Central Bedfordshire covers an area of some 716 square kilometres, and is home to approximately 255,200 people (2010 mid year estimate). 

Central Bedfordshire Key Facts and Figures (PDF 755KB) provides a wide range of useful information about the area.

The evidence base for the Sustainable Community Strategy contains detailed information about Central Bedfordshire covering a range of topics and issues.

The Bedfordshire Housing Monitor provides housing market statistics for the whole of the Bedfordshire area. 

Ward profiles are available for each of Central Bedfordshire’s current wards. There are 31 wards in total.

Ampthill ward profile (PDF 401KB)

Arlesey ward profile (PDF 431KB) 

Aspley and Woburn ward profile (PDF 510KB) 

Barton-le-Clay ward profile (PDF 656KB) 

Biggleswade North ward profile (PDF 940KB)

Biggleswade South ward profile (PDF 644KB)

Caddington ward profile (PDF 625KB)

Cranfield and Marston Moretaine ward profile (PDF 313KB)

Dunstable Central ward profile (PDF 581KB)

Dunstable Icknield ward profile (PDF 233KB)

Dunstable Manshead ward profile (PDF 506KB)

Dunstable Northfields ward profile (PDF 711KB)

Dunstable Watling ward profile (PDF 250KB)

Eaton Bray ward profile (PDF 512KB)

Flitwick ward profile (PDF 871KB)

Heath and Reach ward profile (PDF 1.4MB)

Houghton Conquest and Haynes ward profile (PDF 799KB)

Houghton Hall ward profile (PDF 921KB)

Leighton Buzzard North ward profile (PDF 294KB)

Leighton Buzzard South ward profile (PDF 241KB)

Linslade ward profile (PDF 1.1MB)

Northill ward profile (PDF 690KB)

Parkside ward profile (PDF 216KB)

Potton ward profile (PDF 611KB)

Sandy ward profile (PDF 289KB)

Shefford ward profile (PDF 496KB)

Silsoe and Shillington ward profile (PDF 327KB)

Stotfold and Langford ward profile (PDF 441KB)

Tithe Farm ward profile (PDF 223KB)

Toddington ward profile (PDF 533KB)

Westoning, Flitton and Greenfield ward profile (PDF 372KB)

There are four town profiles, for Biggleswade, Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Linslade.

• Biggleswade (PDF 713KB)
• Dunstable (PDF 390KB)
• Houghton Regis (PDF 868KB)
• Leighton Buzzard (PDF 699KB)

LSOAs (Lower Super Output Areas) are small areas of geography that are used nationally.  There are 154 LSOAs in Central Bedfordshire, each of which contained an average of 1,500 people in 2001. The areas that are profiled here are the most deprived areas in Central Bedfordshire.

• Dunstable Manshead 594 (PDF 588KB)
• Parkside 602 (PDF 736KB)
• Houghton Hall/Tithe Farm 618 (PDF 419KB)
• Parkside 601 (PDF 490KB)
• Leighton Buzzard North 609 (PDF 3.4MB)
• Tithe Farm 619 (PDF 423KB)
• Dunstable Northfields 596 (PDF 764KB)
• Sandy 433 (PDF 569KB)
• Flitwick 400 (PDF 543KB)

Data from the 2001 Census covers a wide range of topics. The information was produced by the former Bedfordshire councils, and covers the Central Bedfordshire area.

Analyses were completed prior to the local government reorganisation of 2009. Therefore all wards referred to are those of the former Mid and South Bedfordshire District Councils.

• The 2011 Census took place on 27 March 2011. Every household in England and Wales was issued with a questionnaire to complete.
• These have now been returned to the Office for National Statistics, who will begin the process of turning the questionnaire into anonymised statistics.
• Headline statistics at local authority level are expected to be released from July 2012, with full data down to small area level available by March 2013.
• We will update this page as a more detailed release schedule becomes available.

Current population

The current population of Central Bedfordshire is 255,200 (2010 mid year estimate, Office for National Statistics). 

Please click on the document below for further details of population by year, age, town, parish and ward.

• Central Bedfordshire population 2010 (PDF 32KB)

Forecast population

Central Bedfordshire’s population is forecast to increase to around 292,100 by 2021. This is based on 2009 population figures. Population forecasts based on the 2010 population estimates are not available, therefore these will remain the most up-to-date forecasts until 2012.

Please click on the document below for further details.

• Population estimates and forecasts 2009 (PDF 63KB)

In terms of overall deprivation three small areas in Central Bedfordshire were in the top 20% most deprived nationally, in 2010. A further six small areas were in the top 20-30% most deprived in England. These are shown below.

The Index of Multiple Deprivation combines a number of indicators and produces a single overall deprivation score for small areas known as Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs). Each of these small areas covers around 1,500 people and there are 154 small areas in Central Bedfordshire.

Top 9 most deprived areas in Central Bedfordshire in the overall 2010 Index of Multiple Deprivation (identified using ward name and three digit code)

1.  Dunstable Manshead 594
2.  Parkside 602
3.  Houghton Hall/Tithe Farm 618
4.  Parkside 601
5.  Leighton Buzzard North 609 
6.  Tithe Farm 619
7.  Dunstable Northfields 596
8.  Sandy 433 
9.  Flitwick 400 

Source: DCLG, Indices of Deprivation – Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2010

Profiles for each of these nine small areas are available on the LSOA profiles section, above.

For a more detailed account of this deprivation in Central Bedfordshire, please see the report on the Indices of Deprivation 2010 (PDF 343KB).

Unemployment data is available for Central Bedfordshire, including figures for wards and towns. This shows the number and rate of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in each area, known as claimant count unemployment.

Please click on the documents below for monthly unemployment figures for January 2011 to date. The files are updated monthly.

• 2011 unemployment data (PDF 64KB)
• 2012 unemployment data (PDF 37KB) 
• Unemployment flows 2011/2012 (PDF 19KB)

These figures can be accessed directly through the Nomis website.

A Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) is the process through which public sector partners identify where best to invest their resources. This aims to reduce inequalities and secure the outcomes desired by the public they serve. It also provides the data and insight on which commissioning and delivery of health, wellbeing and social care services should be based.

The development of the Central Bedfordshire JSNA has been overseen by a multi-agency executive group. In excess of 40 individual authors have contributed to its development. 

This JSNA is part of a continual process and will develop over time.

Please click on the link below to view the JSNA Executive Summary:

• Executive Summary (PDF 847KB)

For a brief overview of the key priorities and evidence use these one page summaries:

• One page summary for Children (PDF 82KB)
• One page summary for Adults (PDF 125KB)
• One page summary for Older People (PDF 64KB)

To view the full JSNA evidence base use the documents below:

• Demography and Social, Economic and Environmental Context (PDF 129KB)
• Children and Young People (PDF 439KB)
• Adults and Older People (PDF 1.4MB)

For further information about the JSNA, or to make any comments or suggestions (such as gaps you have identified), please email jsna@bedfordshire.nhs.uk