Wrexham Population decline – we need to start worrying NOW!!
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The headline of a decreasing population in Wrexham is very worrying – appreciate some people will be jumping for joy but if you look in more detail it actually means that for those left there will be a significantly higher ageing population. 2028 is not har off but if you project another 10 years nearly 40% of the population in the area will be 60 plus.
The outward migration will be partly driven by migrant populations either returning to home countries or being more flexible and moving to areas with an average higher wage than currently in Wrexham.
The significant increase in demand for Health and Social Care services will far out strip the availability of a care workforce from within our own communities.
The free movement of people is a given within a ‘free’ society, but the social impact may lead to so many uncertainties.
All of this is set against a backdrop of so many unknowns about Covid – perhaps the projected over 60’s group may shrink faster if Covid takes a stranglehold.
Open and honest debates need to be taking place now – what type of a society do we want in Wrexham in the future? There is lots of effort trying to rebuild confidence in getting the town up and running but for who if these projections are anywhere near correct.
This is an issue for everyone not just ‘leave it to the Council’.
I just dont believe this, people are living longer & currently there is not enough housing stock for the current population. If population is? going to go down, its the perfect time for Council to build more social housing to help bring the house prices & private rents down.
Any new housing should be adaptable to take into account changing age and health of the population- perhaps we need more duel generation houses so that parents/grand parents can live in granny flat type accommodation.
One thing will be clear is that younger generations are unlikely to have any form of inheritance funding passed to them by parents or grandparents as their money will all be used up paying for extra care.
If it’s an issue for everyone, what are we all supposed to do? Get everyone to go at it like rabbits? Invite a friend from overseas or another town? It’s a complicated situation.
Ultimately there were a lot of opportunities and prospects in Wrexham when we saw a surge in migratory population going years back. Nowadays the town centre itself and surrounding industrial areas giving service and industry jobs has completely flatlined, with Covid signalling more business failures – this is the bleak picture we are left with. My guess is there will be towns in England, Scotland and NI in a similar situation.
Additionally as well as the lack of pull factors from jobs, a complete inability to want to build enough houses and sufficient public services also leaves Wrexham an unattractive prospect. Poor public transport both bus and rail, shortage of GPs, poor quality schooling vs other areas.
You’re right though the Council will do sweet FA about the situation not when all they can do is come up with hairbrained so called “Golden Bullet” ideas like Ty Pawb etc… that they thought would totally transform town. More like fools gold.
Of course we can’t expect Cardiff’s WAG to bail us out, I. guess ultimately we’ll just have to ride this one and see if there’s an overall upturn in the economy in the next 5 years and organic growth happens off the tails of prosperity. But for now we’ll just have to sit it out in stagnantstville.
Matt I told Mrs Councillor X that you want everyone to go at it like rabbits and invite a friend from overseas or another town and she said she did all that in the sixties and ain’t doin owt like that at her age. We do like JaneJ’s offer of a granny flat and if she can WhatsChat us some pictures we can move in next week.
Why would you want to come and live in Wrexham — Health Service in Special Measures for 5 years, some of the highest Covid figures, Childrens Services that seem to be a whisker away from Special Measures and a damming inspection of Education. If Adult Social care joins the basket of failures you almost have a full house of all the support services you need.
We hear that new managers have been brought in but for so many failings this is a multitiered issue and will take a long time to resolve. Front line staff must be feeling battered and clearly during Covid have shown they have stepped up and lots have gone way over the top to deliver services.
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