Monitoring

Population by Year

The table below shows that Southend's resident population has generally seen a steady increase, reaching 180,700 in 2021 and growing again in 2022 and 2023, where it reached 182,300.

Source: NOMIS - Mid-Year Population Estimates

Net Dwelling Completions

Net Dwelling Completions by Neighbourhood

This table shows the net dwelling completions by neighbourhood across the City. Southend Central has seen the highest number of completions to 2024. Leigh and Southchurch have also seen higher numbers of completions than other neighbourhoods (followed closely by Shoeburyness and Westcliff).

Gross Dwelling Completions - Type

This table shows gross dwelling completions by type in the City. More flats have been built than houses for each monitoring year, and for the period 2001-2021, 26% of residential completions were houses, and 74% were flats.

Gross Dwelling Completions - Size

This table shows that a range of sizes of dwellings have been completed in the City since 2001. A mix of dwellings types and sizes will help contribute towards more socially balanced localities and sustainable communities, although provision of a higher number of smaller dwellings may contribute towards improved affordability.

Net Dwellings on Previously Developed Land

Between 2001-2021 95.6% of residential completions were on previously developed land. In the following years, 100% of residential completions have been on previously developed land.

Jobs in Southend-on-Sea

Only tentative conclusions can be drawn from monitoring employment change at the local authority level. The table below sets out Census data and an alternative dataset from the Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR).

The inter-censual growth in jobs recorded for Southend must be treated with some caution. Southend's population was subject to a significant upward adjustment as a result of the 2011 Census count. The scale of this adjustment suggests that there may have been a population undercount in the 2001 Census, although it is difficult to verify. Indeed, the 2001 mid-year estimate was significantly revised downwards following release of the 2001 Census results. This uncertainty places some doubt regarding trends derived from the 2001 and 2011 Census, including measuring employment change. 

The IDBR, produced by the Office for National Statistics, provides an alternative dataset for measuring employment at a district level and is produced on an annual basis. However, IDBR data from 2007 onwards is not directly comparable to past releases (i.e. pre-2007).

Job Density

Job density is defined as the number of jobs in an area divided by the resident population aged 16-64 in that area. ONS jobs density statistics indicate that the jobs density in Southend declined between 2001 and 2011 but started to rise again from 2012, peaking in 2018 and rising again at a slower pace from 2019, decreasing slightly between 2021 and 2022.

Median Gross Annual Workplace-based Earnings

The table below shows that the median gross annual workplace-based earnings for those who worked in the City was £29,211 in 2021, which was slightly lower than that for Essex and England. They saw a decrease in 2022, although increased in 2023, falling below that for Essex and England.

Median House Price

This table sets out the median house price (i.e. the midway point of all houses/ units sold) for Southend, Essex and England. Since 2011, median house prices in Southend have been above the average for England (falling slightly below the average for Essex).

Affordability Ratio

The affordability ratio is a measure of the house price to income ratio in an area. The table below sets out the affordability ratio in Southend, Essex and England. For Southend, affordability ratios have increased from 4.2 times median workplace earnings in 2001 to 11.02 times median workplace earnings in 2021 (increasing to 11.61 in 2022, falling slightly to 10.51 in 2023). While affordability ratios in England have also increased - the increase in Southend (and Essex) is notably higher.

Waste Management (amount sent to landfill/ amount diverted from landfill) 2004-2023

The rate of diversion from landfill has generally continued to increase year on year, reaching 54.35% in 2021, although saw a decrease from this peak in 2022 and 2023.