Annex 2 - Cornwall's Challenges and Concerns - The Evidence Base

A range of factors affect quality of life – people who were surveyed ranked ‘health’ as the most important (93%) with ‘family’ (85%) and ‘neighbourhood’ (79%) second and third respectively. 

Particular themes that have arisen from the Quality of Life survey,  which this LTP and transport delivery can have a direct impact on, are summarised below.

Basic Needs

• 33% of households in Cornwall are living in areas that rank within the most deprived 25% of areas nationally.  The highest level of deprivation exists within Penwith (43%), the lowest in Caradon (5.3%).  However, there are smaller pockets of deprivation scattered across Cornwall including parts of the largest towns. 

Health

• Health is ranked as the most important factor for quality of life.

• Only half of those surveyed considered their health to be good, considerably less than the 2001 Census figure for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly which was 66% and a national figure of 69%. 

Local Neighbourhoods

• Out of 18 services, the survey found that only two, the local shop and the post office, were considered by the majority of people to be very easily accessible. 

• The least easily accessible services are cultural/recreational facilities, with over 32% finding them fairly or very difficult to access. 

• 75% of the journeys made by residents are by car, compared with 63% nationally (Department for Transport, 99/01). 

Leisure

• Free time and leisure pursuits are important factors of quality of life. 

• 55% of residents undertake moderate exercise (brisk walk, leisure activity, heavy DIY or housework and gardening) 5 times a week or more compared to 5.6% taking part in sport (sport, dance, yoga etc.) this frequently. 

• A further 24% take moderate exercise 3-4 times a week or more. 

• One quarter of residents never participate in sport. 

Economy and Work

• The number of jobs in Cornwall increased significantly by 14.6% between 1998 and 2002.  This compares well with a 15.2% increase in Devon and increases of 8.1% and 4.9% in the South West region and UK respectively over the same period. 

• Average gross weekly earnings for full time adult employees in Cornwall have remained consistently below the South West and UK averages for many years.  In 1996, average weekly earnings in Cornwall were 23% lower than the average for the UK.  The gap widened to 26% in 1999, but has since narrowed to 19% in 2003.

Learning

• The proportion of 15 year olds gaining 5 or more GCSEs at grades A* - C in schools has risen steadily over the last three years, from 52.6% in the academic year 2000/1, to 53.9% in 2002/3. 

• Cornwall’s performance was above the national average and continued to improve over the three years.  However, the rate of improvement is slower and, in 2002/3, Cornwall slipped behind the South West average. 

Safety

• Fear of crime and actual crime are generally lower in Devon and Cornwall than elsewhere regionally and nationally. 

• The rate for total crimes has stayed steady in Devon and Cornwall between 2002/03 and 2003/04 at 83 per 1,000 people, well below the national average and significantly below the South West average. 

• The rates for vehicle crimes and domestic burglaries have fallen in all areas.

• The rate of violent crime has risen slightly nationally, regionally and in Devon and Cornwall, where the rate is now slightly higher than that of the South West region. 

As is evident from the key points highlighted above, travel and transport over the next 10-15 years will have a significant role to play in people’s quality of life in Cornwall.