LEPs: Coverage and statistics

LEPs Coverage

The map below shows the boundaries of the 39 approved LEPs. Each LEP is made up of local businesses working in partnership with a combination of local authorities. A list of the local authority areas covered by each LEP can be accessed through the given link. This map and excel file will be updated when new LEPs are announced or if an existing LEP changes its coverage. It should be noted that this list is the current agreed BIS/ DCLG definition of the LEPs.

BIS/ DCLG are working with ONS to create, in time, standardised names and codes for LEPs in line with the Geography Policy for National Statistics. A link to this information will be added when available.

LEP boundaries for mapping purposes can be obtained by grouping together boundaries for the relevant local authorities. BIS/ DCLG are also discussing with ONS whether digital boundaries for the LEPs will be made available through ONS Geography. A link to more information will be added as soon as it is available.

  Printable version of the map (PDF, 396 Kb) 

Spreadsheet showing local authority (district/unitary) areas covered by LEPs (XLS, 209 Kb) . Last updated: 17 April 2012. Shows the situation for LEPs when the map and excel spreadsheet were updated.

Available Statistics and Potential Issues

The Neighbourhood Statistics website¹ provides useful information which can be helpful when using and comparing data for different geographical areas.

Given the new and evolving nature of LEPs only a limited amount of data will initially be available for LEPs (see sources of data at LEP level). However, a wide range of statistics in the public domain are currently produced by and for local authorities, reflecting their importance as a relatively stable administrative geography. In many cases data on a local authority basis can be aggregated to reflect LEP areas. However, there are a number of issues that are relevant and need to be considered with regard to any aggregation of these statistics to LEP level. These issues can be grouped into three broad areas:

i) Aggregation

When aggregating data recorded at local authority level to create figures for a LEP, users need to ensure that data being aggregated are consistent for example, in terms of how the characteristics being measured are defined between different local authority areas. The units the data are in is important.

Total – Data showing totals (e.g. total number of residents) can be summed across local authority areas to obtain the value for the LEP area (if the data is consistent across all LAs). In some cases published data will be rounded. This will affect the accuracy of the resulting LEP estimates.

Rates/ Proportions – Care should be taken when aggregating rates/ proportions for LEP areas. Local authorities differ in terms of population and area, and so a simple average of the rates/ proportions of each LA in a LEP would not be appropriate. Underlying totals need to be aggregated and then the rates/ proportions calculated using these aggregated totals. For example, if the unemployment rate was being calculated the number of people unemployed and the number of people economically active would need to be separately calculated, so that the unemployment rate for area LEP could be estimated. Alternatively, where only the numerator or denominator are available for such a calculation, weighting could be calculated and applied to the LA rates, which can then be aggregated to the overall LEP rate.

ii) Structure

Stability over time

When comparing data over time for a particular LEP the structure of the LEP over that time period needs to be considered. If a local authority joins a LEP it could be that a rise in a statistic relating to the LEP (e.g. unemployment) is simply due to the addition of a new authority area rather than a sign of a deteriorating local economy. LEPs which have been agreed can change their coverage (subject to agreement from BIS and DCLG). When using statistics for LEPs users should ensure that they understand whether, and if so how, the structure of the LEP might have changed over time and how this might affect the statistics.

Coverage/membership

The fact that a local authority is covered by a LEP does not necessarily imply that the local authority is an active member of the LEP. Therefore, it is important to be clear which local authorities have been used when calculating a LEP area.

Overlaps

Of the 326 local authorities in England, 287 (88 per cent) are wholly within a single LEP, 37 local authorities (11 per cent) are covered by two LEPs (Aylesbury Vale, Barnsley, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Bromsgrove, Cannock Chase, Cherwell, Chesterfield, Corby, Craven, Croydon, Daventry, East Hampshire, East Riding, East Staffordshire, Forest Heath, Harrogate, Kettering, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Lewes, Lichfield, New Forest, North East Derbyshire, North East Lincolnshire, North Hertfordshire, North Lincolnshire, Northampton, Redditch, Selby, South Northamptonshire, St Edmundsbury, Tamworth, Test Valley, Uttlesford, Winchester, Wyre Forest and York). Care should be taken when trying to calculate an all LEPs total to ensure no double counting is involved. Local authorities in more than one LEP should only be included once.

iii) Comparability

National comparability of data

When drawing comparisons across LEPs consideration needs to be given to comparability of data to ensure it has been collected and compiled in a consistent basis, that the definitions are the same, and that the data for all LEPs relates to the same point in time. The best way of ensuring this is to use information from a single source (aggregated from data at the same geographical level) which enables estimation for each LEP wherever it is available. This decreases the risk of generating misleading comparisons by comparing figures on the same topic using measures based on different definitions or data sources.

Comparability of LEPs

The LEPs announced to date vary significantly in size. The population for these (as at mid-2009) varies from 0.5m (Cumbria LEP) to 7.8m (Pan London LEP), with an average LEP population of 1.5m. One LEP (Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly) comprises just two local authorities, whilst the London LEP comprises 33 local authorities. Along with differences in size there are likely to be large variations in the characteristics of the population within LEPs. This introduces issues in terms of comparability of data. These differences should be borne in mind when making comparisons across LEPs. For example, comparing the number of people employed in private sector jobs will mostly be greater in larger LEPs, as will the number of public sector jobs, simply because the total number of jobs is greater. Depending on the reason for making the comparison, a more comparable statistic may be the percentage of public or private sector jobs in a LEP relative to its total number of jobs. In general, the variation in size of the LEPs will affect total data more than standardised rates.

Sources of data at LEP level

Nomis

One way to find labour market statistics (e.g. jobs, benefits etc) for each LEP is to visit the Nomis website. On this site it is possible to choose a data set and extract data on a LEP basis or obtain a summary Labour market Profile for a specific LEP.

Further details of this are available on the ONS website: LEPs Available as a Standard Geography; Profiles for LEPs

Please note that while we are liaising closely with ONS/ the Nomis team, BIS/ DCLG cannot guarantee that the definitions used for LEP areas on Nomis match those used by BIS/ DCLG. It is recommended that users undertake a cross check between coverage definition on Nomis and that provided in the ‘LEP coverage’ section above. These Nomis definitions will updated as soon as possible after new LEPs are announce or changes are made to existing LEPs, however, there will naturally be a slight delay between the BIS/ DCLG announcement and nomis being updated.

ONS LEP Toolkit

ONS, through their Regional and Local Division, currently assists local authorities in undertaking their Local Economic Assessments by making available a whole range of statistical indicators through a Local Profiles tool, which together with other tools, forms part of the ONS toolkit to support Local Economic Assessments. ONS has produced statistical profiles for LEPs. However, the issues detailed above will be equally relevant for statistics produced using this tool.

The first LEP Profiles were published by ONS in April 2011. These profiles were most recently updated on 17 April 2012 to reflect the 38 LEPs as they stood on this date. Any changes that occur to existing LEPs or any additional LEPs announced after this date will not be able to be reflected in the LEP tool.

The indicators that ONS publishes for LEPs:

The LEP profiles are a slimmed down version of the Local Profiles for Local Authorities and can be found on the ONS Neighbourhood Statistics web site.

It is hoped that LEP local profiles will be updated, further developed and enhanced over time (Local Authority² profiles are currently updated every 6 months). It may be possible for additional indicators to be included at a later date as ONS looks to develop the LEP profiles, although further development will be subject to resourcing decisions made within ONS. Feedback and comments on the LEP Profiles are welcomed by ONS.

Contact for enquiries

For any enquiries on this page please email: LocalEnterprisePartnerships@bis.gsi.gov.uk 

1 http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/Info.do?page=analysisandguidance/analysistoolkit/analysis-toolkit.htm

2 Local Authority profiles can be found on the ONS website.  

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