Telford population soars to 166,000
Telford and Wrekin’s population has swelled to a massive 166,600 people – a rise of five per cent in just 10 years, new official figures revealed today.
Telford and Wrekin’s population has swelled to a massive 166,600 people – a rise of five per cent in just 10 years, new official figures revealed today.
However, the results of last year’s census are being disputed by Telford & Wrekin Council, which estimates the population could be even higher, at 171,700. This official size of the population is important.
The figure helps to determine the amount of funding local authorities receive from the Government.
Shropshire also saw a huge increase in its population, with 306,100 people now living in the county – a rise of eight per cent.
Telford’s population is growing at a faster rate than at any time in its history, up by 8,000.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the population has grown by five per cent in just 10 years.
But while the nation’s population ages, Telford & Wrekin is bucking the trend.
It has 24,100 people aged over 65, about one in seven of its population.
Nationally, one in six people in England and Wales is now said to be aged over 65.
The figures also show that there are 5,100 females aged 30-34 in the borough, and 5,200 males, with 5,800 boys aged 0-4 years, and 5,600 females.
Meanwhile the average age of the population has risen from 35 in 2001 to 39.
When the census was taken 100 years ago the average age of the population was just 25.
In Telford there are 24,100 people aged over 65, while in Shropshire the figure is 63,300.
Nationally there was also an increase in the number of under fives, with more than 400,000 more in 2011 compared with 2001.
The largest increase in the population was in London, which went up by 12 per cent – a rise of 850,000 people.
Telford and Wrekin Council said it welcomed the rise in the population, but said its figures did not correspond with those published today by the Office for National Statistics.
The rising population figures are also reflected in Shropshire, which has seen its population swell by eight per cent, up from 283,300 in 2001.
The figures also look at the number of short term residents from outside Britain.
According to the census, Telford has 200 non-UK short-term residents, while in Shropshire the figure is 500.
In Telford there are 66,600 households with at least one resident, and in Shropshire the figure stands at 129,700.
In the West Midlands there were 2.3 million households in 2011.
A Telford & Wrekin Council spokesman said: “While we welcome the news that Telford and Wrekin’s population has shown an increase in the latest Census data, the published figures is lower than our own estimates.
“We have only just received the information from the Office for National Statistics and we are working through all of that to draw a firm conclusion as to whether we feel that figure is a fair reflection of our local population.”
Comments for: "Telford population soars to 166,000"
catherine jones
the key thing is to get the government to give telford more money to support the additional burden on infrastructure with more roadspace, waste, sewage etc resulting from these extra people we need to build new infrastructure in the town to match
David
So a five percent rise in a new town which is supposed to be a centre of growth, and an eight percent rise in rural Shropshire. Looks like the planners have lost control.
I should also point out that the way the Star has reported this census information will confuse many - "Shropshire" in this sense is the old county without Telford and Wrekin, ie just the Shropshire Council's area. That should be made clear.
David
The BBC have made the mistake now of just quoting the "Shropshire" figures without taking into consideration the separate (and additional) Telford & Wrekin figures.
Shropshire Council 306,000; Telford and Wrekin 166,000; the total for all Shropshire is therefore 472,000.
Grey
A five percent increase is actually quite a bit below the national rate of increase. A more accurate headline would be "Telford's growth rate slows".
Bill
The more interesting figures arise when you start looking at households. The average household in Telford is 2.5 persons, the average in Shropshire Council is 2.36.
Not much of a diffrence it may seem, but an indicator that household overcrowding in Telford is probably 6% worse than in surrounding Shropshire.
That is more than the 5% populaton increase - the implication being that housing in Telford is being significantly under-provided, possibly by as much as 10% or over 600 houses a year.
Yes, it's just statistics. But it should worry the Council.
really confused
Or it could just mean that families in Telford are larger with more kids than the rest of rural Shropshire....from my experience this seems to be the case.
ShireFella
The UK's huge population growth in the last 10 years is mainly due to immigration and the high birth rate of immigrants already living in the country.
With a bad ecomomic situation likely to worsen, 1 in 4 youngsters out of work and an infrastructure that can no longer cope - It's not looking good for poor old overcrowded Britain, is it?
Telford Til I die
Ahem
We have far too many immogrants, and Jobless British people is the aftermath of that because British people dont like working for minimum wages and Immogrants do.
Also, Britich people have far too many children, what is the point of having loads of kids when they cant even afford to look after them, thats how we get crime and poverty.
Use Africa for example., loads of huge families that are struggling to get a meal, why have children to put them through that?
Surely minimum food and water supply would encourage them NOT to have big familes?
I think a brain cell is needed in Telford and many other places.
Otherwise we are soon going to be in Poverty and Crime ridden slums.
Oh yeah we already are.
What we need is a natural disaaster or another war to bring doen the population.
dont fear, mother earth will soon protect her planet....................................................
Y Mab Darogan
Please tell me this is a sarcastic reply with pretend spelling mistakes. Your attempt at showing Telford denzions have low IQ's, has alas failed in my humble opinion.