TSYS Europe Careers > About TSYS Europe > In York
In York
Boom city York - 8th March 2006
Quick Links:
The following article is reproduced courtesy of The Press, York. (www.thisisyork.co.uk)
 MANY Yorkies have long suspected it - but today official figures confirmed it... York really is the boom city of the north.
Its population is growing faster, its economic performance is stronger, its unemployment is lower and its residents' skills and qualifications are greater than almost any other city across the region. It also gets more research funding, its children get better GCSE results, and it has done better than most in tackling traffic congestion. At the same time, the size of its non-white population has more than doubled in a decade - albeit from a low base figure.
The statistics are presented in the most comprehensive study of English towns and cities ever undertaken. The independent 250-page report to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister focuses on 56 major towns and cities, looking at their performances, the challenges they face and their potential. It concludes cities are better placed than at any time since the end of the 19th century to become engines of national growth.
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said: "This report, unprecedented in its scope, shows our cities are very much back in business as successful places to live and work."
In York, figure after figure indicates a remarkable urban renaissance is gathering pace. The city had the tenth highest population growth out of the 56 communities, working out at just over half a per cent a year. York is named alongside Leeds and Manchester as enjoying the best overall economic performance in the north.
It also has the "human capital" to make it a successful knowledge-driven economy, with one of the north's biggest increases in the number of residents with degree level qualifications. The report states: "The importance of a highly qualified workforce as a prerequisite to compete among the knowledge driven economies can hardly be over-emphasised."
The country's highest levels of deprivation and unemployment are in Liverpool, but it's a very different story in York. The report states: "York stands apart from small cities in the north and west with relatively low deprivation."
It adds the city has a high employment rate, adding: "York stands apart from everywhere else in the north and west with low worklessness."
York is also a more attractive place to live and work.
While nationwide there is rising car ownership and declining use of public transport, increased investment in buses and cycle facilities have helped several cities, including York, reduce city centre traffic.
Economy
YORK may be small but its economy is doing much better than many larger northern cities.
The number of visible exports in goods and services from the city rose dramatically from £500 worth per person in 1996, to £2,500 worth in 2002. It faired much better than neighbouring cities like Leeds and Hull, whose exports stayed about the same at about £1,500 per person. York also performed well in its `gross value added' (GVA) figure, which is a way of measuring the money produced by its industries.
Len Cruddas, chief executive of York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said GVA was what a product made in the city could be sold for, minus the cost of raw materials. The average national growth in GVA for the period 1995 to 2002 was 42.7 per cent - but York's increase was 45 per cent, making it the best performing of all small northern cities. Mr Cruddas said: "There is a move away from old industries and traditional exports like coach-building, but there is a growth in knowledge-based businesses, such as the Science Park. York's high performing economy is also to do with the fact people come here because it is an attractive place to live, and then set up businesses in the city."
York council leader Steve Galloway said: "I'm pleased that, as we knew before, York's economy is performing strongly, particularly when compared to other cities." He said the city's growth in knowledge-based industries would continue. He said: "York is an attractive place for companies wishing to expand, and our objective is to make sure there is the right supply of good quality development land made available."
The Terry's factory site, the possible university expansion and development of the York Central site, which could bring in 6,000 jobs, could further boost the economy.
Education
BOTH secondary and university education in York have been singled out for praise.
The city has a higher number of pupils gaining five or more GCSE's grades A* to C than many other cities, and more residents in York are achieving degrees than in other places across the north.
Referring to the number of graduates, the report says: "Cities such as Cambridge, Oxford, London, Reading, Brighton, York and Bristol - all in the south and east except York - have experienced dramatic increases, and from a strong position to begin with." Meanwhile, the University of York comes third in the country and first in the north when it comes to receiving the most money for research.
University spokesmen David Garner said its strong position played a key role in the city's future prosperity. "It comes as no surprise that York stands just behind Oxford and Cambridge in terms of Higher Education Funding Council research funding," he said.
Chris Bridge, head teacher at Huntington School, said: "I don't think there is anything as simple as the North-South divide, and I think individual schools and cities can break the trend. I think partly the success of York is down to leadership. The education director and the people around him are highly competent and are very good at getting a good performance out of those who work for them."
Coun Carol Runciman, City of York Council's executive member for education, said: "I'm delighted with these findings. "I'm sure we will continue to improve our schools performance, and that can only be good for York's economy and its future prosperity. I'd like to pay tribute to all the schools staff who work hard with York's schoolchildren to make sure they're successful."
Quality of life
PEOPLE'S standard of living in York is higher than in any other city in the north of England.
We have less unemployment, lower levels of poverty and more income than many parts of the country. The city scores just 15 on a scale of one to 50 for its levels of deprivation, much lower than Leeds, which scores 27.5, and Hull which scores 41.
The report states: "York stands apart from small cities in the north and west with relatively low deprivation. It is also the only city in this area which has "low levels of worklessness", which includes the unemployed and people on sickness and disability benefits.
York people have more money in their pockets to spend on leisure activities, according to the report.
The city has the highest gross disposable household income of any northern city - at one per cent above the national average. This compares to the second highest northern city, Leeds, which is seven per cent below the national average.
York is named as "one of the fastest growing cathedral cities" and comes fourth in the country behind Milton Keynes, Telford and Oxford for its population growth.
The number of households in the city went up by 14 per cent between 1991 and 2001, according to the report.
Ethnicity
YORK has one of the fastest-growing ethnic minority populations in the country.
The number of non-whites in the city more than doubled between 1991 and 2001, according to the report. Precise figures were not available, but ethnic minorities currently make up 2.5 per cent of York's population. The report states: "All 56 cities saw growth in their number of non-whites. But the rate of increase varied from a more than doubling for Bournemouth, York and Blackpool, to a rise of just under one quarter for Doncaster and Derby. But the different ethnic populations of York are mixed together better than in other cities. The city has low segregation, and scores 0.37 on a scale of 0 to 1, compared to 0.54 in Leeds, and 0.72 in Blackburn.
York also scores relatively low figures for segregation between just white and Asian people, which is marked at 0.42, and between just white and black people, which is 0.47. Segregation in York has risen very slightly in the ten years from 1991 to 2001, but it is still much lower than in other cities.
This is also related to the fact that there are low levels of deprivation in the city, according to the report.
Back to top
|
