The local context
Overview of the area
The County of Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton has a central position with good communications by rail and road – much of southern and central England is within a three-hour drive and fast frequent train services mean that London is less than an hour away. Major international airports at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and Birmingham are all easily accessible.
Below is a map of southern Britain, showing places within a three-hour driving distance of Bedfordshire and Luton; the main road network; and airports.
In 1997 Bedfordshire’s largest town, Luton, became a unitary local authority. Overall, Bedfordshire and Luton has a population of about 572,400 and covers an area of 1,274 square kilometres. The area includes several fine market towns including Ampthill, Biggleswade, Woburn and Leighton Buzzard. There are many areas of outstanding natural beauty and attractions which include stately homes and gardens, woodland walks and nature reserves, country parks and world-famous animal parks.
Bedfordshire and Luton has:
- 225,393 domestic properties
- 15,895 non-domestic buildings
- 3,453 listed buildings
- 207 ancient monuments
- 360 schools
- 22 leisure centres
- 312 residential/nursing homes
- 1,645 licensed premises
- 2,003 fire-certificated premises
- 8,639 non-certificated premises
- 2 major shopping centres – the Harpur Centre in Bedford itself and the Arndale in Luton
- several purpose-built retail parks.
Community Colleges and Colleges of Further Education in the main towns provide opportunities for training for adults. Institutes of Higher Education in the County include the world renowned Cranfield Institute, the University of Luton and University of Bedfordshire.
Social factors
We can use some figures from the 2001 census to give a snapshot of the county. Some of the data mentioned below relate to both Bedfordshire County and Luton Borough, though others come from one area only.
Population density
Population density (residents per km2) is 4,279 for
Luton, which is the highest for a unitary authority
area in the East of England region and the third
highest in England after London. In contrast,
Bedfordshire has 329 people per square kilometre.
Residents
Luton has an even split of men to women whereas
the east of England and national figures reflect
slightly more women than men.
Age profiles show a higher than average proportion
of 0-15 years olds (23.5%), lower than average of
16-74 year olds (71.4%), and lower than average of
75+ (5.1%).
Health
Fewer people in Bedfordshire and Luton feel their
health is “not good”, compared to the national
average. Local authorities in the area continue to
promote healthier living.
Disability
| All claimants | Higher rate care claimants | |
|---|---|---|
| Bedford | 4,990 | 1,190 |
| Luton | 6,290 | 1,550 |
The table (above) shows the number of Disability Living Allowance claimants for 2003.
Ethnicity
Luton has a high percentage of ethnic minorities
(28.1% in total) in comparison to the east of
England and national figures. Luton is included in
the figures for the whole of Bedfordshire in the
1991 census.
Religion
| All people | Christian | Buddhist | Hindu | Jewish | Muslim | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luton | 184,371 | 109,973 | 456 | 5,025 | 534 | 26,963 |
| Bedford | 147,911 | 101,720 | 355 | 2,567 | 180 | 4,803 |
Education and qualification
The percentage of people within Luton with no
qualifications is higher than the national average
and the east of England (31.3%, 29.1% and 27.9%
respectively).
Migration
4.2% of all residents have moved into Luton and
4% have moved out. 0.9% of those moving into
Luton have come from outside the UK whereas
3.3% have moved from other areas in the UK.
Household composition
Single-person households (including pensioners
and lone parents) account for 39.2% of
households. In line with national trends these
numbers are increasing.
Tenure
Owner-occupier percentages in Luton (70.8%) are
lower than the average for the county (75.33%) but
higher than the national average (68.9%).
The percentage of rented accommodation in Luton
is also higher than the county average. Council or
housing association property accounts for 16.4%
of total houses. This is lower than the national
average of 19.1%.
Correspondingly, the proportion of privately rented accommodation in Luton is higher than the County or national averages, at 10.6% as opposed to the east of England percentage of 7.6%, England and Wales of 8.7% and county figures of 9.91%.
Economic position
42.5% of people aged 16-74 are employed full-time
in Luton, compared to 42.6% in the East of England
and 40.6% in England & Wales.
The number of 16-74 year olds not economically
active across the county is quite high in comparison
to East of England and national figures. However,
this includes a high percentage of students at the
Universities of Cranfield, University of Bedfordshire
and at Barnfield College.
Industry types
There is still a high percentage of employment in
manufacturing – 19.0% – particularly in the south of
the area. This is 4% higher than the national
average and 4.5% higher than the average for the
region. However, the picture is changing.
Luton Borough is increasingly attracting wholesale
and retail trade industries. Pharmaceutical and
avionic companies are moving their headquarters to
this area. Transport, distribution and logistics are
growth areas in Bedford Borough, taking advantage
of its location and excellent transport links to the
rest of the country, and the number of call centres
in the area is also increasing. Mid-Bedfordshire has
a significant research and development base.
Population growth
| 1991 | 1996 | 2001 | 2016 (estimated) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | 133,692 | 137,500 | 144,200 | 157,900 |
| Mid Beds | 109,801 | 118,900 | 128,200 | 146,000 |
| South Beds | 108,941 | 110,900 | 112,000 | 128,700 |
| Luton | 171,671 | 181,500 | 182,800 | 171,000 |
| Total | 524,105 | 548,800 | 567,200 | 603,600 |
Population growth from 2001 to 2016 is estimated at 6% (see table above). Fast growth is anticipated in Mid and South Bedfordshire. This is mainly accounted for by the large housing development planned for Elstow and the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Development Plan.
The future
A multi-billion pound investment scheme has begun
to regenerate the central area of Luton and will go
on for several years, starting in 2006. This scheme
will affect industry, transport and housing in the
inner Luton area.
London Luton Airport is submitting proposals for a
major expansion to handle 30 million passengers a
year by 2030, up from a current 10 million
passengers a year.
A major widening scheme is under way in two
stages on the M1 between the M25 junction and
Junction 13, and a widening of the link road to the
airport has begun.
From 2001 to 2016, about 2,430 houses a year will be built in Bedfordshire. About 23,500 have already received planning permission and adopted or proposed local plan allocation. Some 4,000 more homes can be built on existing urban areas or identified sites. This leaves about 9,000 homes for which sites have to be found. 6,000 of these will come within the Luton/Dunstable/Houghton Regis urban extension.
Housing requirements in Bedfordshire and Luton
| 2001-2016 | Annual requirement | |
|---|---|---|
| Bedford Borough | 11,400 | 760 |
| Mid Beds | 11,100 | 740 |
| South Beds | 1,575 | 825 |
| Luton | 1,575 | 105 |
| Total | 36,450 | 2,430 |
Age trends
National trends show a larger proportion of people
at post-retirement age, and the numbers will
increase as people are now expected to live longer.
6.4% of the population are now over 75 as
compared to 4.4% in 1981. Fire statistics in the
UK show that people over 60 are at a greater risk
than anyone else of being killed in a fire.
The population is predicted to increase by 6% in Bedfordshire from 2001-2016. Should the numbers over 75 continue to rise at the same rate (0.1% per year) then the following facts are apparent, the result will be as follows:
| Age group | Actual numbers | Percentage of total population in 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| 60+ | 132,000 | 21.9% |
| 70+ | 42,400 | 7% |
| 80+ | 24,100 | 4% |
Vehicle ownership
In Bedfordshire 17.6% of total households do not
have a car or van. In Luton this is 26.4%. This is
high compared to the East of England (19.8%) and
England & Wales (26.8%).
Overall Bedfordshire has a relatively high percentage
of households with more than one car or van,
making Bedfordshire’s roads busy and congested.
Environment
Increase in households
| 1996 | 2001 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | 56,900 | 59,800 | 70,800 |
| Mid Beds | 49,100 | 52,100 | 62,700 |
| South Beds | 45,800 | 47,300 | 59,200 |
| Luton | 68,700 | 69,600 | 71,100 |
| Total | 220,600 | 228,900 | 263,800 |
The area of the County of Bedfordshire is 1,192 square kilometres and the area for the Borough of Luton is 39 square kilometres. The table above shows the increase in the number of households in the districts of Bedfordshire and in the Borough of Luton.
Households are expected to increase by 15% by 2016.
In line with national trends, a continuing fall in the average number of people in a property is expected. This is a result of the increased numbers of retired people (see the age trends on previous page), young adults living singly and single-parent homes. These figures reflect the growth in population of 36,400 projected for 2001-2016, while household growth will be 36,450 for the same period.
Stadia
Concerts and ‘mass gathering events’ are held at
Woburn Abbey and various stadiums in Bedford
and Luton. There are regular mass gathering
events such as the Luton Carnival, Bedford River
festival and civic receptions, which attract large
numbers of people.
Infrastructure
Roads
The M1 and A1 run through the county. The section
of the M1 that passes through the county is one of
the busiest sections of motorway in the country,
with up to 162,000 vehicles per day travelling south
of the M6 junction (data from 2001- 2002).
Road Traffic Statistics for Great Britain: 2003, published by the Department of Transport, confirmed that estimated traffic levels rose by 2.5 per cent between 2001 and 2002. The underlying rate of growth is estimated to be between 1 and 2 per cent per year.
Vehicle traffic
Car traffic levels rose by 2.6 per cent and goods
vehicle traffic rose by 0.9 per cent. Two-wheeled
motor vehicle traffic rose more than other
categories, with motorcycle traffic rising 5.5 per
cent.
Road type
Motorway traffic rose by 1.9 per cent. Traffic on
minor roads rose by 4 per cent and traffic on all rural
road types grew faster in 2002 than on urban roads.
The East of England, which includes Bedfordshire
County, has the third highest numbers of vehicles
passing through per day, after London and the
South East.
Rail network
Several rail companies operate in the county – First
Capital Connection, WAGN, Silverlink, Virgin,
Midland Mainline and all the freight operators. Up
to 500 passenger and freight trains pass through
the county each day.
Airports
London Luton Airport is the major international airport in Bedfordshire,
with about 48,000 scheduled and 11,000 chartered flights per year carrying
some 10 million passengers. About 20 million tonnes of freight are transported
through London Luton Airport each year. In addition to the airport at Luton,
there are airfields at Cranfield, Old Warden, Sandy, Shuttleworth, Meppershall,
RAF Henlow and Dunstable Downs. Air movements to these airstrips are mainly
by private aircraft and classic plane enthusiasts, with Dunstable Gliding
Club based at the Downs.
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