South West Observatory
Encyclopedia
The South West Observatory (SWO) is a regional resource for the South West of England, originally established by the South West Regional Development Agency (RDA), Government Office for the South West and the former South West Regional Assembly
(now South West Councils
) as a partnership for use by policy-makers to aide and improve evidence-based decision-making. The South West Observatory is one of seven Regional Observatories operating in the English regions. Not all Observatories operate in the same way and are at different stages of development .
, Somerset
. The South West Observatory works with a broad range of regional and national partners on many issues.
Modules - There are currently six modules working within the South West Observatory. The Modules cover Economy, Environment, Planning Planning, Public Health, http://www.swslim.org.uk/Skills and Learning / Marchmont Observatory
and Culture. The structure of the individual modules differs between each, as does their sources of funding.
Local Intelligence Networks - There are currently nine Local Intelligence Networks (LINs) involved in South West Observatory activities. They are based within the local authorities covering Cornwall
, Plymouth
, Devon
, Torbay
, Dorset
, Somerset
, West of England (Bristol
, Bath and North East Somerset
), Gloucestershire
and Wiltshire
.
The South West Observatory also works within a wider network of regional agencies, government departments and academics. This includes the Office for National Statistics
(ONS) Regional Presence.
, the South West Regional Development Agency, the South West Learning and Skills Module, South West Councils, the Environment Agency
, the South West Public Health Observatory, the Home Office
South West and the South West Culture Module. The report has been given a light-touch review by academics in the region for the first time this year. It is supplemented with information from the South West Observatory Local Intelligence Networks.
The most recent State of the South West 2010 was launched in Bath on Wednesday 31 March 2010 to coincide with the South West Observatory Annual Conference. This highlighted that despite regional difference, masking pockets of deprivation , the region generally performs well in terms of its prosperity .
Key Statistics
- Although the region has a relatively low population, its population is growing at a faster rate than anywhere else in the country. The number of households in the South West is projected to show further significant increases, in particular among one-person households and households made up of people over 65.
- In terms of employment, 2.5 million people (81.9%) in the region are classified as ‘economically active’ – the second highest percentage in the country after the South East
.
- Whilst the UK economy appears to have returned to growth for the first quarter of 2009, the report underlines that the recovery is expected to be constrained by financial pressures, including unemployment and fiscal tightening, impacting on all areas of life. The South West’s Index of Sustainable Economic Wellbeing (ISEW), which looks at a broader measure of performance than GVA
/GDP, was higher than any other region.
- The demand for housing in the region has increased faster than the national average, which has placed significant pressure on local authorities. Key issues relating to housing continue to be high rates of second ownership and affordability. 35,360 affordable dwellings were provided between 2001/02 – 2009/09.
- Referred to as ‘the healthiest region in England’, the South West has a higher-than-average life expectancy (83 years for women; 79 years for men) and lower-than-average mortality rates from major causes.
- In the environment, the annual daily mean temperature in the region has increased by 1.4 degrees Celsius between 1961 and 2006. The Environment Chapter within the report also points out that 218,000 properties are at risk of flooding in the region.
- On crime, the South West is one of the safest regions in the country in terms of crime and perceived levels of anti-social behaviour, although there is significant variation across and within the region. Similarly, in comparison to other regions, the South West has relatively low levels of deprivation, strong communities and high civic participation, although this masks pockets of severe deprivation in particular areas, as well as entrenched levels of unemployment and poor access to services – particularly in the most rural areas.
- Due to its location, the South West continues to be a travel intensive region, with the average person travelling 10% in excess of the national average. Rail patronage has increased by three-quarters since 1995/96, whilst levels of walking and cycling are above the national average. Of particular note, air travel from the region continues to grow at a rate much faster than average.
- Outside of London and the South East, the South West is the most popular tourist destination and despite recession and the spread of swine flu (both expected to hamper visitor numbers) 2009 recorded 20% more tourists to the region. Culturally, the region benefits from thriving creative industries which have helped employment within the sector rise from 262,900 in 2003 to 274,000 in 2007.
Regional Assemblies in England
The Regional Assemblies of England were a group of indirectly elected regional bodies established originally under the name Regional Chambers by the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. They were abolished on 31 March 2010 and replaced by Local Authority Leaders’ Boards...
(now South West Councils
South West Councils
South West Councils is an association of council leaders from the South West region of England. It was established in April 2010 following the abolition of the South West Regional Assembly....
) as a partnership for use by policy-makers to aide and improve evidence-based decision-making. The South West Observatory is one of seven Regional Observatories operating in the English regions. Not all Observatories operate in the same way and are at different stages of development .
South West Observatory structure and funding
The South West Observatory is a network of analysts working together at the regional and sub-regional levels to provide timely and accurate information about the region. The South West Observatory network comprises Thematic Modules which cover various cross-cutting policy themes and Local Intelligence Networks (LINs) which focus on specific geographies. The South West Observatory's structure differs from that of other Regional Observatories. At the centre of the South West Observatory is a Core Unit which coordinates and facilitates network activity. This is based in TauntonTaunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. The South West Observatory works with a broad range of regional and national partners on many issues.
Modules - There are currently six modules working within the South West Observatory. The Modules cover Economy, Environment, Planning Planning, Public Health, http://www.swslim.org.uk/Skills and Learning / Marchmont Observatory
Marchmont Observatory
The Marchmont Observatory conducts academic research in support of local government policy formation in the field of skills, employment and lifelong learning through good practice capture and dissemination, networking, the development of learning programmes and action based research.Established by...
and Culture. The structure of the individual modules differs between each, as does their sources of funding.
Local Intelligence Networks - There are currently nine Local Intelligence Networks (LINs) involved in South West Observatory activities. They are based within the local authorities covering Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, Torbay
Torbay
Torbay is an east-facing bay and natural harbour, at the western most end of Lyme Bay in the south-west of England, situated roughly midway between the cities of Exeter and Plymouth. Part of the ceremonial county of Devon, Torbay was made a unitary authority on 1 April 1998...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, West of England (Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, Bath and North East Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
), Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
and Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
The South West Observatory also works within a wider network of regional agencies, government departments and academics. This includes the Office for National Statistics
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
(ONS) Regional Presence.
Key publications
Every year the South West Observatory produces a 'State of the South West' report. Published online annually and as a hard copy every three years, this report details the facts and figures behind life in the South West and is compiled of contributions from contributions from the Government Office for the South WestGovernment Office
Government Offices for the English Regions were established in 1994 by the John Major administration. Until 2011, they were the primary means by which a wide range of policies and programmes of the Government of the United Kingdom were delivered in the regions of England.There were Government...
, the South West Regional Development Agency, the South West Learning and Skills Module, South West Councils, the Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
, the South West Public Health Observatory, the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
South West and the South West Culture Module. The report has been given a light-touch review by academics in the region for the first time this year. It is supplemented with information from the South West Observatory Local Intelligence Networks.
The most recent State of the South West 2010 was launched in Bath on Wednesday 31 March 2010 to coincide with the South West Observatory Annual Conference. This highlighted that despite regional difference, masking pockets of deprivation , the region generally performs well in terms of its prosperity .
Key Statistics
- Although the region has a relatively low population, its population is growing at a faster rate than anywhere else in the country. The number of households in the South West is projected to show further significant increases, in particular among one-person households and households made up of people over 65.
- In terms of employment, 2.5 million people (81.9%) in the region are classified as ‘economically active’ – the second highest percentage in the country after the South East
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
.
- Whilst the UK economy appears to have returned to growth for the first quarter of 2009, the report underlines that the recovery is expected to be constrained by financial pressures, including unemployment and fiscal tightening, impacting on all areas of life. The South West’s Index of Sustainable Economic Wellbeing (ISEW), which looks at a broader measure of performance than GVA
Gross value added
Gross Value Added ' is a measure in economics of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry or sector of an economy...
/GDP, was higher than any other region.
- The demand for housing in the region has increased faster than the national average, which has placed significant pressure on local authorities. Key issues relating to housing continue to be high rates of second ownership and affordability. 35,360 affordable dwellings were provided between 2001/02 – 2009/09.
- Referred to as ‘the healthiest region in England’, the South West has a higher-than-average life expectancy (83 years for women; 79 years for men) and lower-than-average mortality rates from major causes.
- In the environment, the annual daily mean temperature in the region has increased by 1.4 degrees Celsius between 1961 and 2006. The Environment Chapter within the report also points out that 218,000 properties are at risk of flooding in the region.
- On crime, the South West is one of the safest regions in the country in terms of crime and perceived levels of anti-social behaviour, although there is significant variation across and within the region. Similarly, in comparison to other regions, the South West has relatively low levels of deprivation, strong communities and high civic participation, although this masks pockets of severe deprivation in particular areas, as well as entrenched levels of unemployment and poor access to services – particularly in the most rural areas.
- Due to its location, the South West continues to be a travel intensive region, with the average person travelling 10% in excess of the national average. Rail patronage has increased by three-quarters since 1995/96, whilst levels of walking and cycling are above the national average. Of particular note, air travel from the region continues to grow at a rate much faster than average.
- Outside of London and the South East, the South West is the most popular tourist destination and despite recession and the spread of swine flu (both expected to hamper visitor numbers) 2009 recorded 20% more tourists to the region. Culturally, the region benefits from thriving creative industries which have helped employment within the sector rise from 262,900 in 2003 to 274,000 in 2007.