State of the County 2023

Focus on East Sussex

Version number 1

Publication date August 2023

Contents

Summary. 3

Population. 5

Housing. 17

Deprivation. 24

Environment 27

Economy. 40

Civil Society. 54

Community Safety. 55

Schools 61

Children. 72

Health. 76

Adults 84

Data. 95

Summary

Population – East Sussex has an older age profile than nationally, with a significantly higher proportion of the population aged 65+ than both England and the South East. Rother has the second highest percentage of the population aged 65 years and over in the country.

Housing – house prices in East Sussex remain higher than the national average. The ratio of median house prices to median earnings is also higher than the ratio in both the South East and England. Rented housing makes up a significant proportion of the housing sector in East Sussex, and there were significant rises in the cost of private rented housing between 2018 and 2022.

Cost of living – cost of living challenges are a significant concern to people, with nine out of ten adults nationally reporting an increase in their cost of living in April 2023. The level of concern is affected by the level of deprivation people experience, with those in the most deprived areas more concerned than those in the least deprived areas.

Refugees and asylum seekers - there has been a recent increase in the rate of people receiving asylum support within the county, particularly in our coastal communities. The county also has a high number of Ukrainians who continue to be supported through our Homes for Ukraine programme, many of whom are living in Wealden.

Environment – emissions of carbon dioxide have continued to fall in East Sussex over recent years. Although we had the lowest emissions of carbon dioxide per person of all the county council areas in England, further reductions will be needed.

Economy – employment rates have increased over the last year as the economy recovers from the pandemic. However, the challenges that existed pre-pandemic relating to productivity and average wages for those employed within the county remain and the unemployment rate in the county remains higher than the regional and national averages. Youth unemployment remains higher than the overall rate, although this has also fallen over the last year.

Community safety – neighbourhood crime rates in East Sussex are lower than the national average in all categories. There was an increase in neighbourhood crime in 2022/23 compared to the previous year. There was also a slight increase in recorded Public Place Serious Violent Crimes in 2022/23, although rates of serious violence in the county remain low.

Schools – a higher proportion of 2 year olds take up a place at an eligible early years provider in East Sussex than nationally, and more children achieve a good level of development at the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, the levels of attainment at Key Stage 2, Progress 8 and Attainment 8 are lower than nationally.

Children – we continue to see higher levels of demand for children’s social care and more complex cases which together have resulted in a higher number of child protection plans. The number of Looked After Children has also increased, 25% of those who became looked after last year were Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children. We have also continued to see increased demand for support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Health – East Sussex has a consistently higher life expectancy for both men and women than the national average. However, there is a gap in life expectancy between the most deprived and least deprived areas in the county. There is a slightly higher percentage of people who are overweight or obese in East Sussex compared to nationally, and smoking levels are also higher in some parts of the county.

Adults – the number of clients receiving long term support reduced in 2022/23. However, projections indicate that the number of people with dementia, and those with two or more health conditions will continue to increase in the coming years. A higher percentage of the population were providing unpaid care in 2021 in East Sussex than nationally.

Population

Age and sex

Census 2021 data estimated the population of East Sussex to be 545,800. Compared to England and the South East, East Sussex has a much older age profile. 26% of the population is comprised of people aged 65 or over, compared to 18% for England and 19% for the South East.

Source: Census 2021

52% of the county’s population was estimated to be female and 48% male, similar to the national split. This ratio is the same as that seen in the 2011 Census, which estimated 48% of the population to be male and 52% to be female. For those aged 65 and above, it was estimated that 55% of the population was female and 45% male.

Sexual Orientation

The 2021 Census indicates that 3.3% of the East Sussex population identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Other (LGB+). This is similar to the national average of 3.2%. Hastings had the highest percentage of people identifying as LGB+ at 4.6%.

Note: A significant percentage of people across the county provided no response, therefore the percentage of people identifying as LBG+ could be either higher or lower than estimated.

Source: Census 2021

Gender identity

Gender identity was included in the national census questions for the first time in 2021. A significant percentage of people did not respond to this question, but this is still the best data we have on this topic. 0.4% of the East Sussex population recorded that their gender identity is different to their sex registered at birth. This equates to 1,640 people.

Note: A significant percentage of people across the county provided no response, therefore the percentage of people with a different gender identity to their sex registered at birth could be either higher or lower than shown.

Source: Census 2021

Religion

For the 2021 Census, 45.9% of the population in East Sussex stated their religion was Christian, 1.1% stated their religion was Islam, 0.5% as Buddhism and 0.3% as Hindu. 44.7% of the population stated as having no religion.

The percentage of people of people with a religious belief fell between 2011 and 2021, while the number of people who stated they had no religious beliefs grew.

Source: Census 2021

The percentage of the population in East Sussex who state their religion as Christian fell by 20.7% between 2011 and 2021, while the percentage for all other religious groups increased.

Source: Census 2021

Marital status

Data from the 2021 Census shows that 31.9% of respondents from East Sussex were single, 46.8% of respondents were married or in a civil partnership, 2.3% of respondents were separated from their partners, 11.2% were divorced or had a civil partnership which was dissolved. The remaining 7.7% of respondents were widowed. 

Source: Census 2021

Ethnicity

The latest ethnicity data for the county is from the 2021 census. 93.9% of the county’s population identified as White British, compared to the regional average of 86.3% and the national average of 81.0%. A higher percentage of the population in East Sussex identified as Gypsy or Irish Traveller than the national average (0.2% compared to 0.1%).

Source: Census 2021

Overall the percentage of the population in East Sussex in each ethnic minority group has either stayed the same or increased between 2011 and 2021.

Source: Census 2021

A higher percentage of pupils (15%) are from ethnic minority backgrounds, compared to the adult population. Overall, Eastbourne has the highest percentage of students from ethnic minority backgrounds for both primary (31%) and secondary (22%) schools.

Source: ESCC Schools Census January 2023

Disability

In the 2021 Census, the proportion of the East Sussex population that identified themselves as disabled was 20.3% (110,550). This is exactly the same as the proportion that identified as disabled in the 2011 Census (20.3%, 107,150).

The percentage of people identifying themselves as disabled varied slightly across the district and boroughs, but rates across the county were higher than the South East average.

Veterans

2021 Census data shows that 4.6% of the population in East Sussex were Veterans, compared to the national average of 3.8%. This equates to 21,200 Veterans living in East Sussex.

Pregnancy and maternity

The ONS births data provides an indication of the number of women in East Sussex who may be pregnant or on maternity.

Protected characteristic: Pregnancy and maternity	East Sussex	Eastbourne	Hastings	Lewes	Rother	Wealden
Live births - 2021	4,549	883	909	781	634	1,342
Births per 1,000 females – 2020	15.7	16.8	19.6	15.0	13.2	14.6

Source: ONS

Population change

Based on the information currently available we estimate that around 550,400 people currently live in the county (ESCC 2023 interim projection). We expect that to increase to around 570,500 people in 2027, an increase of 3.6%.

We expect the increase in population to be driven by people moving into the county from elsewhere in the UK. Many of the people who choose to come to East Sussex are older adults, as a result the over 65 age group is growing faster than younger age groups. In 2027 we expect that just over half of our population will be aged 18-64 (53%), with over a quarter (29%) aged 65 and over.

Between 2023 and 2027 we are expecting that there will be around 19,000 births in the county and around 26,000 deaths. This reflects the fact that we have a larger population of older adults in East Sussex. Over the same period, we are expecting around 136,900 people to move into the county, offset by around 111,900 people moving out of the county.

Overall, these changes mean that compared to 2023, we estimate that by 2027 there will be:

• An increase of 1.0% (1,000 people) in the number of children and young people.

• An increase of 1.5% (4,500 people) in the working age population.

• 9.8% more people aged 65-84 (11,900 people).

We also expect that 4.4% of people will be aged 85+, a proportion greater than the national average of 2.4% (Source: 2021 Census).

Note: Care should be taken when using the projected population figures.  2021 Census data indicates that the population of the county in March 2021 was considerably lower than the ONS’ original mid-year estimate for June 2020.  No re-based mid-year estimates for the period 2011-2020 have yet been released by the ONS, but we are expecting that the June 2020 population figure is likely to be substantially revised downwards. Therefore, the data above is based on Interim dwelling-led population projections which have been produced by ESCC using interim re-based mid-year estimates produced by the GLA’s Demography Team, combined with the latest ONS 2021 mid-year estimate (which is based on Census 2021 population data).  The interim projections will be revised when the official ONS revised mid-year estimates for 2011-2020 are released later this year.

Projected Population in 2027

Age Range	East Sussex	England
0-17	18.1%	20.7%
18-64	53.3%	58.9%
65-84	24.2%	17.6%
85+	4.4%	2.8%

Population Change: 2023-2027

Age Range	2023	2027	Actual change
0-17	102,300	103,300	+1,000
18-64	299,700	304,100	+4,500
65-84	126,200	138,200	+11,900
85+	22,200	24,900	+2,600
All people	550,400	570,500	+20,100

Source: ESCC data, ESCC interim population projections (dwelling led) April 2023. National Data, ONS trend-based projections, from 2020. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100 and therefore may not sum.

District population change

We expect that how our population changes will be different in different parts of the county. By 2027 our interim projections suggest:

· An increase of 15% (1,000) more people aged 85+ in Wealden; the smallest increase will be in Eastbourne, 9% (400).

· 11% (4,300) more people aged 65-84 in Wealden, and 10% (2,100) more people in Eastbourne, Lewes will see an 8% (1,800) increase.

· Only Wealden is projected to see a significant increase in the working age population (18-64) of 5% (4,500).

· Eastbourne (down 0.7%, 400 people) and Rother (down 0.5%, 200) are projected to see falls in the working age population over this period.

District population change 2023 – 2027

Housing

Housing affordability

East Sussex is an attractive area to live, however this means that house prices are higher than the national average. In 2022 in East Sussex the average (median) house price was £335,000, 10.8 times the average annual earnings of residents, which were £31,145. In comparison the average house price in England was £275,000, 8.3 times average annual earnings, which were £33,208.

The average ratio of median house prices to median earnings in East Sussex is higher than for England and is now also slightly higher than the South East average.

Source: ONS

The median average house prices were over 10 times the average annual earnings of residents in all East Sussex districts and boroughs except for Eastbourne and Hastings.

Source: ONS

The same pattern can be seen when comparing the cost of some of the less expensive houses to the earnings of those on lower incomes. Lower quartile (25% least expensive) house prices were over 10 times lower quartile earnings in all districts and boroughs except Eastbourne and Hastings.

Source: ONS

Rented housing is a significant sector in East Sussex, making up 21.9% of housing in Wealden and 42.9% in Hastings.

Source: Census 2021.

The cost of private rented housing rose by up to 27% between 2018 and 2022. Average private rents range from £167 to £230 a week across districts.

Source: ONS/Valuation Office Agency

The Council’s Children’s Services Department have a duty to help children whose families face destitution. As some immigrant families with children have no recourse to public funds the Council provides assistance to prevent them from becoming homeless. The total number of people assisted with accommodation over the last three years has fluctuated, but the number of households has been very consistent.

Year	Number of adults	Number of children	Total households
2020/21	23	40	22
2021/22	31	53	22
2022/23	21	34	21

Source: ESCC Children’s Services department

Cost of living

Nationally nine out of ten adults reported an increase in their cost of living in April 2023, with increases in the price of food, utility bills and fuel the most common reasons given (ONS Opinions and Lifestyle Survey).

Nationally people were most concerned about the cost of energy and the cost of food, with almost five out of ten people concerned about these in April 2023. The level of concern is affected by the level of deprivation people experience, with those living in the most deprived areas being more concerned about these factors than those living in the least deprived areas.

Proportion of all adults in England reporting that they were worried about the cost of food, by deprivation quintile.

Note: Please note confidence intervals apply to this data, see Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, Office of National Statistics for further information.

Source: Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, Office of National Statistics.

Households and housing delivery

In 2021/22 1,606 new dwellings were completed, of these 350 (22.4%) were classed as affordable.

Source: ESCC Housing Monitoring Database, Lewes District Council housing monitoring system.

Households in temporary accommodation

There has been an increase in the number of households in temporary accommodation. Hastings had the second highest rate of households in temporary accommodation in the South East, behind Brighton and Hove in September 2022.

District/Borough	Number of households in temporary accommodation (31 December 2022)
Eastbourne	351
Hastings	524
Lewes	93
Rother	128
Wealden	39

Refugees and asylum seekers

The number of people receiving asylum support from the Home Office across the South East increased last year. In East Sussex numbers increased in Eastbourne, Hastings and Wealden, however most of the people receiving asylum support in December 2022 were in Eastbourne and Hastings.

This has a greater impact on some of our communities due to the use of multiple sites in a small area to accommodate asylum seekers. The Government is currently exploring the use of larger sites to reduce the use of hotels and other private accommodation. As part of this there are Government proposals to house up to 1,200 asylum seekers at the Northeye site in Bexhill by December 2023.

Deprivation

The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 2019 measures relative deprivation for small areas in England. It takes into account a number of factors including health, access to services, environment, crime and housing, however income and employment have the greatest effect on the deprivation score given to an area. The map shows how deprived individual parts of the county are compared to the national average.

The IMD is calculated for small areas called LSOAs, as shown on the map, each of which have approximately 1,500 residents. In East Sussex there are 329 LSOAs, 22 are in the most deprived 10% nationally. 16 of these are in Hastings, four in Eastbourne, and two in Rother. 21 LSOAs are in the least deprived 10%, 13 are in Wealden, six in Lewes, and two in Eastbourne.

Areas of high deprivation correlate with some areas of predominately rented housing. This includes concentrations of social rented properties (up to 70%) and private rented properties (up to 68%), and both (up to 81%). Measures of deprivation include the indoor living environment, and in these areas, more properties (excluding social housing) may be in poor condition or without central heating, leading to higher heating costs and other negative outcomes.

People living in more deprived areas are often facing multiple challenges and therefore may be more likely to access Council and other public services. However, it is important to note that the IMD is based on averages across an area, so it is possible to have people with low levels of deprivation in an area classified as being more deprived and vice versa.

The relationship between multiple deprivation, low income and poor-quality housing means it can be hard to change relative deprivation for people living in an area of predominantly low-cost housing without addressing housing quality.

Some of the data that the IMD is based on is now several years old. However, the latest child poverty data, relating to children living in families with relative low-income, shows a similar pattern in income deprivation across the county.

In 2021/22, there were 20,910 children in East Sussex living in families with relative low-income, which was 18.6% of all children and young people aged 0-19. This is a slightly lower rate than the national average of 19.8%. 87% of all children in relative low-income families in East Sussex were in working families. This compares to the national picture, where 71% of children in relative low-income families were in working families. Only 13% of East Sussex children in low-income families were in families where no-one was in work.

23.5% of East Sussex pupils are known to be eligible for Free School Meals (January 2023). The latest England figure is 22.5% (January 2022).

Environment

The Cumulative CO_2e emissions budget

Emissions of the main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO₂), in East Sussex fell by 45% between 2005 and 2020, while the population grew by about 8%. This excludes emissions that occur outside the area due to demand for goods and services that are consumed in the county. This reduction is similar to the decrease seen nationally and driven by the same changes (e.g. the switch from coal to gas and renewables to generate electricity).

The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change has calculated the emissions reductions necessary for East Sussex (and other local authority areas) to make a fair contribution towards keeping the increase in global average temperature below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This requires cutting emissions from the county area by an average of about 13% per year, which roughly equates to halving total emissions every 5 years.

Source: Tyndall Centre for Climate Change, 2022.

Emissions from domestic properties and transport are the greatest contributors to overall emissions across the county. Domestic emissions fell by 41% between 2005 and 2020. Transport emissions fell as a slower pace, with a sharp fall seen in 2020 due to pandemic related travel restrictions.

Land use (and land use changes) both absorb and emit carbon, however on an overall (net) basis carbon emissions from land use in East Sussex are negative. Carbon is absorbed by forests and grasslands, while carbon losses occur on existing cropland and when natural land (e.g. grassland) is converted to croplands or settlements. Lewes, Rother and Wealden all have significant (net) negative land use emissions, whilst land use emissions in the urban boroughs of Eastbourne and Hastings are negligible.

Source: BEIS

Domestic emissions make up a larger share of emissions in the county’s two urban areas, Eastbourne and Hastings than the three more rural areas; whilst transport emissions are lower. This is due to the smaller road networks in the urban areas, and smaller, higher density housing. Per capita domestic emissions are higher in the rural areas, as houses tend to be larger, and many properties use higher carbon forms of heating such as oil and coal.

Source: BEIS

Climate adaptation

Even if global warming can be limited to 1.5ºC, significant additional investment will be needed in measures to adapt to the effects of climate change that are already locked in due to past emissions of greenhouse gases.

Source: Met Office

UK Met Office predictions of the effects of climate change in East Sussex include hotter and drier summers, milder and wetter winters, more droughts, more flooding, and more intense and frequent storms. This is predicted to lead to an increase in heat-related deaths, particularly amongst the elderly, damage to essential infrastructure, increased cost of food, disruption to supply chains and service provision, greater coastal erosion, and impact on coastal habitats.

Water quality

Water pollution is mostly caused by land management practices (e.g., agricultural run-off), wastewater treatment plants, and urban and highway run-off. The most recent data available for groundwater bodies is for 2019. The quality of water bodies in East Sussex has deteriorated slightly in recent years. The number of groundwater bodies in East Sussex rated as good reduced from three to two between 2016 and 2019. The quality of some ground waters, which provide about 70% of drinking water, have deteriorated due to rising nitrate levels, mostly due to historic farming practices.

Source: Environment Agency

The quality of bathing waters has also decreased in recent years. Between 2017 and 2022, the number of monitored beaches rated excellent fell from six to four, whilst the number rated sufficient grew from zero to two.

Source: Environment Agency

Air quality

Poor air quality has an impact on both human health and the natural environment. The concentration of pollutants in the air is affected by emissions, and also factors such as building layout and weather conditions. In East Sussex, there are three main pollutants of concern:

· Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). The main sources of NO₂ are road vehicles and domestic combustion.

· Particulates (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5). The main sources of particulates are road vehicles and solid fuel combustion.

· Ozone (O₃). Ozone is a secondary pollutant, created by other pollutant gases reacting in sunlight. It is a long-lived pollutant and tends to be a problem in urban background and rural locations, rather than at roadsides.

In Sussex, air quality is monitored by a small network of automatic monitoring stations. Ozone is the primary pollutant of concern in East Sussex, monitored at five sites. In 2020 there were 115 days where ozone was ‘moderate’ or ‘high’, falling to 38 in 2021 – this is for ‘monitor days’, e.g., if all five monitors recorded moderate ozone on the same calendar day, it would be counted as 5 days. The difference between the two years is largely due to weather conditions.

There are two Air Quality Management Areas in East Sussex. These have both been declared for nitrogen dioxide by Lewes District Council: one in Lewes town centre, and one in central Newhaven. These are areas where local monitoring suggests that legal air quality limits are unlikely to be achieved.

Designated sites and reserves

East Sussex has a rich natural environment, with over two thirds of the county covered by one or more environmental designations. The table shows how much of the county is covered by which type of designation.

	Designated sites and reserves	Area (ha)
	Ramsar	6442.36
International	Special Area of Conservation (SAC)	7192.92
	Special Protection Area (SPA)	5546.39
	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)	87979.64
National	National Nature Reserve (NNR)	320.86
	National Park	24364.93
	Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)	15379.81
	Country Park	692.27
	Local Geological Site (LGS)	765.52
Local	Local Nature Reserve (LNR)	1434.67
	Local Wildlife Site (LWS)	9429.68
	Notable Road Verge	24.35
	Environmental Stewardship Agreement	31592.2
	National Trust	1839.31
Reserve/ Property	RSPB Reserve	276.12
	Sussex Wildlife Trust Reserve	1118.38
	Woodland Trust	483.53

Source: Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre

Habitats

The key habitats in East Sussex are grassland, arable farmland and woodland.

Habitat	% of East Sussex
Water bodies	1.5%
Arable	22.7%
Grassland	40.0%
Heathland	0.9%
Intertidal	0.7%
Coastal	0.4%
Built up Areas and Gardens	9.1%
Woodland	19.9%
Other	4.8%

Ecology

Protected Areas

Over half of the county is designated for its landscape value, either as part of a National Park or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are 65 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), covering about 8% of the county, which recognises and protects their biological and or geological value. About half of these SSSIs are additionally designated as being internationally important for biodiversity, either as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the Habitats Directive, a Special Protection Area (SPA) under the Birds Directive, or a Ramsar site (an internally important wetland site).

There are 26 Local Nature Reserves (LNRs), four National Nature Reserves (NNRs) – considered to be the “jewel in the crown” of SSSIs, and 285 Local Wildlife Sites (LWSs). About a third of the county supports priority habitats, which are identified as being of principal importance for conservation.

Condition

About three quarters of the SSSIs are in favourable or favourable recovering condition and the rest have either been partially destroyed or are in unfavourable condition. About half of the LWS are currently known to be in positive conservation management.

Assets at Risk

Sussex Nature Partnership Natural Capital Investment Strategy 2019 identifies priority habitats as being at high risk, because they:

a) Are not adequately protected under existing mechanisms.

b) Are fragile or vulnerable and/or already highly fragmented.

c) May be of particular significance in a Sussex context.

d) Are irreplaceable or not easily recreated (either on-site or elsewhere) if destroyed.

The priority habitats are:

· Lowland heath – particularly significant in East Sussex, notably at Ashdown Forest, due to small amounts present in the south of England, the fragmentation of the habitat type (especially outside Ashdown Forest) and provides a range of benefits, notably clean water.

· Mudflats and saltmarsh – these habitats provide a range of benefits yet are under increasing pressure from climate change, development, and construction of hard sea defences. The national picture is one of medium risk, but the East Sussex context (with high levels of coastal squeeze) increases the risk to these habitats and the benefits they provide. There are small amounts at Newhaven Tide Mills, Cuckmere Estuary and Rye Harbour.

· Vegetated shingle – a globally restricted and internationally important habitat, for which East Sussex is a stronghold in the UK, mostly at Rye Harbour.

· Reedbed, fen and grazing marsh – small and highly fragmented areas remain in East Sussex, notably at Pevensey, yet they have the potential to provide a wide range of benefits, particularly flood risk mitigation in flood plains and provision of clean water.

· Floodplain woodlands – a fragmentated habitat type which plays a very important role in floodplain function.

· Species rich grassland – highly fragmented and those areas outside formal designated areas have little/no protection from further loss. These areas are a priority for loss to development.

Marine Conservation Zones

There are two Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) off East Sussex, with two other offshore sites under consideration. Designated under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, MCZs protect areas that are important to conserve the diversity of national rare, threatened, and representative habitats and species. These are Beachy Head West which stretches along coastline from Brighton Marina to Beachy Head, with a gap at Newhaven and Beachy Head East which contains two marine Sites of Nature Conservation Importance: the Royal Sovereign Shoals and the Horse of Willingdon Reef. This large inshore area runs to Hastings, out to just beyond six nautical miles from the coast at its furthest points.

Nature Recovery Network Mapping

The map below shows the fragmented state of the most important species rich habitats that are to be conserved under section 41 of the National Environment and Rural Communities Act.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies

The Council has been appointed as a provisional Responsible Authority to produce a Local Nature Recovery Strategy for East Sussex and Brighton & Hove, under the Environment Act 2021. Local Nature Recovery Strategies are a new system of spatial strategies for nature. They are designed to work closely alongside other measures in the Act and will help support delivery of mandatory biodiversity net gain, provide a focus for a strengthened duty on all public authorities to conserve and enhance biodiversity, and will underpin a national Nature Recovery Network.

Waste

The overall quantity of household waste collected has risen since 2019/20. This is thought to be due to changes in working patterns, with more people working from home. The recycling rate fell slightly during the first year of the pandemic - mainly due to the impact on waste management procedures – but has now recovered.

Source: Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs

In 2021/22 East Sussex sent 0.6% of all waste collected to landfill. This was the third lowest amongst authorities who operate similar services to us, and the lowest of any county council. 43% of waste was recycled or reused, whilst 55% was sent for energy recovery. Note these figures differ slightly to the chart above due to additional waste collected (non-household waste) and stockpiling at waste management facilities. Our Energy Recovery Facility supplies power for over 25,000 homes.

Source: Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs

Flooding

The tables below show the number of residential and non-residential properties identified as at risk of flooding between 2016 and 2026. The data shows that the majority of the flood risk is concentrated in the highly populated coastal towns, and in settlements situated in the flood plains of the rivers Ouse, Cuckmere and Rother.

	Residential Properties at Risk
Settlement	2016-2026 Assessment
Eastbourne	Greater than 1,000
Seaford	500 to 1,000
Newhaven	50 to 150
Peacehaven	150 to 500
Lewes	50 to 150
Hailsham	150 to 500
Bexhill	500 to 1,000
Battle	50 to 150
Hastings	Greater than 1,000
Rye	Fewer than 50
Heathfield	50 to 150
Crowborough	50 to 150
Uckfield	Fewer than 50
Forest Row	Fewer that 50

Note: A comparison of residential properties at risk from a 1 in 30 year surface water flood event (3% chance in any given year) between 2016-2026 Assessments of Local Flood Risk. Source: ESCC Flood Risk Strategy

	Non-Residential Properties at Risk
Settlement	2016-2026 Assessment
Eastbourne	Greater than 200
Seaford	25 to 50
Newhaven	Fewer than 25
Peacehaven	Fewer than 25
Lewes	Fewer than 25
Hailsham	25 to 50
Bexhill	25 to 50
Battle	Fewer than 25
Hastings	Greater than 200
Rye	Fewer than 25
Heathfield	Fewer than 25
Crowborough	Fewer than 25
Uckfield	Fewer than 25
Forest Row	Fewer than 25

Note: A comparison of non-residential properties at risk from a 1 in 30 year surface water flood event (3% chance in any given year) between 2016-2026 Assessments of Local Flood Risk. Source: ESCC Flood Risk Strategy.

Economy

GVA per hour

Gross Value Added (GVA) per hour is used to assess the productivity of an area. It measures the value of goods or services produced in an area per hour worked in that area. GVA per hour for East Sussex in 2020 was £29.41, 23.2% below the England level of £38.29.

Source: ONS

Employment

77.1% of the East Sussex working age population (age 16-64) were in employment between January – December 2022 (up from 75.0% in 2021). This was higher than the national average of 75.4% but below the average across the South East of 78.1%.

Sources: Annual Population Survey/Labour Force Survey, NOMIS/ONS

Wealden experienced a surge of almost five percentage points since 2021, giving it the highest rate of employment at 79.4%. Meanwhile, Hastings had the lowest at 75.6% following a dip of four percentage points compared to the previous year.

Sources: Annual National Survey/Labour Force Survey, NOMIS/ONS

A higher proportion of people work part time in East Sussex (34.8%) than in the South East (29.5%) or England (29.8%).

Sources: Census 2021

Unemployment

The unemployment rate for March 2023 was 3.6% for East Sussex, slightly lower than the national average of 3.8%, but above the regional average of 2.9%. Hastings had the highest rate of the districts and boroughs at 5.7%.

Source: Office for National Statistics/NOMIS - claimants of Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) or Universal Credit (UC) who are searching for work age 16 – 64

Youth unemployment (age 18-24) is normally higher than the overall rate and this trend is greater at time of economic stress. At March 2022 youth unemployment for East Sussex was 6.2%, whilst the England rate was 4.9%. Hastings had the highest district and borough rate at 9.2%. Rates in East Sussex fell for March 2023 to 5.8%, compared to 4.9% nationally. Youth unemployment in Hastings remained higher than the county average at 9.2%.

Within this female unemployment is usually lower than male unemployment. For example, in March 2023 female youth unemployment for Hastings was 6.8%, male 11.8%.

More males are usually economically active meaning the unemployment rate results in relatively more unemployed males than the same rate for females. 610 young people were unemployed in Hastings in March 2023, 215 were female and 395 were male.

Source all: Office for National Statistics/NOMIS

Earnings

Residence based earnings are close to the England average workplace earnings for both full and part-time employees. However, for full-time employees in East Sussex, workplace earnings are lower than the rates in the South East and England. Residence based earnings are those of people living within East Sussex, some of whom have workplaces outside East Sussex; workplace earnings are those of people whose workplace is within East Sussex.

Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics

Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics.

Skills

There were 13,780 apprenticeship starts in East Sussex between 2017 and 2022.  Apprenticeship starts in East Sussex in 2021/22 were up 5% on the previous year.  Higher level apprenticeship starts in 2021/22 rose by 6%

Source: Department for Education further education data library, apprenticeships

Qualification levels across the county are broadly in line with the regional and national averages. Both Lewes and Wealden have a significantly higher proportion of better qualified people compared to the rest of districts and boroughs in the county.

	Qualifications of working age population 2021 (16-64)
	None	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4+	Other
Eastbourne	12.2%	11.6%	16.7%	20.6%	32.2%	6.7%
Hastings	14.1%	11.9%	17.4%	19.8%	30.6%	6.2%
Lewes	9.2%	10.7%	16.5%	20.4%	37.4%	5.7%
Rother	11.0%	11.7%	17.5%	21.1%	32.6%	6.1%
Wealden	8.1%	10.5%	17.9%	22.1%	35.3%	6.0%
East Sussex	10.6%	11.2%	17.2%	21.0%	33.8%	6.1%
SE region	10.0%	9.9%	15.3%	20.1%	38.8%	5.9%
England	12.4%	9.9%	14.8%	19.5%	37.1%	6.3%

Source: Census 2021

Employment by industry

Across East Sussex as a whole the proportion of people employed in different industries is broadly similar to the national picture. We have a higher proportion of people employed in human health and social work and a lower proportion employed in professional, scientific and technical, and manufacturing than the national average. However, employment by industry varies significantly across the county. It is interesting to note that the proportion of people employed within the Accommodation and Food industry reduced by half in Rother compared to 2020 (from 10% to 5%), possibly linked to the impacts of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Other includes- Arts, Entertainment and other; Agriculture energy and water, Transportation and storage; and Information and communication.

Source: Census 2021

Businesses

The information on business registrations and closures dates to the time of the pandemic. In 2021 there were 2,385 business starts and 2,520 business closures. The East Sussex new business registration rate per 10,000 people decreased between 2020 and 2021 to 51.4. The highest rate was in Wealden at 55.9, whilst the lowest was in Lewes at 47.1.

The data shows that there was a small net loss in businesses in 2021, which was a difficult year for businesses across the country due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source for all: ONS Business Demography

Infrastructure

The latest Department for Transport data from 2019 shows there was good access to services by car. However, accessing services by public transport or walking can be more challenging in rural areas.

Access to employment centres (100-499 jobs) within 30 minutes by public transport/walking.

This table details the projects which will improve the infrastructure in East Sussex in the coming years.

Key
Local Growth Fund		Other Funds
Area	Project		Value
Countywide	Infrastructure at business sites		£1.7m
Countywide	Walking and cycling improvements		£20.7m
Countywide	Developing EV infrastructure provision across the county		Awaiting Bid Outcome
Countywide	Broadband - Superfast coverage (>30 Mbps) 98% Ultrafast coverage (>100Mbps) 32%		£32m
Countywide	Bus priority measures		£18.5m
Countywide	Potential A259 Major Road Network Improvements		N/A
Countywide	Exceat Bridge Levelling Up Fund		£7.9m
Countywide	A27 improvements		£75.0m
Countywide	Potential A27 offline solution		N/A
Countywide	Lewes to Newhaven rail signalling improvements		£18.0m
Countywide	A22 junction improvement package		£46.5m
Countywide	Blackfriars road infrastructure		£8.7m
Countywide	Centres of Digital Excellence across Sussex		£2.3m
Countywide	Greener Sussex land management & Decarbonisation Academies		£7.2m
Countywide	Agri-Food Centre for training, education and skills development		£4.4m
Bexhill	North Bexhill Access Road		£18.6m
Bexhill	Bexhill Enterprise Park North		£1.9m
Bexhill	Bexhill Enterprise Park Development		£46.0m
Eastbourne	Eastbourne Town Centre Movement and Access Package (Terminus Road)		£11.3m
Eastbourne	Eastbourne and South Wealden walking and cycling package		£6.6m
Eastbourne	Hailsham, Polegate and Eastbourne Movement and Access Corridor		£2.1m
Eastbourne	Devonshire Park - redevelopment to maximise conference and tourist markets		£54.0m
Eastbourne	Bedfordwell Road - site preparation for housing development		£1.2m
Eastbourne	Levelling Up Fund		£19.9m
Hastings	Bexhill and Hastings Movement and Access Package		£9.0m
Hastings	Potential HS1 rail extension (also to Bexhill and Eastbourne)		N/A
Hastings	Town Deal		£24.3m
Hastings	The Observer Building, Hastings (Phase 2)		£2.2m
Lewes	North Street Quarter		N/A
Lewes	Seven Sisters Country Park Visitor Infrastructure Uplift		£0.3m
Newhaven	Newhaven Flood Defences		£17.0m
Newhaven	Newhaven Port Access Road		£23.0m
Newhaven	Newhaven Port - new border infrastructure		£6.2m
Newhaven	Future High Streets		£5.0m
Newhaven	Town Deal		£19.3m
Newhaven	Levelling Up Fund		£12.7m
Newhaven	UTC Maritime & Sustainable Technology Hub		£1.3m
Rother	Levelling Up Fund		£19.2m
Rye	Rye Harbour Nature Reserve Discovery Centre		£0.9m
Uckfield	Bus station improvements		£0.5m
Uckfield	Potential Movement and Access Corridor improvements		£0.8m

N/A = Not Allocated at present

Demand for commercial units is strong, however, there is recognition that there is less new workspace being made available to meet that need across the county. As well as improvements in physical infrastructure there is also ongoing work to improve digital connectivity.

Broadband

Over 98% of East Sussex premises had access to superfast broadband in 2022, with 53% having access to Gigabit capable broadband. 0.45% of properties have less than the Legal Universal Service Obligation (at least 10Mbps).

Source: Ofcom fixed broadband coverage data (2021) shown for LSOAs.

Digital Inclusion

As more businesses and services use digital channels to engage with residents those people who are digitally excluded are likely to face increasing challenges. Access to broadband is one part of being able to access digital services. People also need to have the necessary skills and confidence to use digital services, as well as being able to afford the devices and data connections needed for these.

A digital exclusion risk index has been developed by the Greater Manchester Office of Data Analytics that shows where people at higher risk of digital exclusion live. This index is based on a range of data including data on population, relative deprivation and broadband coverage. Areas where people have a higher risk of digital exclusion have a higher score, for East Sussex the areas with the highest risk of digital exclusion scores are in the south of the county. It should be noted that the index includes the proportion of population aged over 65 as one of the risk factors due to national research indicating lower digital skill levels in this age group. We have a large population of over 65s in East Sussex, many of whom will have strong digital skills.

Source: Digital Exclusion Risk Index (Greater Manchester Office of Data Analytics)

Civil Society

Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector and volunteering

We have a diverse range of VCSE organisations working at every level, neighbourhood, town/parish, and district/borough, there are over 3,000 not-for-profit groups and organisations providing activities and support to residents and communities that bring about positive change and improve people’s lives.

Some of the organisations the Council funded or supported during 2022:

Source: ESCC VCSE Team.

A quarter of the population volunteer at least once a month in East Sussex, giving their time to local causes, groups, and communities that aim to make communities a better place where helping people themselves is part of everyday life. The sense of community that volunteering brings enables people to feel connected and that they are making a positive difference.

Community Safety

Drug and alcohol-related harm

The number of East Sussex adults in substance misuse treatment in the 12 months to the end of January 2023 increased by 8.88% to 2,562, compared to the 12 months to the end of January 2022. This is notable when compared to the national data which saw an overall 0.33% decrease in the number of adults in treatment year on year. Of these 19.63% (503) were in treatment for use of alcohol and non-opiates, this is an increase of 32.72% on the previous year, and 106.15% on the 12 months to 31st January 2020.  Nationally, the increase between the 12 months to the end of January 2023 from the end of January 2022 was 2.9%.

The proportion in treatment for opiate use dropped to 42.27% from 46.24% in the previous year while the number in treatment for opiate use dropped slightly from 1,088 to 1,083 individuals. The number of adults in treatment solely for alcohol use increased 13.0% year on year, compared to a 1.12% increase nationally.

Source: National Drug Treatment Monitoring System

Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking

The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is a framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery and ensuring they receive the appropriate support. Nationally in 2022, the NRM received 16,938 referrals of potential victims of modern slavery, which represents a 33% increase in referrals compared to 2021 (12,706). 2022 recorded the highest number of annual referrals since the NRM began in 2009.  Of all referrals nationally, 52% (8,854) were for potential victims who claimed exploitation as adults whilst 41% (7,019) claimed exploitation as children, and for the remaining cases the age at exploitation was unknown. 80% of potential child victims referred to the NRM in 2022 were male (5,607) and 20% were female (1,978) and the most common form of exploitation reported for potential child victims was criminal exploitation. UK nationals represented the second highest nationality referred to the NRM. Of all the UK nationals referred, 80% were potential child victims.

In East Sussex, two adults and nine minors (child 17 or under) who were potential victims of modern slavery and human trafficking were referred by the authority through the NRM in 2022, compared to two adults and ten minors in 2021 (Source: National Referral Mechanism statistics).

Serious Violence

Serious Violence is one of the areas that is under increasing national scrutiny. We have an active focus on this through our partnership working, however rates of serious violence in East Sussex are low.

In 2022/23, there were 496 Public Place Serious Violent Crimes in East Sussex. This was an increase of 13.2% compared to the previous year (438). The highest percentage increase has been for Robberies (41.8%). There has been a decrease of 7.2% in Serious Violence with Injury and an increase in Knife Crime of 11.5%.

Source: ESCC Adult Social Care and Health Department

Child criminal exploitation and child sexual exploitation

Between April 2022 and January 2023, 33 East Sussex children were experiencing either criminal or sexual exploitation or both. This is in line with the number of children experiencing exploitation in the same period the previous year. 

Three quarters of children experiencing exploitation were male and 85% were aged 15 or older. These children receive support from the Multi-Agency Child Exploitation (MACE) group. 21 children were removed from MACE during the year due to a lowering of their risk level, the average time it took for a child to be removed from MACE was just under six months.

Domestic violence and abuse

During 2022, nationally there was a 2% increase in referrals into Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC) compared to 2021. The MARACs are meetings where the highest risk domestic abuse cases are discussed. In East Sussex there was a 4% decrease for the Eastbourne, Lewes and Wealden (ELW) MARAC, and an 15% decrease for Hastings and Rother (HR) MARAC. This is the first time there has been a decrease in referrals to a MARAC in East Sussex since 2015, aside from the impact of national lockdowns which saw a 3% decrease in referrals to HR MARAC in 2020. However, East Sussex has a historically high number of referrals into MARAC and both ELW and HR remain over the recommended number of 40 cases per 10,000 population.

Source: ESCC Adult Social Care and Health Department

Neighbourhood Crime

Neighbourhood crime includes burglary, vehicle offenses, theft from person and robbery. In total, neighbourhood crimes in East Sussex increased by 27% in 2022/23 compared to 2021/22, with the biggest increase observed for vehicle offenses with an increase of 40.5%. However, neighbourhood crime rates in East Sussex are lower than the national average across all categories.

Source: ESCC Adult Social Care and Health Department

Road Safety

The rate of people being killed or seriously injured (KSI) in road traffic collisions in East Sussex has historically been higher than the average for England. For the three-year period 2017-2019 (the latest period not impacted by the national lockdowns) the average rate of people killed or seriously injured for East Sussex was 68.1 per 100,000 population compared to 43.2 in England. Note that standard road safety reporting is based on a three-year reporting period. 2017-2019 has been used as this is the last period not affected by COVID-19.

Although East Sussex has had higher rates of people killed or seriously injured than the national average and many other areas, direct comparisons between rates are uncertain due to both methods of data collection and recording across police forces, and the differences in road networks and infrastructure.

The number of people killed or seriously injured in East Sussex has fluctuated in recent years. Please note the 2020 and 2021 figures were affected by COVID-19 restrictions/lockdowns. The figures also include crashes on the Strategic Road Network which is managed by National Highways.

Number of people killed or seriously injured in East Sussex

Year	Seriously injured	Fatalities	Total
2022	374	20	394
2021	321	18	339
2020	278	17	295
2019	395	14	409
2018	334	21	355
2017	344	26	370
2016	358	24	382

Source: Sussex Safer Roads Partnership

Schools

Early Years

East Sussex received 1,598 applications for a funded place for eligible 2-year-olds in the spring 2023 funding period. Of these, 275 children were not eligible to receive funding. 82% (1,085) of the remaining 1,323 eligible children have accessed a place with an early year’s provider, compared to the national average of 72%.

Source: ESCC Children’s Services

Attainment

Academic Year 21/22

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Early Years Good Level of Development is achieving the expected standard for: communication and language; physical development; personal, social and emotional development; literacy and mathematics.

Source: ESCC Children’s Services

The percentage point gap between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) achieving a good level of development and their peers is -16.5. The national average gap for this cohort for 2022 is -19.6.

Key Stage 2 Attainment

Key Stage 2: Reading, writing and mathematics.

The percentage of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2.

Source: ESCC Children’s Services

Source: ESCC Children’s Services

Key Stage 4: Progress 8

Progress 8 is a measure of students’ progress across the Attainment 8 subjects from the end of primary school (Key Stage 2) to the end of secondary school (Key Stage 4). Scores for East Sussex are below national.

Source: ESCC Children’s Services

Key Stage 4: Attainment 8

Attainment 8 is the students’ average achievement across eight subjects: English, mathematics, three English Baccalaureate (EBacc) subjects (from sciences, computer science, geography, history and languages), and three further subjects, from the range of EBacc subjects, or any other GCSE or approved, high-value arts, academic, or vocational qualifications.

Source: ESCC Children’s Services

Source: ESCC Children’s Services

Attendance

The pandemic has had a significant adverse impact on school attendance, with both nationally and locally, the proportion of children persistently absent from school, defined as missing more than 10% of sessions, doubling. The Government has published new attendance guidance to clarify responsibilities for local authorities, schools, parents and carers. By September 2023, the expectation is that all councils should strengthen their oversight of attendance through regular individual dialogue with all schools, and provide whole family early help support, free of any charge, to schools and all families of children whose attendance is less than 50%.

Absence as of 31^st March 2023:

School type	Persistent Absence (%)	Overall Absence (%)
East Sussex Primary Schools*	18.96	6.38
East Sussex Secondary Schools*	30.41	10.36
East Sussex Special Schools*	44.81	15.67
East Sussex schools overall*	24.29	8.24
FFT National Primary Schools**	20.0	6.3
FFT National Secondary Schools**	27.0	9.2

* Please note that this local data is unverified and does not include schools that do not use SIMS for recording attendance. Persistent absence is the number of pupils with attendance of 90% or lower, expressed as a percentage of pupils on the roll. Overall absence is the total number of sessions missed as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions available.

** The Fisher Family Trust (FFT) Attendance Tracker provides a national figure, it is based on the approximately 9,500 schools that participate. This is out of about 22,000 schools and so the FFT national figure needs to be seen in that context.

East Sussex has high levels of suspension and exclusion, and these are rising further in line with national trends. School leaders are experiencing increased levels and complexity of need in their school populations and the demand for support services remains high.

Academic Year 2021-22
The percentage of exclusions in primary schools per school population in that year:
(i) Fixed term	1.81%
(ii) Permanent	0.04%
The percentage of exclusions in secondary schools per school population in that year:
(i) Fixed term	19.19%
(ii) Permanent	0.06%

Young people in education, employment and training

94.1% of young people at academic age 16 (year 12) and 86.1% age 17 (year 13) were participating in education, training, or employment with training under the Raising the Participation Age (RPA) Duty in quarter 4. However, 96.4% of 16 years old and 93.6.% of 17 year olds were participating in some form of education, training or employment – this includes those in employment without DfE regulated training, or part-time/temporary employment. The number of 16- and 17-year-olds who were not in education, employment or training was 4.1%, below pre-COVID levels of 4.4% Jan 2020. There are concerns about the impact of the further reduction in the vocational/work-based learning offer for young people, with the national Traineeship programme ceasing from summer 2023, as well as European Social Fund not in education, training or employment (NEET) provision.

Source: ESCC Children’s Services

Source: ESCC Children’s Services

School places

Although our overall population of under 18s is expected to increase slightly over the period 2023 – 2027, the highest rate of growth is expected in those aged 16 – 17, with an expected fall in numbers of children aged 4 – 10.

Age/year	2023	2026	% change 2023-2026	2027	2031	% change 2027-2031
0-3	19,650	20,150	2.5%	20,180	20,840	3.3%
4-10	39,190	38,870	-0.8%	38,770	39,390	1.6%
11-15	31,180	31,390	0.7%	31,160	30,600	-1.8%
16-17	12,280	12,870	4.8%	13,190	12,890	-2.3%

Source: ESCC population projections by age. Interim - April 2023, LDS-based, dwelling-led, numbers rounded to 10

Note: Care should be taken when using the projected population figures above. Due to ONS revised mid-year population estimates not currently being available these are interim projections based on dwelling-led population projections. Please see the note under the Population section for further details. 

The total numbers of pupils in primary schools peaked in 2018/19 and are now in decline. As a result the temporary additional capacity in schools that was put in place to accommodate the peak will be removed, leading to a net reduction in capacity of 240 places, between 2022/23 and 2026/27.

Source: ESCC Pupil Forecasting Model, May 2023

In contrast, secondary pupil numbers are expected to continue to increase and peak around 2024/25. 605 additional permanent places and 60 additional temporary places will be added between 2022/23 and 2024/25 to meet forecast demand in local areas.

Source: ESCC Pupil Forecasting Model, May 2023

State funded schools, percentage overall effectiveness Ofsted 2021

The majority of schools in East Sussex are outstanding or good as assessed by Ofsted.

Children

Supporting Families

Our Supporting Families programme supports vulnerable families who are facing multiple challenges to achieve better outcomes. The key outcomes for the programme are:

· Getting a good education.

· Good early years development.

· Improved mental and physical health.

· Promoting recovery and reducing harm from substance use.

· Improved family relationships.

· Children safe from abuse and exploitation.

· Crime prevention and tackling crime.

· Safe from domestic abuse.

· Secure housing.

· Financial stability.

We receive payment from Government for each family that we help to achieve significant and sustained progress across each of the outcomes where they need support. By the end of 2022/23, 6,633 families had received or were receiving support and 4,276 had achieved Payment by Results outcomes.

Source: ESCC Children’s Services

Child Protection (CP) Plans

At the end of March 2023, the number of children with CP plans was 691, a rate of 64.8 per 10,000 children. This is above the expected rate benchmarked for child deprivation; the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI).

This increase reflects the significantly higher levels of demand and complexity seen over the past four years due to the pandemic, the impact of cost-of-living pressures and an increase in child and adult mental health concerns.  We have a continued emphasis on enabling children to live safely at home where possible, resulting in relatively lower rates of looked after children.

Source: ESCC Children’s Services

Looked After Children

At the end of March 2023, the number of LAC was 664, a rate of 62.3 per 10,000 children. Of the 664 children, 73 are Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker Children (UASC), this group represented 25% of our new entrants to care in 2022-23.

Our strategy of using Early Help, Child in Need and CP plans to help families to stay together has enabled us to have a rate of Looked After Children (LAC) which is below the expected rate benchmarked for child deprivation.

Source: ESCC Children’s Services

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)

In line with the national picture, East Sussex continues to see significant increases in demands for statutory assessments and specialist provision for children and young people with SEND.

Over 40% of all children and young people aged 0-25 with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in East Sussex are placed in special schools which is over three percentage points higher than the England average. 47.8% of all new EHCPs were placed in mainstream schools, compared to 66.9% nationally. Council funded high-cost placements at Independent and Non-Maintained Special Schools have increased significantly since 2015 and account for 9.8% of all EHCPs – greater than the England average of 6.1%.

EHCPs of SEND maintained by the Council increased by 87% from 2010 (2,280) to 2023 (4,266). Most of the increase since 2015 has been in the Key Stage 5 and Post 19 groups; this is predominantly due to young people retaining EHCPs Post-16.

The number of school-aged pupils with an EHCP is forecast to rise in East Sussex by 11.8% over the next three years, having increased by 11.6% in the last three years.

Source: ESCC Children’s Social Care Department

Note: Until Sep-14 a Statement of SEN could remain in place until the young person reached the age of 19. Since the SEND reforms were introduced from Sep-14 EHCPS can remain in place until the young person reaches the age of 25.

Source: ESCC Children’s Services

Health

Life expectancy at birth

Life expectancy at birth is an estimate of the average number of years that a person born can expect to live. East Sussex has consistently had a higher life expectancy for both men and women than the national average. Life expectancy has generally increased gradually since the early 2000s, however this increase has plateaued, or begun to reduce, in recent years.

Source: ONS

Wealden has the highest levels of life expectancy at birth for both men and women in the county. The lowest levels are in Hastings.

Source: ONS

Healthy Life Expectancy

Healthy life expectancy is an estimate of the number of years lived in ‘very good’ or ‘good’ general health, based on how individuals perceive their general health. Healthy life expectancy figures in East Sussex have fluctuated significantly in recent periods. This is most likely due to the small sample size of the survey (Annual Population Survey) rather than actual changes in healthy life expectancy within the population.

Source: ONS

Deprivation and Life Expectancy

There is a gap in life expectancy between the most and least deprived areas of East Sussex, with the biggest causes of death associated with these gaps being circulatory diseases, cancers, and respiratory diseases. Therefore, people in more deprived areas are dying from these causes, on average, at a younger age than in the least deprived areas. For females, this gap amounts to 4.5 years, while for males it is 6.8 years.

Source: Segment Tool (phe.gov.uk)

Child Development

In 2021, 87% of 2-2 ½ year old children within East Sussex are achieving a good level of development, compared to the national average of 81%

Source: Public Health Outcomes Framework

Excess Weight

Wealden has the highest percentage of adults overweight or obese in East Sussex in 2020/21, at 69%. The lowest percentage in the county was Eastbourne, 61%

Source: Public Health Outcomes Framework

Prevalence of Smokers

Hastings has the highest prevalence of smoking in East Sussex in 2021 at almost 26%. The lowest prevalence is at Wealden with 12%.

Source: Public Health Outcomes Framework

Prevalence of Hypertension

East Sussex has a higher prevalence of diagnosed high blood pressure compared to England.

Public Health Outcomes Framework

Physical Activity

Almost 70% of people in East Sussex did 150 or more minutes of physical activity per week in 2020/21. Almost 20% did less than 30 minutes per week with the remaining 11% falling in between these categories (source: Public Health Outcomes Framework).

Sexual Health

East Sussex has fewer new Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) diagnoses per 100,000 population compared to England. Within the county rates are lower than for England except in Hastings which is similar to the national rate.

Note: This data does not include diagnoses of Chlamydia and only represents people aged 25 or younger. Source: UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)

Mental health

It is estimated that 1 in 6 people will have a mental health condition at any one time. Latest survey figures show a slightly higher percentage of adults in East Sussex reported high anxiety and low satisfaction with life compared to the national average.

Indicator (persons aged 16+ years)	East Sussex	England
Self reported low satisfaction with life	5.4%	4.4%
Self reported low worthwhile score	3.3%	3.4%
Self reported low happiness score	7.4%	7.7%
Self-reported high anxiety score	26.0%	22.3%

Source: Public Health Outcomes Framework

 Loneliness

For East Sussex, 25% respondents reported feeling lonely often (5%) or some of the time (20%), with feelings of loneliness not changing markedly from the 2015 (24%) and 2017 (25%) East Sussex Community Surveys. 

Note: Percentages are derived by combining the number of people who answered as feeling lonely often and some of the time. Source: East Sussex Community Survey 2019

Data from the 2019 survey shows that feelings of loneliness are more prevalent among groups who are more likely to spend more time at home (e.g. due to mobility issues) workless residents (56% vs. 20% of those in work); those in poor health (55% vs. 18% of those in good health); those with a disability (44% vs. 19% of those without); single person households (38%) and single parents (47% vs. 25% overall). Other groups who are more likely to feel lonely include: social tenants (46%) and private renters (39% vs. 20% of owner occupiers); People with no qualifications (34% vs. 25% overall) and women (26% vs. 24% of men). At District level, those in Hastings and Eastbourne are more likely than average to feel lonely often or some of the time (both 29% vs. 25% overall). These Districts are more likely to be comprised of the groups listed above. Those living in Rother and Wealden are more likely to say they hardly ever/never feel this way (77% and 78% respectively).

Adults

Long Term Illness

It is estimated that in 2023 there are 69,650 older people (age 65+) in East Sussex who are living with a long-term illness which limits their day-to-day activities. 39,450 of these people are ‘limited a little’ in their day-to-day activities, while the other 30,200 are ‘limited a lot’.

These figures are projected to rise to an estimated 80,360 older people living with a long-term illness which limits their day-to-day activities in 2030, an increase of 15.4% compared to 2023. 45,410 of these people are projected to be ‘limited a little’ (up 15.1% compared to 2023), and the other 34,950 are projected to be ‘limited a lot’ (up 15.8% compared to 2023).

Source: POPPI. Note: The figures from POPPI are based on population projections produced before the latest population figures from the 2021 Census were available.

Dementia Projections

13,960 older people (age 65+) are projected to have dementia by 2030, an increase of 18.4% from 2023.

Source: POPPI. Note: The figures from POPPI are based on population projections produced before the latest population figures from the 2021 Census were available.

Reasons for Support

The percentage of people receiving long term support due to Learning Disability Support and Mental Health Support reduces as you move up the age ranges, whilst the percentage of people needing support for Physical Support, Sensory Support and Support with Memory and Cognition increases.

Source: East Sussex SALT Return

Community care and promoting independence

Permanent admissions of older people (age 65+) per 100,000 population slightly decreased in East Sussex in 2021/22.

Source: NHS Digital Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework data ASCOF 2A2

Permanent admissions of working age people (18-64) to long term residential care decreased in East Sussex in 2021/22 were below the national rate by over 3%.

Source: NHS Digital Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework data ASCOF 2A1

The proportion of older people (age 65+) still at home 91 days after discharge from hospital into reablement/rehabilitation services increased in 2021/22 to 89.7% and remains significantly above the national figure of 81.8%.

Source: NHS Digital Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework ASCOF 2B1

People receiving long term support

The total number of clients receiving Long Term support has increased by 3.3% in 2022/23 to 9,369.

Source: East Sussex SALT Return

The percentage of females receiving long term support is higher than the number of males for older people, especially those above the age of 85. However, the percentage of males receiving long term support is slightly higher than females for the working age population.

Source: East Sussex SALT Returns

Complex needs

 By 2028, around 20,000 more people in East Sussex will be living with two or more of these conditions, when compared with the needs of our population in 2018.

Access contacts

The Access team in Health and Social Care Connect (HSCC) handled 78,436 contacts in 2022/23, an increase of 2,414 (3%) compared to 2021/22.

Source: East Sussex Health and Social Care Connect (HSCC)

Carers receiving support

The total number of carers receiving support in East Sussex has decreased by 11.5% in 2021/22. This decrease is partially attributable to the impact of the pandemic, during which carers were less likely to contact Adult Social Care for help, and partially due to an increase in the number of carers being supported by Care for the Carers, a charity providing help, support, guidance and information to carers in East Sussex.

Source: East Sussex SALT Return

Unpaid Carers

Data from the 2021 Census suggests that 9.9% of the population in East Sussex provides any form of unpaid care, compared to the national average of 8.8%.  Compared to the 2011 census however, the proportion of unpaid carers has decreased by 1.8 percentage points within East Sussex. Furthermore, the proportion of people providing 19 hours or less of unpaid care a week decreased from 7.5% in 2011 to 5.0% in 2021, those providing 20 to 49 hours of unpaid care increased from 1.3% to 1.9% and those providing 50 or more hours of unpaid care increased from 2.5% to 3.0%.

Note: Percentages are representative of the population aged 5 years or above. Source: ONS

The percentage of people providing unpaid care varies by age. 16.1% of those aged 50 to 64 provided some unpaid care a week, with the majority providing 19 or less hours unpaid care a week. Although the percentage of those aged 65 and over providing unpaid care is lower, people in this age group were more likely to be providing 50 or more hours unpaid care a week.

Note: Percentages are representative of the population aged 5 years or above. Source: ONS

Safeguarding

The total number of safeguarding enquiries that commenced in 2022/23 was 2,680, an increase of 10.4% compared to 2,428 enquiries in 2021/22. The total number of safeguarding concerns received in 2022/23 was 5,171, a decrease of 11.1% compared to 5,819 in 2021/22.

Source: East Sussex Adult Social Care and Health

In 2022/23, there was a decrease of six percentage points in the number of safeguarding enquiries fully achieved compared to the previous year. Furthermore, an increase of four percentage points was noted for enquiries which were partially achieved.

Source: East Sussex Adult Social Care and Health

Data

We use a wide range of data to help us understand the context for our plans and the impact we are having through our work and in partnership. A selection of this data is listed below. Years are financial (April-March) or academic (September-August) unless otherwise stated.

Key: CY – calendar year (January-December), NA – data not available.

Measure	2020/21 Outturn	2021/22 Outturn	2021/22 England
Annual gross full-time earnings, median average (residence based)	£30,949	£31,145	£33,208
Percentage of working age population (16-64 year olds) in employment	75.0%	77.1%	75.4%
People claiming unemployment benefits (JSA and Universal Credit) percentage of population 16-64 year olds at March	4.1%	3.6% (2023)	3.8% (2023)
New business registration rate per 10,000 people over 16 (CY)	55.9 (2020)	51.4	71
Percentage of working age residents (16-64 year olds) with a level 4 or higher qualification (HNC, HND, degree etc.) (CY)	N/A	33.8%	37.1%
Percentage of working age residents (16-64 year olds) with no qualifications or qualified only to NVQ1 (CY)	N/A	10.6%	12.4%
Average Attainment 8 score per pupil state funded secondary schools (assessment/calculated grade)	45.3 2018/19	46.5	48.7
Average Progress 8 score for state funded secondary schools	-0.06 2018/19	-0.11	-0.03
Percentage of pupils who achieved a 9-5 pass in English and maths GCSEs (assessment/calculated grade)	49.3	46.3%	46.8%
Average point score (APS) per entry for level A levels (age 16-18)	39.26	36.19	38.87
Attainment of A level students (age 16-18) average point score (APS) per entry, best 3	38.73	34.81	39.01
Attainment of A level students (age 16-18) % achieving grades AAB or better at A level, of which at least two are in facilitation subjects	20.2%	12.3%	23.2%
Rate per 10,000 (aged 0-17 population) of Looked After Children	57	61	70
Rate per 10,000 (aged 0-17 population) of children with a Child Protection Plan	49.2	50.1	42.1
Percentage of children who ceased to be looked after adopted during the year ending 31 March	16%	8%	10%
Hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries in children aged 0-14 years, rate per 10,000 resident population	99.8	107.6	84.3
Percentage of children aged 4-5 years with excess weight (overweight or obese) LA by postcode of child	23.0% 2019/20	19.8%	20.3%
Percentage of children aged 10-11 years with excess weight (overweight or obese) LA by postcode of child	32.0% 2019/20	32.8%	34.0%
Percentage of adults (aged 18+) classified as overweight or obese	62.6% 2019/20	64.9%	63.5%
Proportion of people (65 and over) who were still at home 91 days after discharge from hospital	89.2%	89.7%	81.8%
Long-term support needs of younger adults (aged 18-64) met by admission to residential and nursing care homes, per 100,000 population per year	14.4	10.8	13.9
Long-term support needs of older adults (aged 65 and over) met by admission to residential and nursing care homes, per 100,000 population per year	501.1	494.2	538.5
Proportion of older people aged 65 and over who received reablement services following discharge from hospital	2.0%	1.6%	2.8%
The outcome of short-term services: sequel to service: proportion of people who received short-term services during the year, where no further request was made for ongoing support or support of a lower level	89.0%	93.7%	77.6%
Emergency hospital admissions due to falls in people aged 65 and over per 100,000	2,314	2,523	2,100
Suicide rate per 100,000 of population, three-year average	12.7 (2018-20)	12.1 (2019 - 2021)	10.4 (2019 - 2021)
Number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads (CY)	339 (2021)	374	N/A
New houses built, total completed / total affordable	1,549/ 290	1,606 / 350	N/A