Facts and figures
Population
The population of North Shropshire as given in the 2001 Census was 57,108, giving an average density of 0.84 persons per hectare which is below both the Shropshire county average (0.90 persons per ha.) and the national average (3.82 persons per ha.). The population of the district increased by 8% between 1991 and 2001, above the county's growth of 6.1%. The population of the district is concentrated around the four market towns of Market Drayton, Whitchurch, Wem and Ellesmere.
The population of the district is split among the following age groups:
| Age Group | Males | Females | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 1670 | 1596 | 3266 |
| 5-14 | 3713 | 3368 | 7081 |
| 15-19 | 2115 | 1626 | 3741 |
| 20-29 | 2976 | 2574 | 5550 |
| 30-44 | 6243 | 6069 | 12312 |
| 54-59 | 5891 | 5900 | 11791 |
| 60-64 | 1575 | 1582 | 3157 |
| 65-74 | 2613 | 2805 | 5418 |
| 75-84 | 1421 | 2086 | 3507 |
| 85+ | 337 | 942 | 1279 |
| Total | 28554 | 28548 | 57108 |
Source: 2001 Census (Crown Copyright)
Employment
According to the Office of National Statistics annual population survey April 2006 - March 2007, 78.9% of the working age population of North Shropshire are in employment, including 10.0% who are self-employed. The district has a relatively low unemployment rate of 3.6%.
Employment in North Shropshire is divided by the following sectors:
| Sector | North Shropshire (% of total employee jobs) | Great Britain (% of total employee jobs) |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 18.1 | 10.9 |
| Construction | 5.7 | 4.8 |
| Services | 70.9 | 82.9 |
| Distribution, hotels & restaurants | 22.2 | 23.5 |
| Transport & communications | 7.9 | 5.9 |
| Finance, IT, other business activities | 10.7 | 21.2 |
| Public administration, education & health | 25.0 | 26.9 |
| Other services | 5.1 | 5.3 |
| Tourism related | 8.5 | 8.3 |
Source: Annual business enquiry employee analysis (2006) (Crown copyright)
The services sector dominates the employment landscape of North Shropshire, but not to the extent seen in Great Britain generally. Manufacturing is of considerably greater importance in North Shropshire than the country as a whole, due to the relatively large number of persons employed in agriculture and its' associated industries.
Further data regarding the labour market in North Shropshire can be downloaded from the National Statitistics' nomis website (click here to be directed to the site).
Transport & Communications
North Shropshire is well situated for communications with other major business centres, as can be seen in the following table:
| Wem | Whitchurch | Market Drayton | Ellesmere | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shrewsbury | 13 | 20 | 19 | 17 |
| Birmingham | 57 | 57 | 49 | 68 |
| Birmingham Airport | 69 | 75 | 59 | 87 |
| Telford | 24 | 29 | 21 | 30 |
| Manchester | 61 | 49 | 59 | 60 |
| Manchester Airport | 53 | 42 | 52 | 53 |
[Distances in miles from the market towns of North Shropshire] [Source: NSDC]
The district is served by the primary A41 and A49 roads, and is near to the A5 as well as the M54 and M6 motorways. The Cardiff-Manchester railway corridor passes through the district, and has stations at Wem and Whitchurch.
All four of the market towns have access to broadband internet connections.
