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Census 1981 - Local Information

Index: Population; Work; Travel to Work; Car Ownership; Social Class; Housing

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As a comparison to the 2001 small area statistics, Hartley Library also has the small area statistics for Hartley for 1981. However it should be borne in mind that there have been a number of boundary changes since then. In 1981 the New Ash Green estates of Bazes Shaw, Farm Holt, Penenden, Caling Croft and Hanover Place were still in Hartley, while in 2001, the figures are for the council ward of Hartley and Hodsoll Street.

Numbers

The total population was: 6,942 (2001 - 5,871). Clearly the loss of part of New Ash Green to the parish of Ash has had a big effect on Hartley's population. This has caused a massive change in the age profile of the parish, including a doubling of the percentage over the age of 50:

Age

1981

2001

0-29

48.8%

30.1%

30-49

29.6%

24.4%

50 +

21.6%

45.5%

Work

The differences to note in employment since 1981 are the big increase in the number of women in the workforce, and a fall in unemployment since Mrs Thatcher's day, although this has been matched by an increase in the numbers of people on permanent sick leave.

1981 2001
Employee/Employer 3,057 2,232
Self Employed 346 298
Unemployed 168 79
Students 288 222
Retired 358 865
Homemakers/others 1,103 379
Perm sick/disabled 34 124
Total 5,016 4,199

In 1981 the travel to work figures were based on a 10% sample, whereas in 2001 all returns were counted. The most striking difference is the numbers who work at home - up from 3% in 1981 to 12% now. Car usage is fairly similar, but overall public transport has declined - though the numbers travelling by bus has increased, possibly due to the introduction of the commuter coach service. People are obviously getting healthier as the numbers travelling by bicycle or on foot has increased too!

Mode

1981

2001

Car driver

59.8%

61.8%

Car Passenger

10.4%

4.3%

Bus

1.3%

4.4%

Train

16.2%

10.9%

Motorbike

3.9%

1.2%

Bicycle

1.0%

1.0%

Foot

2.9%

4.2%

Other

2.0%

0.3%

Work from home

2.6%

12.0%

Car Ownership

The number of households without a car has risen slightly since 1981, but there has been a massive rise in the number of households with more than 1 car. Car ownership has risen in the last 2 decades by a half. In 1981 Hartley had 2,956 cars (0.43 per head), now this has greatly increased to 3,671 cars (0.63 per head).

Number of Cars per household
1981 2001
Households 2250 2,318
0 12.1% 13.5%
1 50.5% 34.3%
2 31.2% 37.4%
more than 3 6.1% 14.7%

Social Class

The 2001 census uses the A-E social classes, so beloved by advertisers, which was not used in 1981. Instead that census had 17 Socio-Economic Groups (SEGs), which I have attempted to equate with the 2001 figures (the 1981 figures are once again based on a 10% sample).

Social Class
1981 2001
AB Higher and intermediate managerial/administrative/professional

(1981 - SEG 1-3 ?)

34.0% 31.5%
C1 Supervisory; clerical; junior managerial/administrative/professional

(1981 - SEG 4-7 ?)

44.7% 31.8%
C2 Skilled manual workers

(1981 - SEG 8-9 ?)

16.7% 13.1%
D Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers

(1981 - SEG 10 ?)

2.5% 8.7%
E On state benefit; unemployed; lowest grade workers

(1981 - SEG 11 ?)

2.1% 15.0%

Housing

The effect of housing policies of the 1980s can be clearly seen in the big rise in home ownership in Hartley from 75% to 85% of households. Council housing has all but disappeared after Sevenoaks's sale of their housing stock to West Kent Housing Association. But this is only half the story. In 1981 the Housing Act 1980 had only just come into force, which introduced the right to buy, its effect locally can be seen in the fall in Local Authority/Housing Association housing.

In 1981 there were 1,674 owner occupied "housing spaces" of which 99.7% were freehold. There were 380 council houses and flats, and 148 housing association dwellings. There were also 31 private rented, 5 tied accommodation and 3 dwellings that went with a business. The number of rooms per household was 5.42.

Type of ownership
1981 2001
Owner-occupied 74.7% 85.2%
Local Authority Rented 17.0% 0.8%
Housing Assn Rented 6.6% 9.3%
Private rented 1.7% 3.1%
Rent Free n/a 1.6%

Source: Office for National Statistics. (Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.)