The following provide background information on the geographies reported upon in this site.

County

County Durham is a unitary authority: single-tier administrations with responsibility for all areas of local government.

  • Population : 533,149 (ONS mid-2020 population estimates),
  • Area: 862 sq. miles (223,260 hectares),
  • There are 21 settlements in County Durham with an estimated population of over 5,000 people (estimated from the ONS Mid-2020 Output Area Population Estimates). Further summary information is available on the Durham County Council About Us page.

Lower Super Output Area (LSOA)

LSOAs are a part of the Census super output area hierarchical geography and were designed to improve the reporting of small area statistics and are built up from groups of output areas (OA; 5 OA’s to each LSOA). Further information on LSOAs is available on the Office for National Statistics website.

  • 324 LSOAs in County Durham,
  • Populations range from 1,000 to 4,000 (average 1,650; ONS mid-2020 estimates),
  • Area: 16 hectares to 16,700 hectares.

Middle Super Output Area (MSOA)

As with LSOAs above, MSOAs are the next level up in the Census super output area geography, with 5 LSOAs to 1 MSOA. Further information on LSOAs is available on the Office for National Statistics website.

  • 66 MSOAs in County Durham,
  • Populations range from 5,200 to 16,000 (average 8,100; ONS mid-2020 estimates),
  • Area: 148 hectares to 58,000 hectares.

Ward

Electoral wards/divisions are the key building blocks of UK administrative geography. They are the spatial units used to elect local government councillors in metropolitan and non-metropolitan districts, unitary authorities and the London boroughs in England; unitary authorities in Wales; council areas in Scotland; and district council areas in Northern Ireland.  More information on electoral wards in County Durham is available on the Durham County Council Councillors Information page.

  • 63 wards in County Durham,
  • Populations range from 2,200 to 16,000 (average 8,500; ONS mid-2020 estimates),
  • Area: 137 hectares to 49,900 hectares.

Area Action Partnerships (AAPs)

Developed following local government re-organisation in 2009 the AAPs
have been set up to give people in County Durham a greater choice and voice in local affairs. The partnerships allow people to have a say on services, and give organisations the chance to speak directly with local communities.  More information on AAPs in County Durham is available on the Durham County Council AAPs page.

  • 14 AAPs in County Durham,
  • Populations range from 8,300 to 93,700 (average 38,100; ONS mid-2020 estimates),
  • Area: 2,450 hectares to 84,000 hectares.

Family First Areas (FFA)

Family First Areas provide support to children, young people and families where there are concerns for the safety and wellbeing of children and young people or where families need intensive support for a range of complex needs. They can do this through offering support with things like parenting, children and adults emotional wellbeing, domestic abuse, family routines and boundaries, working directly with children and young people, family relationship issues, as well as housing and budgeting issues. The service is made up of social workers, family support workers and specialist lead professionals who are co-located with One Point Service staff. Further information is available on the Durham County Council Help for Families page.

  • 14 Family First Areas in County Durham,
  • Populations range from 21,200 to 60,600 (average 38,100; ONS mid-2020 estimates),
  • Area: 1,650 hectares to 129,200 hectares.

One Point Think Family Areas (OPTFA)

One Point think Family Areas are groupings of the Family First Areas detailed above.

  • 7 OPTFA areas in County Durham,
  • Populations range from 46,400 to 105,300 (average 76,200; ONS mid-2020 estimates),
  • Area: 6,200 hectares to 131,400 hectares.

Local Plan Monitoring Areas

Local Plan Monitoring Areas were created in order to aid monitoring of the County Durham Plan and discuss issues across an area the size of County Durham.

The county was broken down into geographical areas that have similar characteristics in terms of their housing, economy and history. A total of nine areas were identified to assist in measuring the success of the County Durham Plan’s policies.

  • 9 monitoring areas in County Durham,
  • Populations range from 14,100 to 95,200 (average 59,200; ONS mid-2020 estimates),
  • Area: 3,700 hectares to 123,200 hectares.

Clinical Commissioning Localities (CCLs) – Historic

These are historic boundaries and have been retained for information purposes only.  County Durham is now covered by one Clinical Commissioning Group.

CCLs sat within Clinical Commissioning Group areas and were based upon the former district boundaries in County Durham. CCLs were a sub-geography of the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) detailed below. Northern CCG: Chester-le-Street CCL, Derwentside CCL and Durham City CCL; Southern CCG: East Durham CCL , Sedgefield CCL and the Durham Dales CCL (Teesdale and Wear Valley).

  • 6 CCLs covered County Durham,
  • Populations range from 54,800 to 106,400 (average 88,900; ONS mid-2020 estimates),
  • Area: 6,800 hectares to 84,000 hectares.

Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) – Historic

There are no longer two CCGs covering County Durham, instead County Durham is covered by a single CCG.  The reports for the previous two CCGs have been discontinued and instead the County Durham reports should be used from this point forward.

CCG groups of GPs responsible for designing local health services in England and work with patients and healthcare professionals and in partnership with local communities and local authorities. CCGs were based upon the former district boundaries in County Durham. The two former CCGs covering the county were formed from the six CCLs described above, as follows – North Durham CCG: Chester-le-Street CCL, Derwentside CCL and Durham City CCL; Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield (DDES) CCG: East Durham CCL , Sedgefield CCL and the Durham Dales CCL (Teesdale and Wear Valley).

  • 2 CCGs covered County Durham,
  • Populations are North Durham: 256,600 and DDES: 276,500 (ONS mid-2020 estimates),
  • Area: North Durham: 52,500 and DDES: 170,600 hectares respectively.