Observatory (Archive)

The Observatory opens the window to a statistical view of rural life. It provides analyses and comment on key service provision and issues affecting rural communities.

 ECONOMY 

The Observatory section on the Economy looks at all elements of the rural economy such as employment, small businesses and wage levels to build a picture of the impact on rural communities.

 HOUSING

Balancing the housing market, improving the quality of housing stock, and enabling the provision of affordable housing are all key issues which concern rural local authorities. These are often topical issues and the Housing section of the Observatory considers what the data available can tell us about the position in rural communities, and what challenges rural communities might face in the future.

 ENVIRONMENT

Both rural and uban environments face similar challenges with issues such as flooding, flytipping however the implications of these issues can be significant in rural areas where the cost of dealing with them is significantly higher per incident. Delivering waste management services to rural communities also has significant challenges in terms of cost and logistics and analysis on these issues and other environmental concerns are included in this section.

 HEALTH, WELLBEING & SOCIAL SERVICES

A civilized society is one in which health and wellbeing are promoted, and care is provided to those requiring help or assistance to live a full and productive life. The benefits of a healthy community are measurable both in terms of economy and the relative levels of happiness and fulfillment experienced. Likewise, the negative impact of health inequality is also a measurable factor in the wellbeing of a community. This section of the Observatory takes a look at the indicators of health, wellbeing, and the functions of social services to provide a perspective on how rural communities fare in these measures.

 LEARNING, SKILLS & EDUCATION 

The mission of the Department for Education is to develop a highly educated society in which opportunity is more equal for children and young people no matter what their background or family cirumstance. This section of the Observatory investigates whether these opportunities extend to children and young people from rural England.

 LOCAL SERVICES 

What makes our rural communities sustainable and vibrant? At the heart of our communities are elements such as access to services, healthcare, education, shops and community facilities. This section includes analysis in these areas.

 TRAVEL & TRANSPORT

Transport, travel and the associated infrastructure required to move about an area are particularly important to those living in rural isolation to access services, education/training and employment. The Travel and Transport section of the Observatory presents data that shows the reality of rural life and rural service provision.

 EMERGENCY SERVICES  

Emergency services provision including fire and rescue services, face particular challenges in their rural communities that can be quite different to their neighbouring urban communities. This section of the Observatory includes data on these issues and also considers community safety and related issues for rural communities.

 ENGLISH INDICES OF DEPRIVATION 

The English indices of deprivation 2015 were published in September 2015, and measure the relative deprivation of small areas in England. Details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2015
Statistics on relative deprivation in England are given in this section.

Hot Topics
Apprenticeship Programme Participation

20 Apr 2016

Apprenticeship Programme Participation

Apprenticeships provide an important route into skilled employment, and as such are an important factor driving an areas economy. This analysis provides a picture of apprenticeship programme participation for a...

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A Brief Look at Housing

04 Feb 2016

A Brief Look at Housing

The provision of affordable housing in rural areas is an issue that has many implications for the future of communities. As such, the analysis ‘A Brief Look at Housing’ uses...

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Economic activity of households

13 Nov 2015

Economic activity of households

This analysis provides a view over time (2010 to 2014) of the economic activity of households within a local authority area of your choice. – Analysis of economic activity of...

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Proportion and number of employee jobs paid less than the living wage, 2014

15 Oct 2015

Proportion and number of employee jobs paid less than the living wage, 2014

The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK. The following analysis looks at the proportion of employee jobs paid less than the living...

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UK Regular Forces Personnel in Rural Areas

15 Oct 2015

UK Regular Forces Personnel in Rural Areas

A brief look at the location of UK regular forces personnel and their importance to rural communities – for the analysis click here

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Income deprivation by settlement rurality

15 Jul 2015

Income deprivation by settlement rurality

When looking at the social mix of people living in the most rural settlements, there is a strong feeling among many that the needs of the poorest are not being...

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Road Length Quick Lookup

02 Jun 2015

Road Length Quick Lookup

The below spreadsheet provides for your convenience a quick lookup of road length by road type in your local authority and region. – Road Length Quick Lookup Analysis– Analysis User...

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Analysis of Pupil Absence in Schools

29 May 2015

Analysis of Pupil Absence in Schools

Absence from school can have a profound effect on a pupils academic progress and career prospects later in life. To get a better understanding of the situation in your local...

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Active People Survey Analysis 8

10 Feb 2015

Active People Survey Analysis 8

The Active People Survey tracks the number of people taking part in sport at region, county sport partnership and local authority level.  We have used the results from the ASP8...

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The labour market in your area

29 Jan 2015

The labour market in your area

Employment is crucial for any successful local economy.  As such, the below analysis takes a look at a selection of key employment statistics from the Office for National Statistics. Analysis of...

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