Are areas of high population density driving Labour Oldham schemes, Werneth & Coppice have more than double the Oldham average population

New ONS population estimates released 26/10/2016 hint at the worrying population, service, housing and poverty timebomb being created and expanded in areas of Oldham. The MSOA 035 Werneth & Coppice area of Oldham was shown to have 14,716 residents mid 2015, the Oldham average for the boroughs 32 MSOA’s was less than half the number at 7,213. The figures also show that the 035 area has 270 more children aged 0-4 than it has elderly residents aged 65 to 90+, the elderly make up just 7.7% of the population in 035 whereas the Oldham average is 15.8%. Second in Oldham’s high population table with 55.7% more people compared to the average was the 022 area which is Glodwick and third with 28.6% more was 016 which is the area around Westwood and Featherstall Road. In both the 022 and 016 areas over 29% of residents are aged 14 or younger.

Statistics produced by ONS for 2014 released on 27/10/2016 came with the headline “UK born women having their first birth in 2014 were most likely to be in managerial and professional occupations whereas non-UK born mothers having their first birth were more likely to have an unclassified occupation.” An unclassified occupation refers to those who have no occupation and to a far lesser extent students.