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Coordinates: 52°28′34″N 1°55′05″W / 52.476°N 1.918°W
| Ladywood | |
  Ladywood
Ladywood shown within the West Midlands |
|
| Population | 14,801 (2001 Population Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Metropolitan borough | Birmingham |
| Metropolitan county | West Midlands |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BIRMINGHAM |
| Postcode district | B1-B4 |
| Dialling code | 0121 |
| Police | West Midlands |
| Fire | West Midlands |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Birmingham Ladywood |
| List of places: UK • England • West Midlands | |
Ladywood is an inner-city area in Birmingham, England. It is a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Ladywood ward and the wards of Aston, Nechells and Soho. The Ladywood ward and constituency both include Birmingham City Centre.
From the late 1990s, developers have constructed apartment residences alongside the canals.
The area is served by two libraries; Spring Hill Library[1] and Ladywood Library.[2]
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Demographics
At the time of the 2001 Population Census, 23,789 people were living in Ladywood with a population density of 3,330 people per km² compared with 3,649 people per km² for Birmingham. Nearly half of the population of Ladywood consists of ethnic minorities. 49% of the ward's population consists of ethnic minorities compared with 29.6% for Birmingham in general. With the largest ethnic minorities being Afro-Caribbean at 13.18%, Indian at 11.65%, Pakistani at 10.64% and Mixed Race at 5.52%.[3]
The Ladywood ward combines areas of very differing character, such that no generalisation is possible. There is the city centre (obviously the most economically valuable area in the whole city), the Jewellery Quarter and Broad Street areas which have become fashionable for "luxury apartment" living, the Lee Bank area which has been almost totally redeveloped, and there is the remainder of the ward (herein: "remainder Ladywood") which is relatively economically impoverished, but nevertheless with a strong community spirit.
Most of "remainder Ladywood" (and area now occupied by Park Central) was redeveloped during the 1960s, with decaying terraced slums being cleared to make way for new low-rise housing and high-rise flats. Although the newer homes were a big improvement on their predecessors in terms of quality and sanitation, the social and other problems of tower blocks resulted in much of the local area becoming plagued by drug dealing, anti-social behaviour and many of the other problems commonly associated with inner city areas across England.
More recently there has been investment in physical improvements to the area. Many tower blocks have been either demolished or improved, not least with introduction of concierge or CCTV security systems. These and other such measures have resulted in a reduction of antisocial behaviour such that the notion that the area is unpleasant and dangerous to live in is now more a myth of the past than a reality of the present. Due to the low population density of central Ladywood there is much less of the anonymity in which crime prospers.
Politics
The ward is currently represented by three Labour councillors at the Birmingham City Council; Sir Albert Bore, Kath Hartley and Carl Rice.
Ladywood Ward has adopted a Ward Support Officer with the current holder of the title being Sandra Lawrence.
Unemployment
In October 2009, it was reported that the Parliamentary Constituency of Ladywood had the highest rate of unemployment out of all the constituencies in the United Kingdom with 12% claiming Jobseeker's Allowance. It was further reported that Ladywood had the highest rate in the UK for at least the previous 12 months. [4] This may be blamed on the recession, but very high unemployment rates have been a problem in Ladywood for a number of years. [5]
Famous residents
- Alfred Joseph Knight (1888 - 1960). World War I Victoria Cross recipient [1].
References
- ^ "Spring Hill Library". Birmingham City Council. http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite/springhilllibrary?packedargs=website%3D1&rendermode=live.
- ^ "Ladywood Library". Birmingham City Council. http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite/ladywoodlibrary?packedargs=website%3D1&rendermode=live.
- ^ Office of National Statistics - Ethnic Group Table
- ^ "Recession Tracker". BBC NEWS c/o Office for National Statistics. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7789784.stm.
- ^ "Ladywood is UK dole capital". The Independant. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/shorts-ladywood-is-uk-dole-capital-614511.html.
External links
- Birmingham City Council: Ladywood Constituency
- Birmingham City Council: Ladywood Ward
- Ladywood Community Network pages
- Digital Ladywood - On-line local history project
- Park Central Development - Ladywood
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