WINSFORD AREA

Winsford Verdin

Background

Verdin Ward lies to the north of Winsford Town Centre. (See Map) It contains 567 hectares. This ward is partly residential with retail outlets and areas for leisure and business. There are two primary schools and a secondary school in the ward. Winsford Verdin is also the location of the only working salt-mine in the UK and the site of the County Fire Service Headquarters.

Facts and Figures

Population & % of Vale Royal

Number of households & % of VR

Population under 16 years

Population 16 to 64 years

Population 65 years and over

Average Age

6483

(5.3%)

2593

(5%)

1543

(23.8%)

4166

(64.3%)

774

(11.9%)

36 years

In 2001 there were 2593 households of which 63.8% were owner-occupied and social housing accounted for a further 30.2%.

At the time of the 2001 Census, of those aged between 16 and 74 years 62.4% were economically active which is just below the rate for Vale Royal (62.8%) and above that for England and Wales (60.6%). The unemployed accounted for only 3.9% of whom 16% were aged over 50, 8% had never worked and 31% were long-term unemployed. Those otherwise economically inactive formed 21.2% of the population in the same age range. Retired people represent 12.4% of the age group.

This ward is divided into four areas for the purpose of measuring social and economic disadvantage. According to the Government’s Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004, this Ward does show some levels of deprivation. The area lying to west end of Nixon Drive is in the bottom 20% nationally for combined issues of deprivation and for employment and health is in the bottom 10%.

Crime

Year	Burglary Dwelling	Other Burglary	Vehicle Crime	Other Theft	Criminal Damage	Violent Crime	Other Crimes	Total
2006/07 (½ year)	10	22	21	42	124	73	15	307
2005/06	20	20	25	90	241	175	48	619 (95.5)
2004/05	14	29	45	53	199	24	34	528 (81.4)
2003/04	26	28	81	85	210	146	24	600 (92.5)

Note: Figures in brackets are for offences per 1000 population.

Disorder

In 2005/06 new categories of Anti-social behaviour were used by the police making it difficult to compare previous years. During the past year the following incidents were recorded by the police.

	Street Drinking	Vehicle Nuisance	Abandoned Vehicles	Noise - Pubs/Clubs	Environmental Litter, graffiti, etc.	Nuisance in public place	Rowdy/ drunken behaviour	Other	Total
2006/07 (½ year)	2	72	1	0	1	14	148	83	321
2005/06	5	90	42	3	2	203	175	71	591

The figures for previous years were as follows:

			Disturbance in
Year	Nuisance Youths	General Disorder	Public place	Private place	Licensed premises	Noise nuisance	Domestic Incident	Total
2004/05	272	178	73	57	3	9	88	818
2003/04	249	76	50	43	7	5	27	651
2002/03	66	9	64	34	4	5	89	394
2001/02	132			20	7	5	38	300

Of the other forms of disturbance not listed in the table are telephone nuisance of either an abandoned call, hoax or threatening/abusive nature and minor /other nuisance issues including neighbour disputes. The totals given include these matters