One in ten residents have moved in within the last year
The number of new people moving into Wandsworth each year from other parts of the country is the highest for any London borough and is exceeded nationally by only Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) 25,700 new residents settled in the borough from other areas of England and Wales during 2005/2006.
It means that around in one in ten residents in any year are new arrivals. This is also the fourth highest rate in the country with only the City of London, Isles of Scilly and Cambridge higher.
The true figure is almost certainly higher as ONS calculations are based on GP registrations which understate the position in areas with high numbers of younger people. The 20-34 age group is one of the slowest to sign up with a doctor. In Wandsworth this group accounts for 38 per cent of the borough's total population.
The ONS figures also show 28,600 people moving out in the same twelve-month period. These totals are expected to be more accurate as older residents leaving the borough are more likely to register with a GP. The latest ONS estimate of the borough's population for 2006 is 279,000.
Deputy council leader Maurice Heaster said, "The constant influx of new residents creates its own pressures for public services. That's why it's so important that the official population estimates for fast-changing areas like Wandsworth are tightened up. It's great that Wandsworth is such a popular place. We just need to be sure that the borough attracts the right level of funding to support such a large and growing population."
Wandsworth is one of a number of London councils challenging the way the ONS arrives at its population estimates. Statisticians currently use the same formula for both urban and rural areas. This approach understates the numbers of younger people.
The latest ONS figures record people moving within England and Wales. Last month the council voiced its concerns that the ONS had undercounted the numbers of international migrants. The number of people from overseas registering for a national insurance (NI) number in Wandsworth rose by 60 per cent between 2002/2003 and 2005/2006 yet this take-up is not included in the ONS population calculations.
The information on population trends is available at www.ons.gov.uk
October 18, 2007