London,
17
July
2012
|
23:00
Europe/London

Hackney's census results are in

Hackney Council has thanked residents for filling in their census forms and ensuring the borough receives its fair share of funding for vital public services.

Figures published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) reveal 86 per cent of households in Hackney returned their census form last year, compared to just 72 per cent during the last census in 2001.

It means the official population of Hackney stands at 246,300, 14 per cent higher than the mid-year estimates that have been used to calculate council funding allocations from central Government.

Mayor of Hackney, Jules Pipe, said: “For years we’ve been making the case to the ONS and Government that the population of Hackney has been significantly undercounted, and that this has had an adverse impact on the funding allocated to the borough.

“I’d like to thank residents who took the time to fill in their census forms and help us gain a much more realistic picture of the number of people living in Hackney today.

“The council is facing significant cuts in Government funding so it’s important Westminster has an accurate idea of the borough’s population and its needs. It means we can fight for a fair deal for our residents over the next decade. The results are also critical to the council and its partners as it helps us to decide how to plan and deliver vital services in the local community.” 

At the last census, over 25 per cent of households in Hackney didn’t return their questionnaire, which meant the area potentially missed out on hundreds of millions of pounds of funding over the last decade. Following research and a  campaign by the council, last year Hackney Council joined forces with the ONS to remind residents of the importance of filling in the form

The census is a count of an area’s population, carried out by the Office for National Statistics every ten years. This is used by the Government to calculate how much funding Hackney should receive for public services like health, education and the police, as well as those provided by the council such as adult social care, refuse collection and activities for young people – so the more accurate the count, the fairer the funding.

The council and its partners will use the data to help it understand how the population is growing across the borough and how this will impact on the demand for services and infrastructure over the coming years.

Ends

For more information contact Helen Clarke - helen.clarke@hackney.gov.uk 020 8356 3539