of Slough project is aiming to revitalise a 29‐acre site in the town centre
through a mix of new uses.
8.24 The project is being delivered by Slough Borough Council, the Homes and Communities
Agency, and Development Securities and will ultimately include a new bus station, new
community facilities (including new central library, adult learning facilities and cultural
activities and performances) and new homes, offices, hotels and retail premises. The
former two elements form the first phases of the project, and are due from completion in
2011 and 2012 respectively. As part of the plans, significant work will be undertaken to
improve the public realm, through adjustments to the road layout (to replace the Brunel
roundabout and subways) and the provision of new public spaces.
8.25 The office element of the scheme (provided by Development Securities) is intended to build
upon Slough’s existing reputation as a location for European HQ functions by attracting new
organisations into the town centre.
Away from the Four Main Employment Centres...
Employment Strengths...
8.26 Analysis to date has focused upon the four main employment centres in East Berkshire –
Windsor and Eton, Slough, and Maidenhead town centres and the Slough Trading Estate).
However, whilst these are the four largest concentrations of employment in the area, it is
important to note that they only account for around 38% of all jobs in East Berkshire. There
are over 90,000 jobs outside the four main East Berkshire employment centres. Activity is
spread across a range of sectors, with banking, finance and insurance, public administration
and health and distribution, hotels and restaurants accounting for 26%, 22% and 21% of
activity respectively.
8.27 Away for the four main centres, performance has been vibrant in recent years – with
employment increase of 12% (nearly 10,000 jobs in total). Again, this employment growth
has been spread across a range – the transport and communications, banking, finance and
insurance, public administration and health and other services sectors have gained around
3,500, 2,400, 2,300 and 1,300 jobs respectively.
Weaknesses and Constraints...
8.28 A number of important constraints affect locations away from the main East Berkshire
employment centre. These include:
Transport and connectivity – whilst transport links in certain parts of East Berkshire
are acknowledged to be strong (especially on an East to West axis), linkages in other
parts of the area are less strong. This is partly to be expected given the semi rural
and rural nature of parts of the area but has strong implications for both local
business and residents. Transport infrastructure is considered in more detail in the
next section.
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Housing affordability – Housing affordability is a major issue in RBWM – especially
in some of the more rural parts of the Borough. Here, (as is the case in many other
locations nationally), there are specific challenges around retaining the young
population given the lack of opportunities to access the housing market.
Access to Services – increasingly rural areas suffer from issues relating to access to
services (e.g. health, retail) with the population in these locations often not able to
provide the critical mass necessary to sustain these facilities.
Transport Infrastructure
A Well Connected Borough...
8.29 Transport infrastructure is a key factor for consideration in terms of the economic
performance of an area. Good connectivity is likely to be an important factor for both
individuals and business.
8.30 As would be expected, given the scale and nature (part rural / part urban) of East Berkshire
the quality of transport infrastructure varies from locality to locality.
8.31 Overall, East Berkshire benefits from a number of important transport linkages. Consultation
with a diverse range of stakeholders has confirmed that one of the key factors underpinning
the East Berkshire economy is the areas physical location (proximity to London and
Heathrow) and the strong transport linkages which allow easy movement to locations
throughout South of England and across the globe. These linkages are fundamental to the
operation of both the labour market and the local economy.
8.32 Key infrastructure strengths include:
The M4 runs through the Borough, providing direct road access into London and to
the west of England. The M25 runs just to the east of East Berkshire, whilst the M40
runs just to the north, providing access to London and the Midlands.
East Berkshire also benefits from strong rail infrastructure, with a total of 13 stations
(3 in Slough) servicing the areas main towns. Many of these stations are located on
the Great Western Mainline, providing direct access into west and central London
and to the west of England. Direct, non stopping trains run from Slough to London
Paddington in around 15 minutes. Usage of East Berkshires stations is illustrated
below. The charts highlight the important travel flows which take place in the
Borough (especially from Slough and Maidenhead stations) and the general increase
in rail passenger numbers in recent years.
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Figure 8‐7: Rail Passenger Statistics for East Berkshire Stations 2008/9 (top); % Change in Rail Passengers for East Berkshire Stations 2002/3 to 2008/9 (bottom)
Source: Office of Rail Regulation
...But Potential Capacity Issues Going Forward...
8.33 Despite the transport infrastructure strengths described above, stakeholder consultation has
highlighted numerous constraints locally in terms of transport infrastructure. These include:
Whilst transport connectivity from east to west in East Berkshire is a core strength
for the local area, connectivity on a north south axis through East Berkshire is not as
strong. Direct access between Maidenhead and High Wycombe is noted as a
particular weakness, with high levels on congestion on the roads. Plans to reinstate
the former Maidenhead to High Wycombe rail link with a light railway are not
through to be financially viable in the short to medium term (although the route has
been safeguarded from development).
917,630
653,345
4,879,229
1,045,853
189,804319,733
146,176
3,681,827
697,761
22,936
1,508,501
1,257,388
71,915
1,622,069
258,213
483,323
21,864 28,8130
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
3,000,000
3,500,000
4,000,000
4,500,000
5,000,000
Burnham Langley Slough Ascot Cookham Datchet Furze Platt Maidenhead Sunningdale Sunnymeads Windsor & Eton Central
Windsor & Eton Riverside
Wraysbury
Slough Windsor And Maidenhead
Total Number of People
08/09 Entries & Exits 08/09 Interchanges
8%
33%
10%
22%
6%
44%
-1%
12%
44%
56%
9%
50%
145%
‐20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%
160%
Burnham Langley Slough Ascot Cookham Datchet Furze Platt Maidenhead Sunningdale Sunnymeads Windsor & Eton Central
Windsor & Eton
Riverside
Wraysbury
Slough Windsor And Maidenhead
% Chnage in Number of Entries and Exits betw
een 2002/3 and 2008/9
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Traffic congestion is seen as a big problem locally, affected both the major routes
and more local routes within East Berkshire. More locally, parking is considered to
be a major issue for Windsor town centre, which is perceived to have real
implications in terms of retaining and attracting investment.
8.34 Location and connectivity is clearly one of the key factors underpinning East Berkshires
strong economic performance and past success in attracting major investment. However,
East Berkshire (and the wider Thames Valley) faces ever increasing competition from
localities across the globe in terms of retaining and attracting new investment. The future
success of places like Slough will to a certain extent depend on the extent to which they can
maximise factors such as location advantage (as they will be unable to compete on factors
such as cost).
8.35 It is important that such constraints are taken into account and where necessary action is
taken in order to ensure that going forward East Berkshire maintains its location advantage
and that the areas investment proposition is maximised.
...And the Potential for Major New Investment
8.36 There a number of important opportunities for East Berkshire going forward in terms of
transport infrastructure:
When completed in 2019, Crossrail will provide a direct link between Maidenhead,
Shenfield and Abbey Wood – passing through the west end of London, the City and
Canary Wharf. Crossrail will service four East Berkshire stations – Maidenhead,
Burnham, Slough and Langley. It will significantly improve service frequency along
journey times (and ease of transit) to numerous central London locations.
There is currently no direct access to Heathrow for locations throughout East
Berkshire and further to the west of England. The proposed western rail access to
Heathrow would rectify this, allowing trains to run directly into Heathrow airport
from locations such as Slough. This would provide significant benefits for the East
Berkshire local economy, reinforcing the comparative advantage of the area in terms
of connectivity. However, proposals and most importantly funding for the project
are yet to be agreed
Access to Heathrow is also partly the focus of further rail infrastructure proposals
affecting East Berkshire. The Windsor Link Rail Company is proposing to privately
finance the construction of a new station in Windsor – which would provide a link
between and replace the two existing termini. The proposals would allow direct
access to Heathrow and would also allow access from Heathrow to London Waterloo
– a long term preference for central government. A new station would also be
constructed in Chalvey in Slough – one of the Borough’s more deprived locations.
Feasibility work is currently underway but the proposals have significant hurdles to
overcome in terms of the impacts of such development on Windsor town centre.
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Figure 8‐8: Future Transport Infrastructure ‐ Crossrail
Source: Crossrail
Broadband Connectivity
8.37 Over the past decade the internet has become an increasingly important component of
everyday life – for individuals, businesses and institutions alike. High quality and fast internet
connectivity is now a pre‐requisite in investment decisions by businesses – from individuals
working from home to the HQ functions of multi‐national companies.
8.38 Estimates suggest that a high proportion (87%) of dwellings in RBWM have internet
connectivity – a higher rate than in Slough (77%) and also above the regional average (76%).
8.39 Average line speed, however, is lower in RBWM than the South East. Slough performs well in
this respect, with average line speed of 5.5 Mbps. This is likely to reflect the different
physical characteristics of the two Boroughs.
Figure 8‐9: Internet Connectivity
Internet Subscribers Broadband % (broadband lines per head of population)
AverageLine Speed (Mbps)
Number % of dwellings(based on 2010 dwelling stock)
Slough 38,385 76.7% 31.0 5.5
RBWM 51,834 86.8% 35.4 4.2
Reading 61,115 92.5% 41.5 5.5
South Bucks 21,040 77.3% 31.2 5.7
Spelthorne 40,273 97.5% 43.1 4.2
Wycombe 51,243 74.4% 30.5 5.0
South East 2,797,275 76.4% 32.3 4.8
Source: Point Topic and Gavurin
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Flood Risk
High Levels of Land at Risk from Flooding Throughout East Berkshire...
8.40 Located in the Thames Valley, flood risk is a serious issue for East Berkshire and as discussed
previously has real implications in terms of development activity.
8.41 Flooding risk is a particular issue for RBWM – here, over 10,000 properties are categorised as
being at ‘significant’ risk of flooding, representing almost 40% of the total number of
properties within the Borough.
8.42 The Slough and RBWM Strategic Flood Risk Assessment outline the areas threatened by
flooding in the two Boroughs. These are mapped below.
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Figure 8‐10: Flood Risk Areas ‐ Slough
Source: Slough Strategic Flood Risk Assessment
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Figure 8‐11: Flood Risk Areas – RBWM
Source: RBWM Strategic Flood Risk Assessment
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Sustainability Indicators
8.43 This section examines the impact that East Berkshire’s economy has the local environment
and considers the likely effect of future changes in the size and structure of East Berkshire’s
economy.
8.44 CO2 emissions in Slough and RBWM are 5.8 and 6.8 tonnes per capita respectively. The
South East average stands at 6.6 tonnes per capita.
Figure 8‐12: CO2 Emissions Per Capita
Source: Department for Energy and Climate Change
8.45 Levels of energy consumptions vary within East Berkshire:
In Slough, levels of energy domestic consumption (both electricity and gas) are
relatively low. Despite this, average commercial and industrial energy consumption
in the Borough are very high. This is likely to reflect the sectoral structure of the
local economy, with manufacturing and industry amongst the local strengths and
consuming high levels of energy
Levels of commercial and industrial energy consumption in RBWM are very low in
comparison to Slough and are also below the regional average. However,
domestically, levels of energy consumption are higher in RBWM than Slough and the
regional average. This possibly reflects the dwelling profile of the Borough – as
highlighted by analysis of council tax bands earlier, Houses are on average relatively
large and thus likely to have greater energy demands
5.8
6.86.7
8.0
6.2
8.0
6.06.1
6.66.8
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead
Hounslow Hillingdon Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe South East England
CO2 Em
issions per Capita
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Figure 8‐13: Energy Consumption
Road transport energy consumption at regional and local authority level, 2008
Electricity consumption at regional and local authority
level, 2009
Gas consumption at regional and local authority level, 2009
Thousands of tonnes of fuel Sales per consumer kWh Sales per consumer kWh
Personal Freight Total Average domestic
consumption
Average commercial and industrial consumption
Average domestic
consumption
Average commercial and industrial consumption
Slough 43.1 19.3 62.4 3,996 129,869 14,518 773,883
RBWM 86.5 35.5 122.0 4,897 73,040 18,485 284,290
Hounslow 87.8 25.1 112.9 4,063 118,772 15,616 477,606
Hillingdon 118.4 37.9 156.2 4,196 154,580 16,409 1,212,886
Reading 26.1 8.3 34.4 4,175 90,028 14,710 597,983
South Bucks 88.8 52.8 141.6 5,444 74,148 21,495 214,339
Spelthorne 41.2 17.1 58.2 4,410 129,969 16,311 349,290
Wycombe 81.0 34.9 115.9 4,782 59,100 18,021 302,004
South East 3825.2 1866.2 5691.4 4,477 70,434 15,536 450,448
Great Britain 22973.4 12248.4 35221.8 4,152 68,487 15,384 656,276
Source: Department for Energy and Climate Change
8.46 Slough typically performs poorly in terms of residual household waste and recycling. An
average of 814 kg of residual waste are produced per head – considerably higher than in
RBWM and the majority of benchmark areas. The rate of recycling of household waste (26%)
is also well below the rate seen in RBWM and in other benchmark geographies.
Figure 8‐14: Recycling and Waste – 2008/09
Residual household waste per head (kg)
% Household waste recycled & composted
% Municipal waste landfilled
Slough 814 25.68 76.37
RBWM 708 36.1 62.79
Hounslow 793 23.6 ‐
Hillingdon 719 35.32 ‐
Reading 693 34.55 64.75
South Bucks 579 41.14 ‐
Spelthorne 547 31.24 ‐
Wycombe 537 44.02 ‐
West Berkshire 835 33.81 65.61
Source: Department for Energy and Climate Change
Dynamics between Economic Growth and Environmental Sustainability
Local environment performance is closely linked to local economic characteristics and social
characteristics. High levels of energy consumption in Slough are likely to be linked to the high
levels (and types of activity) on Slough Trading Estate, whilst high levels of domestic energy
consumption in RBWM are likely to reflect housing and household characteristics described
previously. As such, the drive to achieve improved performance across a range of environmental
indicators in East Berkshire will largely be dictated by how a range of local social and economic
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characteristics develop in coming years.
On the demand side, market intelligence suggests that traditional manufacturing industries will
continue their general trajectory of decline in future years. The decline of traditional
manufacturing, however, may be tempered by increasing activity in the advanced manufacturing
sector – which typically comprises activities which are less environmentally ’dirty’ than heavy
manufacturing. This is likely to be especially the case in East Berkshire, which already has core
strengths in advanced manufacturing, especially on and around Slough Trading Estate.
Much focus has been placed on the likely future economic importance of the ‘environmental
technologies’ or ‘green’ sector. The global market for low carbon and environmental goods and
services (LCEGS) was worth £3 trillion in 2007/08. Of this, the UK low carbon environmental
goods and services (LCEGS) market is worth £106 billion and employs 880,000 people directly or
through the supply chain. The UK LCEGS sector was one of the few areas of the economy
expected to maintain positive growth rates through the economic downturn and is expected to
grow by over 4% per annum up to 2014/15. The sector is already relatively strong in East
Berkshire (and in Slough in particular), providing around 3,200 jobs (2% of all jobs) – higher than
the regional and national averages. There is scope to develop the environmental services sector
further in future years, especially on the basis of servicing the needs of the local population,
working in a cross‐cutting way through other larger, local sectors to support those firms with low
carbon ambitions.
In considering the impact of economic growth on environmental performance, it is important to
consider labour market dynamics within East Berkshire. As discussed previously, the area is
subject to large scale movements of people travelling to work. These movements have important
implications in terms of transport use and hence carbon emissions. Helping local people to access
jobs more locally – and on the flip side of this helping employers to recruit more local residents,
will be key to efforts to improve levels of labour market containment and hence sustainability in
future years.
Linkages and Dynamics Underpinning Sustainable Economic Growth in East Berkshire
8.47 Alongside labour market and quality of life factors, physical environment and infrastructure
factors play an important role in defining East Berkshires functional economic geographies.
8.48 East Berkshire’s proximity to Heathrow and London as well as a strong transport
infrastructure make the area attractive to businesses (enabling supply chain and more
general business linkages) and facilitate the labour market flows and dynamics described
previously. The physical environment itself is a strong contributing factor to the perceived
high quality of life in the area.
8.49 Going forward, these factors will become increasingly important in the functioning of the
local economy – and in efforts to achieve sustainable economic growth. As discussed
previously, given increasing pressures from competing locations across the globe, existing
competitive advantages of the local economy will need to be maximised. In East Berkshire,
the strong local economy will to a certain extent depend upon strong physical linkages and
infrastructure being retained and enhanced. Challenges exist in this respect. Local road and
rail infrastructure is already operating close to capacity, whilst well document challenges
remain accommodating future capacity growth at Heathrow airport.
8.50 Simultaneously, it is important to consider the environmental impact of the lack of labour
● East Berkshire LEA ●
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market containment in the local economy. The scale of the commuter flows across East
Berkshire and the wider sub region – as a result of transport connections and resultant
location of jobs – have significant environmental implications. Whilst the size of the available
labour market is one of the areas core strengths, if future economic growth is to be sought
in a sustainable manner, focus will need to be placed on improving levels of labour market
containment. In practise, this will mean continuing to work with employers to highlight the
benefit of employing local people and working with residents to ensure that they have the
right skills set to enter local employment.
8.51 Significant challenges also exist around future physical development activity in East
Berkshire. Development constraints affect both Slough (there is limited scope for the urban
area to expand naturally given the Borough’s tight boundaries) and RBWM (a combination of
green belt, flooding and conservation constraints) – and are likely to have a real impact
future provision of housing and business accommodation.
8.52 The potential impacts of these constraints on the local labour markets and business bases is
clear and as such, the response to these constraints and challenges will ultimately shape
both the future demand for and supply of labour in East Berkshire.
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9. Understanding East Berkshire’s Functional Economic Geography
9.1 The previous chapters have highlighted how the economic and social characteristics of East
Berkshire are underpinned by numerous dependencies, linkages and dynamics which
operate across a range of geographical scales. Together, these flows define East Berkshire’s
Functional Economic Geography and dictate how the area is actually experienced by
businesses, residents and visitors alike.
9.2 Some of the most important flows are summarised below:
Supply chain and business linkages – firms located in East Berkshire have developed
supply chains with other firms locally and in neighbouring boroughs (particularly in
Hillingdon with Heathrow Airport located here and this relationship is supported by
‘Meet the Buyer’ events). It has not been possible to develop a fully accurate picture
of the depth and strength of these relationships; however this is an extremely
important dynamic in supporting small and large firms alike.
Labour Market flows – At its very core, the East Berkshire economy is underpinned
by significant travel to work movements – existing both internally within East
Berkshire, but also transcending the area’s boundaries. The strength of the local
economy is built upon the availability of highly skilled labour. In total East Berkshire
and its neighbouring local authorities provide a labour pool of over half a million
economically active residents and over quarter of a million working age residents
qualified to degree level or higher. The willingness of residents to travel to work
(combined with quality of life factors) and the demand for suitable employees
means that in practice, local authority boundaries are largely disregarded by
businesses and the workforce alike.
The dependencies which exist within East Berkshire are best illustrated through
consideration of Slough. Slough’s strong local economy is dependent upon the
supply of highly skilled labour from surrounding local authority areas. Without the
presence of this, the area would struggle to retain and attract investment. However,
it is also important to note that the areas providing the highly skilled labour – areas
such as RBWM – are currently dependent upon Slough to provide suitable jobs for
their residents. In the absence of these, highly skilled and mobile residents would
move elsewhere. It is a two way dependency. On the flip side, a high number of
lower skilled Slough residents commute out of the Borough to work – to locations
such as Heathrow. As such, the future wellbeing of Slough and its residents is
dependent upon the continuing provision of jobs in other areas.
Leisure flows – leisure flows play an important role in defining local economic
performance in East Berkshire. This is especially relevant in terms of RBWMs visitor
economy. It is estimated that 6.3 million day trips and 602,000 overnight trips were
made to RBWM in 2008. It is estimated that the local visitor economy supports
around 5,900 FTE jobs in the Borough (equating to 7,935 actual jobs) and business
turnover of around £511.4 million. The demographic of visitors varies significantly.
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RBWM’s tourist attractions attract visitors from across the UK and from locations
across the world. Business tourism is a strength in Windsor, and Maidenhead and
Ascot also attract visitors from across the UK.
However, there are also a number of more local flows that are important to
acknowledge. Retail flows vary throughout East Berkshire – anecdotally Windsor has
a successful and high end retail offer which attracts visitors from a relatively wide
region. Maidenhead and Slough town centres currently act more as local service
centres for the local population. On the flip side, a number of successful shopping
locations outside East Berkshire – including Reading and High Wycombe – result in
movements out of the area. The night time economy also results in movements of
people across East Berkshire. Again, Windsor is perceived to have a relatively strong
offer in this respect, attracting people from a relatively wide area. This is less the
case in Slough and Maidenhead.
Service flows – Service provision also results in significant flows of people within and
across East Berkshire. This is especially the case in terms of education – in Slough for
example, the presence of a number of strongly performing schools results in the
daily movement of pupils into the area. Other flows result from the location of
further and adult education facilities within the area. Meanwhile, the lack of a major
HE presence results in large outflows of young people. In Slough, anecdotal evidence
suggests that this often happens on a daily basis – students in many communities
continue to live at home whilst attending university in London. Other service flows in
East Berkshire include those relating to health – dictated by the location of GP and
Hospital facilities.
9.3 These flows are underpinned by a number of overarching factors which ultimately define
why and how these movements are played out:
The Location of Business and Demand for Labour – Many of the dynamics affecting
East Berkshire are dictated by the locational decisions of businesses, and hence the
demand for employment. Whilst there are four main employment centres in East
Berkshire – Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead town centres and Slough Trading
Estate – the types of activity vary in each of these locations. As discussed previously,
the Slough Trading Estate is typically characterised by higher value added activities –
and hence typically demands relatively high skills levels from its workforce. As a
result, the Slough Trading Estate acts as a strong ‘pull’ for labour from across the sub
region. Similarly, the presence of a concentration of lower skilled jobs at locations
outside East Berkshire such as Heathrow, acts as a strong pull for Slough residents
with lower skills levels. These labour market flows highlight the important
dependencies which exist across a relatively wide geographical area.
Quality of Life factors – Quality of life factors play an important role in defining East
Berkshires functional economic geographies. As discussed in the previous chapter,
East Berkshire and the wider area is characterised by multiple labour market
linkages and dependencies which underpin the functioning of the local economy.
Quality of life factors also underpin these dependencies, with relatively highly skilled
and affluent residents attracted to live in locations such as RBWM by the high
quality living environment, strong housing quality and prestigious image of the area.
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By contrast, Slough – perceived to offer a lower quality of life and lower quality
housing stock – is characterised by the presence of lower skilled and less affluent
residents. The comparatively low cost living locally (combined with the location and
the availability of jobs) has also made Slough an appealing and to convenient
gateway to the country for migrants. As this suggests, housing markets play a
particularly important role in defining sub‐regional dynamics – and as such, going
forward, how housing markets operate and change will help to shape local economic
performance. Under increasing pressures from competing locations across the
globe, existing competitive advantages of the local economy will need to be
maximised. In East Berkshire, the strong local economy will to a certain extent
depend upon the local labour market being retained and enhanced. However, the
extent to which this can be achieved will depend upon the ability of the local area to
accommodate population and housing growth. As discussed in the next chapter,
there exist significant constraints in this respect across East Berkshire.
The Physical Environment and Infrastructure – East Berkshire’s proximity to
Heathrow and London and strong transport infrastructure, make the area attractive
to businesses (enabling supply chain and more general business linkages) and
facilitate the labour market flows and dynamics described previously. The physical
environment itself is a strong contributing factor to the perceived high quality of life
in the area. Going forward, these factors will become increasingly important in the
functioning of the local economy. As discussed previously, given increasing pressures
from competing locations across the globe, existing competitive advantages of the
local economy will need to be maximised. In East Berkshire, the strong local
economy will to a certain extent depend upon strong physical linkages and
infrastructure being retained and enhanced. Challenges exist in this respect. Local
road and rail infrastructure is already operating close to capacity, whilst well
document challenges remain accommodating future capacity growth at Heathrow
airport. Significant challenges also exist around future physical development activity
in East Berkshire. Development constraints affect both Slough (there is limited scope
for the urban area to expand naturally given the Borough’s tight boundaries) and
RBWM (a combination of green belt, flooding and conservation constraints) – and
are likely to have a real impact future provision of housing and business
accommodation.
9.4 Fully recognising the scale and nature of the trends described above is a key process in
understanding local economic performance.
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10. SWOT Analysis
10.1 In order to draw out the key points from the analysis above, we have carried out an
assessment of the ‘strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats’ (SWOT). For ease of
interpretation for different partners, these have been divided into separate SWOT’s for East
Berkshire and the Functional Economic Area, Slough and RBWM.
East Berkshire and it’s Functional Economic Area: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
Table 10‐1: East Berkshire Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis
STREGNTHS WEAKNESSES
One of the UK’s largest economic areas and a key driver of wealth generation in the SE region, accounting for 15% of total output in 2008. Strong recent and projected growth in GVA.
Very high GVA per worker of £58,000 (more than 10,000 per worker greater than the GB average.
Very high job density and concentration of employment in some high value sectors (telecommunications, manufacturing or pharmaceuticals)
A large labour pool – around 173,00 working age residents in East Berks, and across the FEA of nearly 700,000
A large pool of highly skilled labour – nearly 50,000 East Berks residents are qualified to degree level or higher, and over quarter of a million FEA residents
A large pool of active labour pool – around 138,000 people in East Berks and over half a million across the FEA
Strong connectivity to locations throughout the South East and world as a result of location and transport infrastructure
A large labour pool – around 173,00 working age residents in East Berks, and across the FEA of nearly 700,000
A large pool of highly skilled labour – nearly 50,000 East Berks residents are qualified to degree level or higher, and over quarter of a million FEA residents
A large pool of active labour pool – around 138,000 people in East Berks and over half a million across the FEA
Strong connectivity to locations throughout the South East and world as a result of location and transport infrastructure
Contraction of employment in town centres represents a significant issue for East Berkshire.
Very heavily reliant on finance and business services for employment and GVA generation. Leaves the area vulnerable to structural economic changes.
High levels of labour market disparity within East Berkshire – with RBWM typically performing strongly and Slough less well
Physical development constraints throughout East Berkshire
Weaker transport infrastructure / links on a north to south axis
Road and rail transport infrastructure already operating at close to capacity
High levels of labour market disparity within East Berkshire – with RBWM typically performing strongly and Slough less well
Physical development constraints throughout East Berkshire
Weaker transport infrastructure / links on a north to south axis
Road and rail transport infrastructure already operating at close to capacity
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
Opportunities to build on concentrations of employment in high value sectors (IT and Software, telecommunications) as well as sufficient activity in other sectors (e.g. life sciences) on which to build.
Private sector led economy puts East Berkshire in a
Competition from emerging economies may threaten competitiveness for FDI. Currently a strong presence of European HQs / Hubs for global businesses – needs to be actively maintained.
Physical development constraints throughout East
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strong position to weather the worst of the public sector spending cuts and emerge from recession.
Transport infrastructure projects such as Crossrail have the potential to reinforce East Berkshire competitive advantage
Establishment of the Thames Valley Berkshire LEP – an opportunity to articulate and promotes the collective strength of the sub‐region
Transport infrastructure projects such as Crossrail have the potential to reinforce East Berkshire competitive advantage
Establishment of the Thames Valley Berkshire LEP – an opportunity to articulate and promotes the collective strength of the sub‐region
Berkshire has the potential to effect both businesses and residents and thus future economic growth
Increasing levels of economic completion from locations across the globe
Physical development constraints throughout East Berkshire has the potential to effect both businesses and residents and thus future economic growth
Increasing levels of economic completion from locations across the globe
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Slough: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
Table 10‐2: Slough Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
High value economy – concentration of employment in higher value sectors, GVA per worker looks set to continue to rise.
Concentrations of high value employment on STE (particularly in higher value manufacturing and telecommunications)
Strong connectivity as a result of location and transport infrastructure
A relatively large working age population
High levels of in‐migration boosting local workforce
Strong performance in Slough secondary schools
High rates of progression to further and higher education
Strong connectivity as a result of location and transport infrastructure
A relatively large working age population
High levels of in‐migration boosting local workforce
Strong performance in Slough secondary schools
High rates of progression to further and higher education
Particularly large contraction of employment in Slough Town Centre (almost 4,000 jobs between 2003 and 2008)
Very low enterprise rates (linked to financial barriers and lack of suitable premises for start up businesses) and much lower business survival rates than RBWM.
Over reliance on large firms for employment.
Continued dominance of full time employment is linked to the borough’s high value economy, but causes some issues around access to employment for women and ethnic groups. Low levels of economic activity – particularly amongst certain groups including ethnic minority women
Low levels of skills amongst residents
Gap between workforce skills and residents skills resulting
Strong commuting flows into and out of the Borough – environmental and infrastructure consequences
Concentrations of relative multiple deprivation in locations such as Chalvey
Large disparity between workforce and residents earnings and generally low earning for residents
Persistence of health related issues
High levels of recorded crime and fear of crime.
Road and rail transport infrastructure already operating at close to capacity
Slough suffers a relatively poor image
Relatively poor quality housing stock making it difficult to attract / retain highly skilled and high earning residents
High levels of population transience – difficult to measure comings and goings and establish needs
High levels of HMO as a result of in‐migration
Low levels of economic activity – particularly amongst certain groups including ethnic minority women
Low levels of skills amongst residents
Gap between workforce skills and residents skills resulting
Strong commuting flows into and out of the Borough – environmental and infrastructure consequences
Concentrations of relative multiple deprivation in locations such as Chalvey
Large disparity between workforce and residents earnings and generally low earning for residents
Persistence of health related issues
High levels of recorded crime and fear of crime.
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Road and rail transport infrastructure already operating at close to capacity
Slough suffers a relatively poor image
Relatively poor quality housing stock making it difficult to attract / retain highly skilled and high earning residents
High levels of population transience – difficult to measure comings and goings and establish needs
High levels of HMO as a result of in‐migration
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
Transport infrastructure projects such as Crossrail and western access to Heathrow have the potential to reinforce Slough’s competitive advantage
The Heart of Slough scheme offers the opportunity of town centre renewal and improvement of the towns images as a place to work and live
Transport infrastructure projects such as Crossrail and western access to Heathrow have the potential to reinforce Slough’s competitive advantage
The Heart of Slough scheme offers the opportunity of town centre renewal and improvement of the towns images as a place to work and live
Declining employment on the older side of STE. This is linked to continued decline of employment in manufacturing (particularly more traditional manufacturing)
Over reliance on large businesses for employment could heighten the potential impact of loss of employment amongst these much larger companies.
Employment forecasts suggest that Slough is set to lose ground to RBWM.
Physical development constraints in Slough have the potential to inhibit further urban growth and housing market renewal with labour market impact
The loss of major businesses and HQ functions (and hence employment) the result of increasing levels of competition from location across the globe
High levels immigration and population transience difficult to measure – hard to identify needs and secure appropriate funding
Physical development constraints in Slough have the potential to inhibit further urban growth and housing market renewal with labour market impact
The loss of major businesses and HQ functions (and hence employment) the result of increasing levels of competition from location across the globe
High levels immigration and population transience difficult to measure – hard to identify needs and secure appropriate funding
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RBWM: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
Table 10‐3: RBWM Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Very buoyant in terms of enterprise rates. Very strong VAT registration rates and self employment rates (in particular to the South of the region and around Ascot).
A strong tourism sector, with some visitor attractions (Windsor Castle, Legoland) and key location advantages (proximity to London, Heathrow airport etc).
High levels of economic activity and employment
High levels of skills amongst residents, with associated high levels of earnings
Relatively healthy population
Relatively low levels of crime
Perception of RBWM as a prestigious place to live and do business
High levels of economic activity and employment
High levels of skills amongst residents, with associated high levels of earnings
Relatively healthy population
Relatively low levels of crime
Perception of RBWM as a prestigious place to live and do business
Road and rail transport infrastructure already operating at close to capacity. Parking and congestion a particular issue in Windsor
Declining performance in Maidenhead Town Centre in recent years
Strong commuting flows out of the Borough – environmental and infrastructure consequences
Relatively low uptake of leisure and hospitality jobs amongst local residents
Road and rail transport infrastructure already operating at close to capacity. Parking and congestion a particular issue in Windsor
Declining performance in Maidenhead Town Centre in recent years
Strong commuting flows out of the Borough – environmental and infrastructure consequences
Relatively low uptake of leisure and hospitality jobs amongst local residents
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
Strong base of small businesses, entrepreneurial population.
Transport infrastructure projects such as Crossrail, have the potential to reinforce RBWM’s competitive advantage
In Maidenhead, PROM and the new area action plan have the potential to revitalize the town centre both physically and economically
The 2012 Olympics and the potential legacy in terms of increased visitor numbers
RBWM as a Big Society Vanguard Area – opportunity to develop innovative projects which reengage communities
Transport infrastructure projects such as Crossrail, have the potential to reinforce RBWM’s competitive advantage
In Maidenhead, PROM and the new area action plan have the potential to revitalize the town centre both physically and economically
The 2012 Olympics and the potential legacy in terms of increased visitor numbers
RBWM as a Big Society Vanguard Area – opportunity to develop innovative projects which reengage communities
Declining employment around Ascot. Loss of employment between 2003‐8 represented 40% of the total for the SOA
Physical development constraints throughout RBWM have the potential to impact upon the provision of new commercial and residential accommodations, with impacts for both businesses and the labour market
Low levels of housing affordability force existing residents and first time buyers away
Physical development constraints throughout RBWM have the potential to impact upon the provision of new commercial and residential accommodations, with impacts for both businesses and the labour market
Low levels of housing affordability force existing residents and first time buyers away
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Appendix A : Sector Data in Detail
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Table 10‐4: East Berkshire Local Authorities and comparators ‐ Employment by broad industrial sector
Slough Windsor
and M’head Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe
East
Berkshire
Thames
Valley LEP South East GB
Manufacturing
Employees (000s) 9.1 3.7 7.5 4.5 5.0 1.9 2.0 7.2 12.8 30.3 305.9 2,709.1
% of total 12% 5% 4% 4% 5% 6% 5% 10% 9% 8% 8% 10%
LQ vs South East 1.5 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.7 1.2 1.0 0.9 1.0 1.2
LQ vs GB 1.2 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.8 1.0
Construction
Employees (000s) 3.3 5.0 5.5 4.2 1.9 1.4 2.5 3.7 8.2 15.5 169.6 1,268.8
% of total 4% 7% 3% 3% 2% 5% 7% 5% 5% 4% 5% 5%
LQ vs South East 1.0 1.5 0.6 0.8 0.4 1.0 1.5 1.1 1.2 0.9 1.0 1.1
LQ vs GB 0.9 1.4 0.6 0.7 0.4 1.0 1.4 1.0 1.1 0.8 0.9 1.0
Distrib, hotels
and
restaurants
Employees (000s) 16.7 18.6 39.6 29.3 21.6 9.8 9.4 19.5 35.3 98.2 924.1 6,229.5
% of total 22% 25% 21% 24% 22% 32% 26% 26% 23% 25% 25% 24%
LQ vs South East 0.9 1.0 0.8 1.0 0.9 1.3 1.0 1.0 0.9 1.0 1.0 0.9
LQ vs GB 0.9 1.1 0.9 1.0 0.9 1.3 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.0
Transport and
comms
Employees (000s) 11.3 4.0 67.0 16.0 7.6 1.4 3.7 3.7 15.3 33.1 221.1 1,547.9
% of total 15% 5% 36% 13% 8% 5% 10% 5% 10% 8% 6% 6%
LQ vs South East 2.5 0.9 6.0 2.2 1.3 0.8 1.7 0.8 1.7 1.4 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 2.6 0.9 6.1 2.3 1.3 0.8 1.7 0.8 1.7 1.4 1.0 1.0
Banking,
finance and
insurance
Employees (000s) 20.0 23.5 35.5 33.9 33.4 8.2 10.1 21.7 43.5 121.5 903.1 5,870.8
% of total 26% 31% 19% 28% 34% 26% 28% 29% 29% 31% 24% 22%
LQ vs South East 1.1 1.3 0.8 1.2 1.4 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.0 0.9
LQ vs GB 1.2 1.4 0.8 1.3 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.1 1.0
Public admin
Employees (000s) 12.0 14.5 28.3 20.7 22.1 5.4 6.4 15.0 26.5 72.4 960.6 7,208.5
% of total 16% 19% 15% 17% 23% 17% 18% 20% 18% 18% 26% 27%
LQ vs South East 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.9 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.7 1.0 1.1
LQ vs GB 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.9 1.0
Other services
Employees (000s) 2.6 5.4 4.4 12.4 5.0 2.8 2.4 4.8 7.9 20.7 212.0 1,408.3
% of total 3% 7% 2% 10% 5% 9% 7% 6% 5% 5% 6% 5%
LQ vs South East 0.6 1.3 0.4 1.8 0.9 1.6 1.1 1.1 0.9 0.9 1.0 0.9
LQ vs GB 0.6 1.3 0.4 1.9 1.0 1.7 1.2 1.2 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.0
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO Note: Agriculture and Fishing sectors (SIC A and B)
and Energy and Water (SIC C) have been excluded due to data confidentiality
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Table 10‐5: East Berkshire Local Authorities and comparators ‐ Employment by broad industrial sector
Slough Town Centre
Slough Trading Estate
Windsor and Eton
M’head Basingstoke High Wycombe
Hounslow Reading Uxbridge East Berks GB
Manufacturing
Employees (000s) 0.3 4.7 0.2 0.7 0.3 0.2 0.1 2.4 1.1 12.8 2,709.1
% of total 2% 28% 1% 4% 2% 1% 1% 6% 6% 10% 10%
LQ vs East Berks 0.2 2.8 0.1 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.6 0.6 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.2 2.8 0.1 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.6 0.6 1.0 1.0
Construction
Employees (000s) 0.6 1.0 0.1 2.0 0.2 0.5 0.0 0.5 0.0 1,268.8 1,268.8
% of total 4% 6% 1% 13% 1% 3% 0% 1% 0% 5% 5%
LQ vs East Berks 0.8 1.2 0.2 2.8 0.2 0.7 0.1 0.2 0.0 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.8 1.2 0.2 2.8 0.2 0.7 0.1 0.2 0.0 1.0 1.0
Distrib, hotels and
restaurants
Employees (000s) 4.0 3.6 3.7 4.5 4.0 3.4 3.7 10.8 5.4 6,229.5 6,229.5
% of total 27% 22% 33% 30% 25% 22% 34% 26% 31% 24% 24%
LQ vs East Berks 1.1 0.9 1.4 1.3 1.0 0.9 1.4 1.1 1.3 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 1.1 0.9 1.4 1.3 1.0 0.9 1.4 1.1 1.3 1.0 1.0
Transport and
comms
Employees (000s) 1.8 2.5 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.9 1.9 3.4 0.9 1,547.9 1,547.9
% of total 12% 15% 5% 3% 2% 6% 17% 8% 5% 6% 6%
LQ vs East Berks 2.0 2.6 0.8 0.4 0.3 1.1 2.9 1.4 0.9 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 2.0 2.6 0.8 0.4 0.3 1.1 2.9 1.4 0.9 1.0 1.0
Banking, finance
and insurance
Employees (000s) 5.9 4.3 3.8 5.2 6.0 4.2 3.1 16.2 5.4 5,870.8 5,870.8
% of total 39% 26% 34% 34% 36% 28% 28% 39% 31% 22% 22%
LQ vs East Berks 1.8 1.2 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.2 1.3 1.8 1.4 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 1.8 1.2 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.2 1.3 1.8 1.4 1.0 1.0
Public admin
Employees (000s) 2.2 0.2 2.0 1.8 1.5 5.5 1.7 6.3 3.8 7,208.5 7,208.5
% of total 14% 1% 18% 12% 9% 36% 15% 15% 22% 27% 27%
LQ vs East Berks 0.5 0.0 0.7 0.4 0.3 1.3 0.6 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.5 0.0 0.7 0.4 0.3 1.3 0.6 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.0
Other services
Employees (000s) 0.3 0.3 0.8 0.5 4.2 0.5 0.5 1.5 0.5 1,408.3 1,408.3
% of total 2% 2% 7% 4% 25% 3% 4% 4% 3% 5% 5%
LQ vs East Berks 0.4 0.3 1.4 0.7 4.8 0.6 0.8 0.7 0.6 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.4 0.3 1.4 0.7 4.8 0.6 0.8 0.7 0.6 1.0 1.0
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Table 10‐6: East Berkshire town centres and comparators ‐ top ten sectors by 2 digit SIC (2008)
Slough Windsor
and M’head Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe
East
Berkshire
Thames
Valley LEP South East GB
Other business
activities
Employees (000s) 12.2 13.5 22.1 20.9 17.1 12.2 4.7 5.8 25.7 64.2 513.7 3,489.9
% of total 16% 18% 12% 17% 18% 16% 15% 16% 17% 16% 14% 13%
% change 2003‐08 14% ‐14% 2% 13% 21% 14% 18% 4% ‐2% 1% 14% 22%
LQ vs South East 1.2 1.3 0.8 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 1.2 1.4 0.9 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.0 1.0
Retail trade
Employees (000s) 6.1 7.7 13.3 10.9 10.9 6.1 2.8 4.5 13.9 37.3 401.4 2,791.6
% of total 8% 10% 7% 9% 11% 8% 9% 12% 9% 9% 11% 11%
% change 2003‐08 ‐12% 24% 10% 7% ‐8% ‐12% 5% ‐12% 5% ‐6% ‐8% ‐5%
LQ vs South East 0.8 1.0 0.7 0.8 1.0 0.8 0.8 1.1 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.8 1.0 0.7 0.8 1.1 0.8 0.8 1.2 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.0
Health and
social work
Employees (000s) 5.8 5.8 9.8 7.9 11.2 5.8 2.9 2.4 11.6 31.2 433.0 3,282.3
% of total 8% 8% 5% 7% 11% 8% 9% 7% 8% 8% 12% 12%
% change 2003‐08 25% 12% 31% 10% 3% 25% 23% ‐14% 18% 5% 12% 11%
LQ vs South East 0.7 0.7 0.4 0.6 1.0 0.7 0.8 0.6 0.7 0.7 1.0 1.1
LQ vs GB 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.9 0.6 0.8 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.9 1.0
Education
Employees (000s) 4.7 6.7 10.0 7.0 5.3 4.7 1.9 2.7 11.4 28.1 368.7 2,485.4
% of total 6% 9% 5% 6% 5% 6% 6% 7% 8% 7% 10% 9%
% change 2003‐08 ‐7% 10% 31% ‐20% ‐24% ‐7% 8% 28% 2% 4% 10% 7%
LQ vs South East 0.6 0.9 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.7 1.0 0.9
LQ vs GB 0.7 0.9 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 1.1 1.0
Wholesale
trade and
commissioning
Employees (000s) 5.7 4.0 10.2 9.4 3.3 5.7 3.5 1.7 9.6 29.0 183.5 1,114.6
% of total 8% 5% 5% 8% 3% 8% 11% 5% 6% 7% 5% 4%
% change 2003‐08 ‐10% 9% 9% ‐8% ‐44% ‐10% 78% ‐22% ‐3% 9% ‐2% 1%
LQ vs South East 1.5 1.1 1.1 1.6 0.7 1.5 2.3 0.9 1.3 1.5 1.0 0.9
LQ vs GB 1.8 1.3 1.3 1.8 0.8 1.8 2.7 1.1 1.5 1.7 1.2 1.0
Computer
related
activities
Employees (000s) 3.5 5.6 5.4 7.1 7.0 3.5 1.2 1.9 9.1 26.6 144.9 548.6
% of total 5% 7% 3% 6% 7% 5% 4% 5% 6% 7% 4% 2%
% change 2003‐08 ‐2% ‐9% ‐4% 30% 71% ‐2% ‐21% ‐27% ‐6% 3% 17% 14%
LQ vs South East 1.2 1.9 0.7 1.5 1.8 1.2 1.0 1.3 1.6 1.7 1.0 0.5
LQ vs GB 2.2 3.6 1.4 2.8 3.5 2.2 1.8 2.5 2.9 3.3 1.9 1.0
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Table 10‐4: East Berkshire Local Authorities and comparators ‐ Employment by broad industrial sector
Slough Windsor
and M’head Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe
East
Berkshire
Thames
Valley LEP South East GB
Hotels and
restaurants
Employees (000s) 2.7 6.0 13.3 6.6 5.9 2.7 2.7 2.5 8.8 24.3 254.9 1,802.4
% of total 4% 8% 7% 5% 6% 4% 9% 7% 6% 6% 7% 7%
% change 2003‐08 ‐22% 1% 4% ‐6% 12% ‐22% ‐9% ‐12% ‐7% ‐2% 4% 4%
LQ vs South East 0.5 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.9 0.5 1.2 1.0 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.5 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.9 0.5 1.3 1.0 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.0
Post and
telecommunic
ations
Employees (000s) 6.6 1.9 2.6 6.2 4.2 6.6 0.5 0.7 8.5 20.4 71.9 452.0
% of total 9% 3% 1% 5% 4% 9% 1% 2% 6% 5% 2% 2%
% change 2003‐08 45% ‐47% ‐22% 16% ‐31% 45% ‐50% 22% 4% ‐14% ‐14% ‐12%
LQ vs South East 4.5 1.3 0.7 2.6 2.2 4.5 0.8 1.0 2.9 2.7 1.0 0.9
LQ vs GB 5.1 1.5 0.8 3.0 2.5 5.1 0.9 1.1 3.3 3.0 1.1 1.0
Construction
Employees (000s) 3.3 5.0 5.5 4.2 1.9 3.3 1.4 2.5 8.2 15.5 169.6 1,268.8
% of total 4% 7% 3% 3% 2% 4% 5% 7% 5% 4% 5% 5%
% change 2003‐08 43% 80% 0% ‐6% ‐30% 43% 60% 43% 64% 18% 14% 11%
LQ vs South East 1.0 1.5 0.6 0.8 0.4 1.0 1.0 1.5 1.2 0.9 1.0 1.1
LQ vs GB 0.9 1.4 0.6 0.7 0.4 0.9 1.0 1.4 1.1 0.8 0.9 1.0
Recreation,
culture and
sport
Employees (000s) 1.4 3.1 2.1 10.3 2.5 1.4 1.8 1.3 4.4 11.8 108.1 750.8
% of total 2% 4% 1% 9% 3% 2% 6% 4% 3% 3% 3% 3%
% change 2003‐08 36% 6% 11% 45% 19% 36% 16% 19% 14% 28% 11% 7%
LQ vs South East 0.6 1.4 0.4 2.9 0.9 0.6 1.9 1.2 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.6 1.4 0.4 3.0 0.9 0.6 2.0 1.2 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.0
% of employment in all sectors 67% 67% 75% 49% 66% 69% 67% 69% 67% 71% 70% 68%
% change overall 2003 ‐ 8 2% 2% 3% 12% 1% ‐2% 2% 7% ‐8% 2% 1% 3%
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Table 10‐7: East Berkshire Town centres – top ten employment sectors (2 digit SIC)
Slough Town Centre
Slough Trading Estate
Windsor and Eton
M’head Basingstoke
High Wycombe
Hounslow Reading Uxbridge East Berks GB
Other business
activities
Employees (000s) 4.3 2.1 2.1 3.1 3.4 2.5 2.0 10.6 3.9 25.7 3,489.9
% of total 28% 13% 19% 21% 21% 16% 19% 25% 22% 17% 13%
% change 2003‐08 9% ‐21% ‐34% ‐26% 6% ‐64% ‐6% 45% 13% ‐2% 22%
LQ vs South East 2.2 1.0 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.2 1.4 1.9 1.7 1.3 1.0
LQ vs GB 2.2 1.0 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.2 1.4 1.9 1.7 1.3 1.0
Retail trade
Employees (000s) 2.7 0.7 1.7 3.1 2.9 1.7 2.4 7.0 2.4 13.9 2,791.6
% of total 18% 4% 15% 20% 18% 11% 22% 17% 13% 9% 11%
% change 2003‐08 ‐28% 6% ‐18% 53% ‐2% ‐39% ‐11% ‐14% ‐14% 5% ‐5%
LQ vs South East 1.7 0.4 1.4 1.9 1.7 1.0 2.1 1.6 1.3 0.9 1.0
LQ vs GB 1.7 0.4 1.4 1.9 1.7 1.0 2.1 1.6 1.3 0.9 1.0
Health and
social work
Employees (000s) 0.7 0.1 0.3 0.5 0.5 2.7 0.4 1.4 0.3 11.6 3,282.3
% of total 5% 1% 3% 3% 3% 17% 4% 3% 2% 8% 12%
% change 2003‐08 38% 141% ‐39% ‐12% 89% 6% 10% ‐9% ‐22% 18% 11%
LQ vs South East 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.3 1.4 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.6 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.3 1.4 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.6 1.0
Education
Employees (000s) 0.8 0.1 1.0 0.4 0.1 1.7 0.1 0.2 0.6 11.4 2,485.4
% of total 5% 0% 9% 2% 0% 11% 1% 0% 3% 8% 9%
% change 2003‐08 ‐51% ‐66% 5% 54% ‐57% ‐22% ‐77% ‐73% ‐17% 2% 7%
LQ vs South East 0.6 0.0 1.0 0.3 0.0 1.2 0.1 0.0 0.3 0.8 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.6 0.0 1.0 0.3 0.0 1.2 0.1 0.0 0.3 0.8 1.0
Wholesale
trade and
commissioning
Employees (000s) 0.6 2.0 0.3 0.7 0.1 0.4 0.7 0.6 2.3 9.6 1,114.6
% of total 4% 12% 3% 5% 1% 3% 6% 1% 13% 6% 4%
% change 2003‐08 ‐59% ‐10% 11% 46% ‐76% ‐55% 54% ‐47% 69% ‐3% 1%
LQ vs South East 0.9 2.8 0.6 1.2 0.2 0.6 1.5 0.3 3.0 1.5 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.9 2.8 0.6 1.2 0.2 0.6 1.5 0.3 3.0 1.5 1.0
Computer
related
activities
Employees (000s) 0.8 1.1 0.7 1.2 0.6 0.6 0.3 1.2 0.5 9.1 548.6
% of total 5% 7% 7% 8% 3% 4% 3% 3% 3% 6% 2%
% change 2003‐08 ‐6% 7% 3% ‐29% ‐46% 43% ‐21% ‐18% ‐75% ‐6% 14%
LQ vs South East 2.4 3.2 3.2 3.9 1.7 1.9 1.4 1.4 1.4 2.9 1.0
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Table 10‐7: East Berkshire Town centres – top ten employment sectors (2 digit SIC)
Slough Town Centre
Slough Trading Estate
Windsor and Eton
M’head Basingstoke
High Wycombe
Hounslow Reading Uxbridge East Berks GB
LQ vs GB 2.4 3.2 3.2 3.9 1.7 1.9 1.4 1.4 1.4 2.9 1.0
Hotels and
restaurants
Employees (000s) 0.6 0.3 1.7 0.7 0.9 0.9 0.6 2.9 0.7 8.8 1,802.4
% of total 4% 2% 15% 4% 6% 6% 5% 7% 4% 6% 7%
% change 2003‐08 ‐18% ‐18% 15% ‐4% 76% ‐18% ‐9% 14% 43% ‐7% 4%
LQ vs South East 0.6 0.3 2.3 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.8 1.0 0.6 0.9 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.6 0.3 2.3 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.8 1.0 0.6 0.9 1.0
Post and
telecommunic
ations
Employees (000s) 1.4 2.0 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.6 0.3 1.1 0.4 8.5 452.0
% of total 9% 12% 1% 1% 1% 4% 2% 3% 2% 6% 2%
% change 2003‐08 ‐17% 68% ‐28% ‐91% 335% ‐32% 1% ‐62% 258% 4% ‐12%
LQ vs South East 5.5 7.2 0.8 0.9 0.6 2.1 1.4 1.5 1.4 3.3 1.0
LQ vs GB 5.5 7.2 0.8 0.9 0.6 2.1 1.4 1.5 1.4 3.3 1.0
Construction
Employees (000s) 0.6 1.0 0.1 2.0 0.2 0.5 0.0 0.5 0.0 8.2 1,268.8
% of total 4% 6% 1% 13% 1% 3% 0% 1% 0% 5% 5%
% change 2003‐08 179% 66% ‐2% 295% ‐59% 145% ‐81% ‐56% ‐91% 64% 11%
LQ vs South East 0.8 1.2 0.2 2.8 0.2 0.7 0.1 0.2 0.0 1.1 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.8 1.2 0.2 2.8 0.2 0.7 0.1 0.2 0.0 1.1 1.0
Recreation,
culture and
sport
Employees (000s) 0.2 0.1 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.6 0.3 4.4 750.8
% of total 1% 0% 4% 2% 1% 2% 3% 2% 2% 3% 3%
% change 2003‐08 ‐11% ‐14% 75% ‐15% ‐46% 33% 226% ‐15% ‐15% 14% 7%
LQ vs South East 0.5 0.2 1.5 0.8 0.5 0.8 1.1 0.5 0.6 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.5 0.2 1.5 0.8 0.5 0.8 1.1 0.5 0.6 1.0 1.0
% of employment in all sectors 82% 57% 73% 79% 54% 75% 62% 61% 63% 71% 65%
% change overall 2003 ‐ 8 75% ‐7% 57% ‐22% ‐4% ‐27% 2% 331% ‐32% 45% 12%
● East Berkshire LEA ●
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Table 10‐8: Key sectors for East Berkshire Local Authorities
2 digit 4 digit
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead East Berkshire
Number LQ vs GB
% change 2003 – 07
Number LQ vs GB
% change 2003 – 07
Number LQ vs GB
% change 2003 – 07
Other Business Activities
7415 : Management activities of holding companies 831 2.5 2% 1,403 4.3 42% 2,234 3.4 24%
7440 : Advertising 440 1.9 ‐39% 498 2.1 ‐66% 938 2.0 ‐57%
7413 : Market research and public opinion polling 105 0.6 84% 1,468 8.5 ‐43% 1,572 4.5 ‐40%
Retail
5248 : Other retail sale in specialised stores 1,362 1.3 46% 2,744 2.6 178% 4,106 1.9 114%
5211 : Retail sale in non‐specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating
1,894 0.7 ‐5% 1,950 0.7 8% 3,844 0.7 1%
5242 : Retail sale of clothing 831 0.8 ‐21% 932 0.9 ‐17% 1,763 0.8 ‐19%
5246 : Retail sale of hardware, paints and glass 505 1.9 ‐1% 172 0.6 165% 677 1.3 18%
5263 : Other non‐store retail sale 107 1.3 296% 102 1.2 62% 209 1.3 130%
Health and Social Work
8511 : Hospital activities 3,517 0.9 24% 2,170 0.5 ‐4% 5,687 0.7 12%
8532 : Social work activities without accommodation 833 0.4 80% 1,400 0.7 42% 2,233 0.5 54%
8514 : Other human health activities 650 0.6 8% 775 0.8 83% 1,425 0.7 39%
Education 8010 : Primary education 3,103 1.0 103% 2,681 0.9 21% 5,783 0.9 54%
8021 : General secondary education 295 0.2 ‐71% 2,882 1.8 10% 3,177 1.0 ‐12%
Wholesale and Commission
Trade
5146 : Wholesale of pharmaceutical goods 461 2.8 216% 794 4.9 172% 1,255 3.9 187%
5147 : Wholesale of other household goods 600 2.1 14% 670 2.4 50% 1,270 2.3 31%
5187 : Wholesale of other machinery for use in industry, trade and navigation
473 1.6 ‐29% 365 1.3 3% 838 1.4 ‐18%
5184 : Wholesale of computers, computer peripheral equipment and software
461 3.6 ‐46% 331 2.6 ‐7% 792 3.1 ‐34%
5186 : Wholesale of other electronic parts and equipment 569 5.5 42% 198 1.9 ‐19% 767 3.7 19%
Computer and related
7222 : Other software consultancy and supply 2,817 2.7 17% 4,484 4.3 ‐6% 7,301 3.5 2%
7260 : Other computer related activities 465 1.8 ‐9% 849 3.3 ‐1% 1,314 2.6 ‐4%
Post and Telecomms
6420 : Telecommunications 3,638 6.5 21% 1,473 2.6 ‐52% 5,111 4.5 ‐16%
6411 : National post activities 1,856 3.5 167% 353 0.7 4% 2,210 2.1 113%
● East Berkshire LEA ●
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Table 10‐8: Key sectors for East Berkshire Local Authorities
2 digit 4 digit
Slough Windsor and Maidenhead East Berkshire
Number LQ vs GB
% change 2003 – 07
Number LQ vs GB
% change 2003 – 07
Number LQ vs GB
% change 2003 – 07
6412 : Courier activities other than national post activities 1,061 5.5 30% 74 0.4 ‐57% 1,135 3.0 15%
Other high LQ sectors
6340 : Activities of other transport agencies 1,588 8.5 ‐9% 63 0.3 133% 1,650 4.4 ‐7%
1584 : Manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery
1,188 23.3 ‐30% ‐ 0.0 ‐ 1,188 11.7 ‐30%
7310 : Research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering
994 3.2 1% 905 3.0 12% 1,900 3.1 6%
1513 : Production of meat and poultry meat products 945 7.5 ‐ 21 0.2 200% 966 3.8 13700%
2452 : Manufacture of perfumes and toilet preparations 353 9.2 1% 480 12.6 63% 832 10.9 29%
9233 : Fair and amusement park activities ‐ 0.0 ‐ 796 21.2 194% 796 10.6 194%
2430 : Manufacture of paints, varnishes and similar coatings, printing ink and mastics
742 16.0 ‐4% ‐ 0.0 ‐ 742 8.0 ‐4%
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis© Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO
● East Berkshire LEA ●
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Table 10‐9: East Berkshire Local Authorities and comparators ‐ Business Units by broad industrial sector
Slough Windsor
and M’head Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe
East
Berkshire
Thames
Valley LEP South East GB
Banking, finance and insurance,
Business Units 1,750 4,220 3,840 4,080 2,920 2,070 1,460 3,950 5,970 18,290 148,420 817,820
% of total 36% 46% 35% 40% 42% 44% 34% 42% 43% 44% 38% 33%
LQ vs South East 1.0 1.2 0.9 1.1 1.1 1.2 0.9 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.0 0.9
LQ vs GB 1.1 1.4 1.0 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.0 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.0
Distribution, hotels and restaurants
Business Units 1,340 2,070 2,980 2,600 1,860 950 1,060 2,030 3,420 9,450 96,550 664,660
% of total 28% 23% 27% 25% 27% 20% 25% 21% 24% 23% 24% 27%
LQ vs South East 1.1 0.9 1.1 1.0 1.1 0.8 1.0 0.9 1.0 0.9 1.0 1.1
LQ vs GB 1.0 0.8 1.0 0.9 1.0 0.7 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.9 1.0
Other services
Business Units 300 860 750 1,050 460 550 410 870 1,160 3,450 33,460 202,120
% of total 6% 9% 7% 10% 7% 12% 10% 9% 8% 8% 8% 8%
LQ vs South East 0.7 1.1 0.8 1.2 0.8 1.4 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.8 1.1 0.8 1.2 0.8 1.4 1.2 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
Construction
Business Units 360 610 1,220 630 490 440 480 990 970 3,640 42,780 249,460
% of total 7% 7% 11% 6% 7% 9% 11% 10% 7% 9% 11% 10%
LQ vs South East 0.7 0.6 1.0 0.6 0.7 0.9 1.0 1.0 0.6 0.8 1.0 0.9
LQ vs GB 0.7 0.7 1.1 0.6 0.7 0.9 1.1 1.0 0.7 0.9 1.1 1.0
Public admin
Business Units 310 600 690 730 560 280 270 600 900 2,830 32,350 221,130
% of total 6% 7% 6% 7% 8% 6% 6% 6% 6% 7% 8% 9%
LQ vs South East 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.9 1.0 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 1.0 1.1
LQ vs GB 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.9 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.9 1.0
Transport and comms
Business Units 470 320 950 790 260 180 350 300 790 1,830 15,190 104,220
% of total 10% 3% 9% 8% 4% 4% 8% 3% 6% 4% 4% 4%
LQ vs South East 2.5 0.9 2.2 2.0 1.0 1.0 2.1 0.8 1.5 1.1 1.0 1.1
LQ vs GB 2.3 0.8 2.0 1.8 0.9 0.9 1.9 0.7 1.3 1.0 0.9 1.0
Manufacturing
Business Units 270 420 550 400 310 190 220 620 690 2,030 22,480 155,800
% of total 6% 5% 5% 4% 4% 4% 5% 7% 5% 5% 6% 6%
LQ vs South East 1.0 0.8 0.9 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.9 1.2 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.1
LQ vs GB 0.9 0.7 0.8 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.8 1.0 0.8 0.8 0.9 1.0
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO Note: Agriculture and Fishing sectors (SIC A and B)
and Energy and Water (SIC C) have been excluded due to data confidentiality
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 217
Table 10‐10: East Berkshire Local Authorities and comparators ‐ Employment by broad industrial sector
Slough Town Centre
Slough Trading Estate
Windsor and Eton
M’head Basingstoke High Wycombe
Hounslow Reading Uxbridge East Berks GB
Banking, finance and insurance
Business Units 320 270 480 490 250 340 330 720 290 5,970 817,820
% of total 38% 40% 43% 44% 40% 36% 37% 39% 43% 43% 33%
LQ vs East Berks 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.0 0.8
LQ vs GB 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.0
Distribution, hotels and restaurants
Business Units 310 200 400 320 240 320 310 670 240 3,420 664,660
% of total 37% 29% 36% 29% 39% 33% 35% 37% 35% 24% 27%
LQ vs East Berks 1.5 1.2 1.5 1.2 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.0 1.1
LQ vs GB 1.4 1.1 1.3 1.1 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.3 0.9 1.0
Other services Business Units 50 30 80 80 40 70 60 110 50 1,160 202,120
% of total 6% 4% 7% 7% 6% 7% 6% 6% 7% 8% 8%
LQ vs East Berks 0.8 0.5 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.9 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.8 0.5 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.9 1.0 1.0
Construction Business Units 30 30 20 40 20 40 40 50 20 970 249,460
% of total 3% 4% 2% 4% 2% 5% 4% 3% 2% 7% 10%
LQ vs East Berks 0 0.6 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.3 1.0 1.5
LQ vs GB 0 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.7 1.0
Public admin Business Units 80 10 60 80 50 120 80 120 40 900 221,130
% of total 9% 2% 6% 8% 7% 12% 10% 7% 6% 6% 9%
LQ vs East Berks 1.4 0.3 0.9 1.2 1.1 1.9 1.5 1.0 0.9 1.0 1.4
LQ vs GB 1.0 0.2 0.6 0.8 0.8 1.4 1.1 0.7 0.6 0.7 1.0
Transport and communications
Business Units 30 50 30 30 20 30 50 60 30 790 104,220
% of total 4% 7% 3% 3% 3% 3% 6% 3% 4% 6% 4%
LQ vs East Berks 0.7 1.3 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.6 1.0 0.6 0.7 1.0 0.8
LQ vs GB 0.9 1.7 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.8 1.3 0.8 0.9 1.3 1.0
Manufacturing Business Units 20 90 30 60 10 30 20 80 20 690 155,800
% of total 3% 13% 3% 6% 2% 3% 2% 4% 3% 5% 6%
LQ vs East Berks 0.6 2.6 0.6 1.2 0.3 0.6 0.4 0.9 0.6 1.0 1.3
LQ vs GB 0.4 2.0 0.5 0.9 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.7 0.5 0.8 1.0
● East Berkshire LEA ●
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Table 10‐11: East Berkshire Local Authorities and comparators ‐ top ten sectors by 2 digit SIC (2008)
Slough Windsor
and M’head Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe
East
Berkshire
Thames
Valley LEP South East GB
Other business
activities
Business Units 940 2,590 2,160 2,390 1,540 1,270 850 2,410 3,530 10,450 88,400 484,920
% of total 19% 28% 20% 23% 22% 27% 20% 25% 25% 25% 22% 20%
% change 2003‐08 29% 19% 31% 26% 23% 29% 21% 11% 22% 20% 25% 29%
LQ vs South East 0.9 1.3 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.2 0.9 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.0 0.9
LQ vs GB 1.0 1.4 1.0 1.2 1.1 1.4 1.0 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.0
Computer and
related
activities
Business Units 460 930 820 1,020 810 330 350 840 1,390 4,780 27,580 120,140
% of total 10% 10% 7% 10% 12% 7% 8% 9% 10% 11% 7% 5%
% change 2003‐08 18% 3% 11% 24% 12% 18% ‐1% ‐3% 7% 2% 0% 1%
LQ vs South East 1.4 1.5 1.1 1.4 1.7 1.0 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.6 1.0 0.7
LQ vs GB 1.9 2.1 1.5 2.0 2.4 1.4 1.7 1.8 2.0 2.3 1.4 1.0
Retail Trade
Business Units 520 870 1,240 1,030 840 380 450 780 1,390 3,740 39,980 287,380
% of total 11% 10% 11% 10% 12% 8% 11% 8% 10% 9% 10% 12%
% change 2003‐08 2% 5% 3% 11% 10% 2% 15% ‐2% 4% 5% 2% ‐1%
LQ vs South East 1.1 0.9 1.1 1.0 1.2 0.8 1.0 0.8 1.0 0.9 1.0 1.2
LQ vs GB 0.9 0.8 1.0 0.9 1.0 0.7 0.9 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.9 1.0
Construction
Business Units 360 610 1,220 630 490 440 480 990 970 3,640 42,780 249,460
% of total 7% 7% 11% 6% 7% 9% 11% 10% 7% 9% 11% 10%
% change 2003‐08 16% 14% 17% 36% 4% 16% 17% 14% 15% 15% 20% 24%
LQ vs South East 0.7 0.6 1.0 0.6 0.7 0.9 1.0 1.0 0.6 0.8 1.0 0.9
LQ vs GB 0.7 0.7 1.1 0.6 0.7 0.9 1.1 1.0 0.7 0.9 1.1 1.0
Hotels and
Restaurants
Business Units 290 600 730 640 550 240 260 420 890 2,440 25,260 172,990
% of total 6% 7% 7% 6% 8% 5% 6% 4% 6% 6% 6% 7%
% change 2003‐08 13% 12% 8% 21% 23% 13% 11% 1% 13% 15% 14% 9%
LQ vs South East 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.2 0.8 1.0 0.7 1.0 0.9 1.0 1.1
LQ vs GB 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.1 0.7 0.9 0.6 0.9 0.8 0.9 1.0
Wholesale and
commission
trade
Business Units 340 420 680 680 280 200 190 550 760 2,100 18,800 124,060
% of total 7% 5% 6% 7% 4% 4% 4% 6% 5% 5% 5% 5%
% change 2003‐08 5% ‐1% ‐1% ‐3% ‐17% 5% 10% 2% 2% ‐4% ‐2% ‐4%
LQ vs South East 1.5 1.0 1.3 1.4 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.1
LQ vs GB 1.4 0.9 1.2 1.3 0.8 0.8 0.9 1.1 1.1 1.0 0.9 1.0
● East Berkshire LEA ●
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Table 10‐11: East Berkshire Local Authorities and comparators ‐ top ten sectors by 2 digit SIC (2008)
Slough Windsor
and M’head Hillingdon Hounslow Reading South Bucks Spelthorne Wycombe
East
Berkshire
Thames
Valley LEP South East GB
Real Estate
Activities
Business Units 190 460 530 420 310 340 160 440 650 1,860 20,060 129,750
% of total 4% 5% 5% 4% 4% 7% 4% 5% 5% 4% 5% 5%
% change 2003‐08 70% 17% 44% 32% 10% 70% 34% 27% 29% 20% 31% 33%
LQ vs South East 0.8 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.9 1.4 0.7 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.7 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.8 1.4 0.7 0.9 0.9 0.8 1.0 1.0
Health and
Social Work
Business Units 190 340 420 480 350 170 160 360 530 1,680 20,200 136,400
% of total 4% 4% 4% 5% 5% 4% 4% 4% 4% 4% 5% 6%
% change 2003‐08 53% 29% 37% 38% 24% 53% 42% 35% 37% 28% 27% 28%
LQ vs South East 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.9 1.0 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.8 1.0 1.1
LQ vs GB 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.9 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.9 1.0
Other Service
activities
Business Units 130 380 340 320 200 200 180 390 510 1,520 14,530 76,510
% of total 3% 4% 3% 3% 3% 4% 4% 4% 4% 4% 4% 3%
% change 2003‐08 ‐28% ‐17% ‐11% ‐9% ‐21% ‐28% ‐16% ‐19% ‐20% ‐19% ‐13% ‐9%
LQ vs South East 0.7 1.1 0.8 0.8 0.8 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.9
LQ vs GB 0.9 1.3 1.0 1.0 0.9 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.0
Recreation,
culture and
sport
Business Units 120 390 310 660 160 310 190 390 510 1,460 14,550 93,750
% of total 2% 4% 3% 6% 2% 7% 4% 4% 4% 3% 4% 4%
% change 2003‐08 6% 5% 1% 0% ‐2% 6% ‐1% 11% 5% 4% 7% 5%
LQ vs South East 0.7 1.2 0.8 1.7 0.6 1.8 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.9 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.6 1.1 0.7 1.7 0.6 1.7 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.9 1.0 1.0
% of overall businesses 20% 28% 20% 23% 22% 27% 20% 26% 25% 25% 22% 20%
% change overall 2003 ‐ 8 9% 9% 9% 12% 8% 9% 11% 4% 9% 8% 11% 11%
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 220
Table 10‐12: East Berkshire Town centres and comparators ‐ top ten sectors by 2 digit SIC (2008)
Slough Town Centre
Slough Trading Estate
Windsor and Eaton
M’head Basingstoke High Wycombe
Hounslow Reading Uxbridge East Berks GB
Other business activities
Business Units 180 2,120 290 290 130 180 170 390 200 3,530 484,920
% of total 21% 313% 26% 26% 21% 19% 19% 21% 29% 25% 20%
% change 2003‐08 30% 14% 15% 5% 14% ‐9% 31% 18% 114% 22% 29%
LQ vs South East 1.1 15.8 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.5 1.3 1.0
LQ vs GB 1.1 15.8 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.5 1.3 1.0
Computer and related activities
Business Units 50 70 100 110 40 50 80 150 30 1,390 120,140
% of total 6% 10% 9% 10% 6% 5% 9% 8% 4% 10% 5%
% change 2003‐08 ‐10% 5% 2% 11% 36% ‐8% 44% 29% ‐11% 7% 1%
LQ vs South East 1.2 2.1 1.8 2.0 1.3 1.1 1.8 1.7 0.9 2.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 1.2 2.1 1.8 2.0 1.3 1.1 1.8 1.7 0.9 2.0 1.0
Retail trade Business Units 180 40 220 170 160 190 190 370 150 1,390 287,380
% of total 21% 6% 20% 15% 26% 20% 22% 20% 22% 10% 12%
% change 2003‐08 5% 29% 0% 4% 10% ‐4% 3% 2% ‐1% 4% ‐1%
LQ vs South East 1.8 0.5 1.7 1.3 2.2 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.9 0.8 1.0
LQ vs GB 1.8 0.5 1.7 1.3 2.2 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.9 0.8 1.0
Construction
Business Units 30 30 20 40 20 40 40 50 20 970 249,460
% of total 4% 4% 2% 4% 3% 4% 5% 3% 3% 7% 10%
% change 2003‐08 ‐10% 0% 50% 78% 7% 43% 32% 10% ‐43% 15% 24%
LQ vs South East 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.7 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.7 1.0
Hotels and restaurants
Business Units 70 30 130 70 70 80 60 220 60 890 172,990
% of total 8% 4% 12% 6% 11% 9% 7% 12% 9% 6% 7%
% change 2003‐08 25% ‐4% 7% 0% 76% 7% 5% 26% 19% 13% 9%
LQ vs South East 1.2 0.6 1.6 0.9 1.6 1.2 1.0 1.7 1.2 0.9 1.0
LQ vs GB 1.2 0.6 1.6 0.9 1.6 1.2 1.0 1.7 1.2 0.9 1.0
Wholesale Business Units 40 90 40 60 10 30 50 50 30 760 124,060
% of total 5% 13% 4% 5% 2% 3% 6% 3% 4% 5% 5%
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 221
Table 10‐12: East Berkshire Town centres and comparators ‐ top ten sectors by 2 digit SIC (2008)
Slough Town Centre
Slough Trading Estate
Windsor and Eaton
M’head Basingstoke High Wycombe
Hounslow Reading Uxbridge East Berks GB
and commission trade
% change 2003‐08 2% ‐6% ‐9% 13% 0% ‐35% ‐21% ‐31% ‐28% 2% ‐4%
LQ vs South East 0.9 2.6 0.7 1.1 0.3 0.6 1.1 0.5 0.9 1.1 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.9 2.6 0.7 1.1 0.3 0.6 1.1 0.5 0.9 1.1 1.0
Real estate activities
Business Units 50 40 60 60 30 60 40 80 30 650 129,750
% of total 6% 6% 5% 5% 5% 6% 5% 4% 4% 5% 5%
% change 2003‐08 36% 100% 8% 10% 24% ‐14% 13% 32% 7% 29% 33%
LQ vs South East 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.0 0.9 1.2 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.9 1.0
LQ vs GB 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.0 0.9 1.2 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.9 1.0
Health and social work
Business Units 40 10 40 60 30 60 60 80 20 530 136,400
% of total 5% 1% 4% 5% 5% 6% 7% 4% 3% 4% 6%
% change 2003‐08 57% 200% 14% 40% 37% 38% 32% 33% ‐6% 37% 28%
LQ vs South East 0.8 0.3 0.6 1.0 0.9 1.1 1.2 0.8 0.5 0.7 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.8 0.3 0.6 1.0 0.9 1.1 1.2 0.8 0.5 0.7 1.0
Other service activities
Business Units 20 10 40 40 20 20 30 50 20 510 76,510
% of total 2% 1% 4% 4% 3% 2% 3% 3% 3% 4% 3%
% change 2003‐08 ‐29% ‐33% ‐26% ‐16% ‐9% ‐32% ‐22% ‐25% 0% ‐20% ‐9%
LQ vs South East 0.8 0.5 1.1 1.1 1.0 0.7 1.1 0.9 0.9 1.2 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.8 0.5 1.1 1.1 1.0 0.7 1.1 0.9 0.9 1.2 1.0
Recreational, cultural and sporting
Business Units 20 10 30 30 10 40 30 40 20 510 93,750
% of total 2% 1% 3% 3% 2% 4% 3% 2% 3% 4% 4%
% change 2003‐08 41% 13% 24% ‐17% 40% 32% 47% ‐8% 20% 5% 5%
LQ vs South East 0.6 0.4 0.7 0.7 0.4 1.1 0.9 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.0
LQ vs GB 0.6 0.4 0.7 0.7 0.4 1.1 0.9 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.0
% of overall businesses 78% 360% 84% 81% 82% 75% 82% 79% 82% 76% 73%
% change overall 2003 ‐ 8 7% 68% 75% 12% ‐60% ‐12% ‐8% ‐5% 29% 2% 0%
● East Berkshire LEA ●
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Table 10‐13: Key sectors for East Berkshire Local Authorities
2 digit 4 digit Slough Windsor and Maidenhead East Berkshire
Number LQ vs GB
% change 2003 – 07
Number LQ vs GB % change 2003 – 07
Number LQ vs GB
% change 2003 – 07
Other Business Activities
7414 : Business and management consultancy activities 182 0.8 96% 876 2.0 35% 1,058 1.6 42%
7487 : Other business activities not elsewhere classified 230 1.0 26% 616 1.4 16% 846 1.3 19%
7450 : Labour recruitment and provision of personnel 116 2.4 23% 190 2.1 33% 306 2.2 29%
7412 : Accounting, book‐keeping auditing, tax consultancy 78 1.2 37% 165 1.3 0% 243 1.2 9%
7415 : Management activities of holding companies 61 2.9 53% 55 1.4 17% 116 1.9 33%
7440 : Advertising ~ ~ ~ 87 1.7 4% 104 1.3 0%
7460 : Investigation and security activities 26 1.3 63% 45 1.2 125% 71 1.2 97%
7413 : Market research and public opinion polling ~ ~ ~ 29 2.3 ‐6% 43 2.2 5%
Computer and Related Activities
7222 : Other software consultancy and supply 337 2.2 42% 634 2.2 14% 971 2.2 22%
7260 : Other computer related activities 85 1.5 ‐14% 207 1.9 ‐11% 292 1.8 ‐12%
7210 : Hardware consultancy 24 1.9 33% 37 1.6 0% 61 1.7 11%
7221 : Publishing of software ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 22 1.5 ‐48%
Retail trade 5248 : Other retail sale in specialised stores 110 0.8 4% 256 1.0 18% 366 1.0 13%
5211 : non‐specialist; food, beverages tobacco predominating
87 1.0 13% 90 0.6 7% 177 0.7 10%
5242 : Retail sale of clothing 47 0.8 ‐4% 104 1.0 ‐4% 151 0.9 ‐4%
Construction 4521 : General construction of buildings, civil engineering 80 0.6 ‐2% 188 0.7 ‐13% 268 0.7 ‐10%
4531 : Installation of electrical wiring and fittings 52 0.8 8% 83 0.7 14% 135 0.7 12%
Hotels and Restaurants
5530 : Restaurants 114 0.8 7% 229 0.9 2% 343 0.9 4%
5552 : Catering 111 2.4 63% 144 1.6 89% 255 1.9 77%
5540 : Bars 40 0.4 ‐25% 168 0.8 2% 208 0.6 ‐5%
Wholesale and commission
5190 : Other wholesale 57 1.7 16% 59 0.9 ‐14% 116 1.2 ‐2%
5147 : Wholesale of other household goods 27 1.3 ‐4% 48 1.2 23% 75 1.3 12%
5186 : Wholesale of other electronic parts and equipment 24 3.8 50% 17 1.4 21% 41 2.3 37%
Real Estate Activities
7020 : Letting of own property 64 0.6 78% 153 0.8 33% 217 0.8 44%
7011 : Development and selling of real estate 51 0.7 65% 146 1.0 ‐4% 197 0.9 8%
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 223
Other high LQ activities
6024 : Freight transport by road 105 1.6 ‐9% 65 0.5 5% 170 0.9 ‐4%
6340 : Activities of other transport agencies 92 9.0 ‐12% 22 1.1 38% 114 3.8 ‐5%
6412 : Courier activities other than national post activities 92 4.1 44% 28 0.7 ‐10% 120 1.9 26%
6340 : Activities of other transport agencies 92 9.0 ‐12% 22 1.1 38% 114 3.8 ‐5%
6022 : Taxi operation 41 2.8 14% 45 1.6 41% 86 2.0 26%
6420 : Telecommunications 43 2.5 ‐10% 34 1.1 ‐15% 77 1.6 ‐13%
7310 : Research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering
~ ~ ~ 28 1.9 65% 42 1.9 35%
Source: Annual Business Inquiry Workplace Analysis. ONS Nomis© Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the controller of HMSO
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 224
Figure 10‐1: Change in IT and Software employment 2003‐2008
Source: Annual Business Inquiry. ONS Nomis (www.nomisweb.co.uk) © Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the
permission of the controller of HMSO. Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance
Survey on behalf of the controller of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 225
Appendix B : Town Centre Definitions
Town Centre Definition: Windsor and Eton
Source: Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller
of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
Town Centre Definition: Maidenhead
Source: Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller
of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 226
Town Centre Definition: Sough Trading Estate
Source: Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller
of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
Town Centre Definition: Slough
Source: Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller
of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 227
Town Centre Definition: Uxbridge
Source: Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller
of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
Town Centre Definition: Reading
Source: Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller
of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 228
Town Centre Definition: High Wycombe
Source: Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller
of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
Town Centre Definition: Hounslow
Source: Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller
of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 229
Town Centre Definition: Basingstoke
Source: Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller
of HMSO © Crown Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 10001998
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 230
Appendix C : Consultation Summary
1. In order to inform the East Berkshire LEA, we have consulted with the following individuals.
Name Organisation
Local Authority Contact
Ruth Bagley Chief Exec, Slough Borough Council
Cllr Rob Anderson Leader of the Council, Slough Borough Council
Cllr Fiza Matloob Cabinet Commissioner for opportunity and skills, Slough Borough Council
Paul Stimpson Head of Planning, Policy and projects, Slough Borough Council
Gillian Ralphs Assistant Director Transport and Planning, Slough Borough Council
Philip Wright Head of Lifelong Learning, Slough Borough Council
Sam Hussain Enterprise and Employment Manager
Ian Trenholm (PA Debra Reading)
CEO, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
David Oram (PA Jane Poirrera
Deputy CE, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
Tim Slaney PA Christine Sherwood, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
Julia White Visitor Manager, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
Johanna Wattts Grow our own manager, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
Zena Chittenden Family & Community Learning Manager, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
Paul Roach Windsor Town Centre Manager, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
Steph James Maidenhead Town Centre Manager, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
Councillor David Hilton Council rep at BESB, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
Councillor Richard Kellaway
Lead member for finance & ED, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
External Partners
Neil Impiazzi SEGRO ‐ Partnerships Development Manager
Paul Lewis SEGRO
David Drummond SEGRO
Paul Britton Deputy Head External Affairs, Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce
Jo Wright Kinnarps but also Chair of the area committee at Thames Valley Chamber
Linda Evans JCP ‐ Berkshire East Partnership Manager
Kate Webb East Berkshire College
Ramesh Kukar Slough Council for Voluntary Services
MP Fiona Mactaggart Assistant Ray Smith, Slough Borough Council
Mayuri Naker Wycombe District Council
Helen Webster London Borough of Hillingdon
● East Berkshire LEA ●
Page 231
Keith Mcgroary Spelthorne District Council
Naveed Mohammed LSP ‐ Slough Borough Council
Claire Prosser in place of Gavin Spencer
Thames Valley Area Chamber Committee
Bob Jones Slough Business Community Partnership
David Knowles‐Leak FSB
David Jessy President Windsor Chamber of Commerce
Businesses
Simon Hall General Manager Holiday Inn
Dan Eastmond Firestation Arts Centre
Nick Long Windsor Pub Company
Nick Day Crown Estate
Janet Tregurtha The Christopher Hotel Eton
John Blake head of sales and marketing Ascot Racecourse
Sue Watts Windsor Royal Shopping Centre
Martin Miranda King Edward Court Centre Manager
Cliff Jackson Lambert Smith Hampton (3rd March)
Gregg Skyrme Centrica
Alistair Warwick Ascot Racecourse
Jane Wright Nicholson's Shopping Centre
Richard Day Honda UK
Paul Moran LG Electronics
Nina Kataria Lonza Biologics plc
Regeneris Consulting Ltd
London Office 70 Cowcross Street London, EC1M 6EJ Tel: 0207 608 7200 Email: [email protected] Manchester Office One Ashley Road Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 2DT Tel: 0161 926 9214 Email: [email protected]
Web: www.regeneris.co.uk