SOAs versus Wards

John Langley

27th April 2007at The Riverside Centre Derby

Wards

• CAS Wards (in East Midlands 881)

• Statistical Wards

• Electoral wards– Boundary changes every year– Need for a stable geography

Opportunity for a more stable geography?

Nottinghamshire MSOAs

Range: 4,970 - 11,073

Mean 7,448

Nottinghamshire CAS Wards

Range: 1,681- 11,470

Mean 4,821

Problems

• Names of LSOAs and MSOAs are either:– not present– are unfamiliar– do not relate to places people know

• SOA codes do not contain recognisable ‘area’ details

• LSOA codes cannot be distinguished from MSOA codes

Problems – names and codes• E02005836 Bassetlaw 002• E02005838 Bassetlaw 004• E02005887 Mansfield 008• E02005840 Bassetlaw 006• E02005842 Bassetlaw 008• E02005822 Ashfield 004• E02005874 Gedling 010• E02005885 Mansfield 006• E02005911 Rushcliffe 006• E02005832 Ashfield 014• E02005909 Rushcliffe 004• E02005862 Broxtowe 013• E02005895 Newark and Sherwood 003• E02005902 Newark and Sherwood 010

Solutions? – add new ‘aliases’

• e.g. for LSOAs

Rushcliffe Compton Acres E01028363 KILLERTON PARK DRIVE/ COMPTON ACRESRushcliffe Compton Acres E01028364 CLIFTON BOULEVARD LOUGHBOROUGH ROADRushcliffe Compton Acres E01028365 WILFORD LANE BEAULIEU GARDENSRushcliffe Cotgrave E01028366 RING LEAS WHITELANDSRushcliffe Cotgrave E01028367 HOLLYGATE LANE COLSTON GATERushcliffe Cotgrave E01028368 DALESIDE PLUMTREE ROADRushcliffe Cotgrave E01028369 SAXON WAY MARLWOODRushcliffe Cotgrave E01028370 CANDLEBY LANE OWTHORPE ROADRushcliffe Cranmer E01028371 GRANTHAM ROAD LONGMOOR LANERushcliffe Edwalton Village E01028372 MELTON ROAD MELTON GARDENSRushcliffe Edwalton Village E01028373 GAMSTON LINGS BAR ROAD MELTON ROAD

Solutions? – add new ‘aliases

• e.g. for MSOAs

MSOA_CODE EMPHO MSOA NameE02005819 Sutton in Ashfield North (Ashfield 001)E02005820 Sutton in Ashfield Central (Ashfield 002)E02005821 Sutton in Ashfield West (Ashfield 003)E02005822 Sutton in Ashfield East (Ashfield 004)E02005823 Sutton in Ashfield East 2 (Ashfield 005)E02005824 Sutton in Ashfield West 2 (Ashfield 006)E02005825 Kirkby in Ashfield East (Ashfield 007)E02005826 Kirkby in Ashfield West (Ashfield 008)E02005827 Kirkby in Ashfield Central (Ashfield 009)E02005828 Woodhouse (Ashfield 010)E02005829 Selston (Ashfield 011)E02005830 Underwood (Ashfield 012)E02005831 Hucknall East (Ashfield 013)E02005832 Hucknall Central (Ashfield 014)E02005833 Hucknall West (Ashfield 015)E02005834 Hucknall West 2 (Ashfield 016)E02005835 Blyth (Bassetlaw 001)E02005836 Beckingham (Bassetlaw 002)E02005837 Ranskill (Bassetlaw 003)

Solutions?

• Be ready to change flexibly between ‘geographies’

• Administrative• Census• Postal• Health• Electoral• Locally defined neighbouhoods