Ward profile
Employment, Benefits and Pension
Lifestyles and Specific Health Issues
Crime and Anti-social Behaviour
Index of Multiple Deprivation 2015 and 2019
Description
Boston Castle has a population of 16,755 (2019 estimate) and covers an in central and south-central Rotherham. The ward is represented by three members of the Council. The ward covers Rotherham Town Centre and residential areas to the south including Canklow, Wellgate, Broom Valley and parts of Clifton and Moorgate.
Boston Castle is the most diverse ward in Rotherham with an extensive retail and commercial area in the town centre, industrial areas at Templeborough and Ickles, deprived council estates, inner urban flats including a high-rise block, terraced housing and affluent suburbs. The ward also has the highest minority ethnic population in Rotherham. Deprivation is widespread in the ward with the Town Centre and parts of Clifton and Canklow being the most deprived. Moorgate is the least deprived, being fairly affluent.
The ward contains many Rotherham landmarks and facilities such as the General Hospital, the Magna Science Adventure Park, New York Stadium (Rotherham United FC), Clifton Park and Museum, Boston Park and Castle, Rotherham (RNN) and Thomas Rotherham Colleges. In the south of the ward is Canklow Woods.
Rotherham Central railway station is situated in the ward which includes tram / train services of Sheffield Supertram.
Population by Age
| 2019 estimate | Population | Percentage | Rotherham average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 3322 | 19.8 | 19.4 |
| Aged 16 to 24 | 2003 | 12.0 | 9.6 |
| Aged 25 to 44 | 4715 | 28.1 | 24.3 |
| Aged 45 to 64 | 3864 | 23.1 | 26.9 |
| Aged 65 plus | 2851 | 17.0 | 19.7 |
| Total | 16755 | 100 | 100 |
Population change since 2011: +1269 (+8.2%) (Rotherham +3.2%)
The population of Boston Castle ward has increased significantly since 2011 reflecting an increase in housing stock and migration. The age structure of the population is younger than Rotherham as a whole with 60% of residents aged under 65 compared with the borough average of 53%.
Ethnicity
Official population ethnicity data is collected and analysed every ten years as part of the National Census. Unfortunately, this breakdown is not included within the annual mid-year estimate statistics published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
Local populations can change significantly during the lifetime of this dataset. Therefore, as a local proxy we utilise the annual School and Pupil Census data to create an estimation of the current ethnicity breakdown.
The table below provides the ward analysis of both the 2011 census and latest School and Pupil census by the ethnic groupings used by the ONS.
| Ethnic group | Populationa |
Percentage of ward populationa |
Percentage of Rotherham populationa |
Percentage of pupils living in wardb |
Percentage of pupils living in Rotherhamb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 10282 | 66.4% | 91.9 | 34.8% | 80.8 |
| White other | 721 | 4.7% | 1.7 | 13.5% | 4.7 |
| Mixed / multiple | 281 | 1.8% | 1.0 | 4.0% | 3.2 |
| Asian / Asian British | 3399 | 21.9% | 4.1 | 41.7% | 8.3 |
| Black / Black British | 425 | 2.7% | 0.8 | 3.4% | 1.6 |
| Other ethnic group | 378 | 2.4% | 0.5 | 2.0% | 0.8 |
| Not known | - | - | - | 0.6% | 0.6 |
| BAME total | 5204 |
33.6% |
8.1 | 64.6% | 18.6 |
a: 2001 National Census, b: 2020 School and pupil census
Boston Castle is the most ethnically diverse ward in Rotherham with a third of the population being from BAME backgrounds, primarily Asian heritage. It is one of two wards with non-British white exceeding 4% and Black / Black British exceeding 2%.
Housing and Households
Dwellings in 2020: 7,257 (6,326 in 2011), Households in 2020: 7,091(6,326 in 2011)
The number of dwellings in Boston Castle has increased by 931 (+15%) since 2011 and there are 765 more households (+12%). There are 166 more dwellings than households in Boston Castle highlighting excess properties in the ward.
| Status (2011 Census) | Detached | Semi | Terraced | Flats | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner occupied | 942 | 1704 | 672 | 208 | 3526 |
| Social rented | 36 | 486 | 191 | 781 | 1494 |
| Private rented | 87 | 321 | 342 | 556 | 1306 |
| Total | 1065 | 2511 | 1205 | 556 | 6326 |
Boston Castle has a diverse housing mix with a high proportion of social and private rented flats, mainly in the northern inner urban part of the ward, where there is also terraced housing. The suburban south of the ward has mainly owner occupied detached and semi-detached housing. Most of the social rented housing are in the form of flats, with a significant proportion rented from housing associations.
Council Rented Properties in 2020: 1,005 (561 houses and 444 flats), 14% of dwellings.
Employment, Benefits and Pensions
| Employment type (2019 estimate) | Number | Percentage | Rotherham average per cent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing amd production | 4,355 | 17.3% | 15.6 |
| Construction | 980 | 3.9% | 7.5 |
| Motor trades, wholesale and retail | 2,680 | 10.7% | 15.6 |
| Transport and storage | 695 | 2.8% | 4.8 |
| Accomodation and food services | 970 | 3.9% | 5.9 |
| Information and communication | 260 | 1.0% | 3.3 |
| Financial and insurance | 420 | 1.7% | 1.3 |
| Property | 150 | 0.6% | 0.5 |
| Professional, scientific and technical | 785 | 3.1% | 4.0 |
| Business administration and support services | 1,510 | 6.0% | 8.6 |
| Public administration and defence | 3,490 | 13.9% | 9.0 |
| Education | 810 | 3.2% | 9.0 |
| Health | 6,795 | 27.0% | 13.8 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation and other services | 1,240 | 4.9% | 4.2 |
| Total | 25,140 | 100 | 100 |
Over a quarter (26%) of all jobs in Rotherham Borough are located in Boston Castle ward, mainly in the town centre. The local council and general hospital are the biggest employer in the ward. Almost half of employment is in public services and only 17.3% is in production industries. There are 2.4 times as many jobs as people of working age in the ward, which relies heavily on workers coming in from other areas.
Benefits and Pensions (ONS)
| Claimant count (November 2019 estimate) | 2019 per cent | Rotherham average 2019 per cent | Claimant count (November 2020 estimate) | 2020 per cent | Rotherham 2020 average per cent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 535 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 1095 | 9.0 | 7.0 |
The proportion of working age people claiming benefits in Boston Castle is above the Rotherham average.
Child Poverty 2019 (DWP)
| Ward | Households with Children | Low income households 2017/18 |
Percent 2017/18 |
Low income households 2018/19 | Percent 2018/19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Castle | 1805 | 1338 | 74% | 1412 | 78% |
| Rotherham (total) | 32,268 | 12,112 | 38 | 12,667 | 39 |
Child poverty in Boston Castle is well above and double the borough average.
General Health and Disability
General Health bad or very bad (2011): 7.9% (Rotherham 7.6%, England 5.5%)
Limiting Long Term Illness or Disability (2011): 23.1% (Rotherham 22%, England 17.6%)
| DWP Disability benefits (2020) | Number | Percentage | Rotherham average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance Allowance (aged 65+) | 371 | 13% | 13 |
| Disability Living Allowance (all ages) | 462 | 3% | 3 |
| Personal Independence Payment (16-64) | 933 | 9% | 9 |
| Total on Disability Benefits | 1,766 | 8% | 9 |
Boston Castle had a rate of poor health above the Borough average in 2011 although disability was average for Rotherham but much higher than the national average. 16% of working aged adults claim a disability benefit, slightly below the Rotherham average but much higher than the national average.
Lifestyle and Specific Health Issues
Over 60% of health and lifestyle indicators are worse (have higher rates) than Rotherham average. Additionally, a third of indicators are significantly worse, particularly in terms of low birth weights, emergency hospital admissions for Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) and hospital stays for alcohol related harm (Narrow definition). The period the data relates to is shown as (a) to (f) below and explained in the notes.
Compared to Rotherham average, Boston Castle ward is better for (has lower rates/less):
Smoking prevalence at 15 years regular and at 15 years regular or occasional (2014); emergency hospital admissions for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (d); incidence of lung cancer (a).
In contrast Boston Castle ward is worse for (has higher rates/more):
A and E attendances and emergency admissions in under 5s (b); deaths from all causes all ages, all causes under 75 years, coronary heart disease all ages, stroke all ages all persons (c); deliveries to teenage mothers (d); emergency hospital admissions for all causes, CHD and Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) (d);
hospital stays for alcohol related harm (broad and narrow definition) and self-harm (d); incidence of prostate cancer (a); low birth weight of term babies (d); obese children reception year and year 6 and children with excess weight Year 6 (e)
Boston Castle ward has higher lower (worse) life expectancy at birth compared to Rotherham overall (1.7 years less life expectancy for men and 0.6 years less for women) (c).
The Top 5 better and worse indicators are shown below (see Notes):
Better than Rotherham average
Smoking prevalence at 15 years Regular (2014) 4.7% Rotherham 7.2%
Smoking prevalence at 15 years Regular or Occasional (2014) 7.1% Rotherham 10%
Emergency hospital admissions for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (2013/14-2017/18) 145.5 Rotherham 168.1
Incidence of lung cancer (2012-2016) 111.4 Rotherham 128.6
Deaths from all cancer all ages (2012-2016) 101 Rotherham 111.3
Worse than Rotherham average
Low birth weight of term babies (2013/14-2017/18) 5.3% Rotherham 3.4%
Deliveries to teenage mothers (2013/14-2017/18) 2.4% Rotherham 1.6%
Hospital stays for alcohol related harm (Narrow definition) (2013/14-2017/18)155.7 Rotherham 110.3
Emergency hospital admissions for Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) (2013/14-2017/18) 142.3 Rotherham 112.1
Hospital stays for self-harm (2013/14-2017/18) 106.1 Rotherham 84.3
Notes
Hospital admissions, cancer incidence and death rates are standardised to England (England = 100)
A ratio less than 100 is relatively better, more than 100 is relatively worse.
These are based on 5 years data to produce robust rates at ward level.
Cancer incidence data based on 2012-2016, children emergency admissions/A&E attendances 2013/14-2015/16, deaths 2013-2017, hospital admissions/stays/emergency admissions 2013/14-2017/18, children’s weight indicators 2015/16-2017-18, admissions for injury (children) 2011/12-2015/16.
Data periods: (a) 2012-2016 (b) 2013/14-2015/16 (c) 2013-2017 (d) 2013/14-2017/18 (e) 2015/16-2017/18 (f) 2011/12-2015/16.
Data represents persons all ages unless otherwise specified.
*Modelled prevalence (based on socio-demographic profile and small area population data)
**Persons aged under 75.
‘better’ and ‘worse’ based on differences over 10% from Rotherham average.
Top 5 – Based on statistically significant or largest differences from Rotherham value. Ordering difficult due to comparing different measures (rates, percentages, ratios, life expectancy)
Covid-19
Number of residents who tested positive for Covid-19
(1st January 2020 – 21st March 2021)
| Ward | Total population (2019 Mid-Year Est.) | Total Covid cases | Ward number of Covid cases per 1000 population | Rotherham number of Covid cases per 1000 population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Castle | 16,755 | 1,387 | 82.8 | 76.3 |
Boston Castle ward has above average infection rates for Rotherham and ranks 6th out of the 25 wards.
Education
Local Secondary School: Oakwood High School (Academy)
Early Years – Good Level of Development - 2019: 69.6% (Rotherham 70.3%, England 71.8)
Key Stage 2 – Reached an expected level in Reading, Writing & Maths - 2019: 63.8% (Rotherham 59%, England 65%)
GCSE attainment in English & Maths - pass at 9-4 level (A*-C) - 2019
51.9% (Rotherham average 51.9%)
Primary and secondary attainment in 2019 was similar to Rotherham averages.
Highest Level of Qualification (2011 Census):
Level 4 or above 15.7% (Rotherham 17.4%, England 27.4%)
No Qualifications 22.6% (Rotherham 29.8%, England 22.5%)
Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)
Recorded Crime (2020): 3171 (189 per 1,000 population) (Rotherham 54 per 1,000)
Recorded ASB (2020): 898 (54 per 1,000 population) (Rotherham 25)
Levels of recorded crime and ASB in Boston Castle are more than half the Rotherham average.
Index of Multiple Deprivation 2015 & 2019
The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) is a Government index for all areas in England. The 2019 index uses 37 indicators across 7 deprivation domains (themes) with a 2013/14 baseline. The IMD is only produced for Lower-level Super Output Areas (SOAs) of which there are 167 in Rotherham (around 8 per ward) and 32,844 in England, each with around 1,500 people. SOAs are ranked across England where 1 is the most deprived. Any rank below 3,285 indicates that an area is within the 10% most deprived areas of England.
Deprivation in Boston Castle
Deprivation in Boston Castle is well above the Borough average and in most of the ward is also well below the national average. There are 2 neighbourhoods which are more deprived than the ward average, they are Canklow north and the town centre within the most deprived 10% of England.
| Deprived of income | Persons | Income deprived | Per cent 2019 | Per cent 2015 | Rotherham average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All people | 16,048 | 3,475 | 22% | 24% | 17% |
| Children 0 to 15 | 3,215 | 795 | 25% | 30% | 22 |
| Working age 16 to 59 | 9,284 | 1,955 | 21% | 23% | 15 |
| Older people 60 plus | 3,549 | 725 | 20% | 22% | 16 |
Income deprivation is above average in Boston Castle for all age groups. Children are more likely to be affected by income deprivation than adults, with the level being above the Borough average.
| SOA code | SOA Local Name | IMD Score 2019 | IMD Score 2015 | IMD Rank 2019 | IMD Rank 2015 | IMD Decile 2019 | IMD Decile 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E01007675 | Broom Valley | 24.2 | 22.9 | 11282 | 12085 | 4 | 4 |
| E01007676 | Canklow South | 28.9 | 27.8 | 8563 | 9262 | 3 | 3 |
| E01007677 | Canklow North | 62.7 | 69.0 | 686 | 315 | 1 | 1 |
| E01007678 | Moorgate West | 9.6 | 10.7 | 24972 | 23384 | 8 | 8 |
| E01007679 | Broom East | 28.7 | 29.0 | 8660 | 8705 | 3 | 3 |
| E01007680 | Wellgate | 34.6 | 33.0 | 6049 | 6904 | 2 | 3 |
| E01007714 | Town Centre | 60.3 | 61.3 | 893 | 805 | 1 | 1 |
| E01007765 | Clifton East | 27.3 | 26.1 | 9425 | 10225 | 3 | 4 |
| E01007767 | Clifton West | 39.7 | 42.4 | 4350 | 3810 | 2 | 2 |
The IMD is not published for wards but the average SOA score in Boston Castle is 35 (36 in 2015), above the Rotherham average score of 29 (28 in 2015), with an SOA equivalent rank of 8,320 (25th percentile).
Data Sources
2011 Census, ward population estimates: Office for National Statistics
Employment data: Business Register and Employment Survey, ONS (via NOMIS)
Benefit data: Department for Work and Pensions (via NOMIS)
Child poverty data: HM Revenue and Customs
Local Health Indicators: Public Health England. For non-commercial use only.
Hospital Admissions: Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC)
Modelled smoking prevalence estimates: University of Essex, Office for National Statistics and other sources.
Mortality: Office for National Statistics. (ONS)
Dwellings, households, council benefits, educational attainment: Rotherham MBC
Crime and ASB: South Yorkshire Police
Indices of Deprivation 2015 & 2019: Department for Communities and Local Government
Office for National Statistics sources licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0.
Rotherham School and Pupil Census (January 2020)
Public Health England Covid-19 Situation Awareness Explorer (22/03/2021)