The Nottingham Built-up Area (BUA), Nottingham Urban Area, or Greater Nottingham is an area of land defined by the Office for National Statistics as built-up land with a minimum area of 20 hectares (200,000 m2), while settlements within 200 metres of each other with a direct road route are linked.[1][2] It consists of the city of Nottingham and the adjoining urban areas of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, in the East Midlands of England. It had a total population of 719,400 at the time of the 2021 census. This was an decrease of almost 1.5% since the 2011 census recorded population of 729,977,[3] although there were population increases on several new sub-divisions, there were also a number of reductions in areas.
Geography
editGreater Nottingham is largely within the three districts of Rushcliffe, Broxtowe and Gedling surrounding the city, though the area spills into the Nottinghamshire district of Ashfield, and also to the Amber Valley and Erewash districts of Derbyshire. The Nottingham Urban Area is, by the ONS' 2011 figures, the 8th largest in England (9th in the UK), with a population size between that of the Tyneside and Sheffield built-up areas; in 2021 it had a total area of 64.6 square miles (167 km2).[4]
Sub-divisions do not always match administrative geographic boundaries; the areas can be smaller than an administrative area; the subdivision of Clifton (22,395 residents) for example in 2021, although within the Nottingham Unitary Authority city area but was left out of the overall conurbation. The Nottingham subdivision oversteps the city's borders at several locations.
In the 1991 census,[5] Ilkeston was considered outside of the Nottingham Urban Area,[6] and its addition gave the BUA an 8% increase in 2001. This was due to improvements in mapping methodology by the ONS, and is chiefly responsible for the increase in sub-divisions over censuses rather than any large scale 'bricks and mortar' building,[7] as much of the area between the cities is protected green belt and wedges, restricting actual development.[8]
The conurbation methodology was changed for the 2021 census to only amalgamate built up areas linked by a direct road connection,[9] this resulted in a number of the 2011 areas being dropped. This notably included Clifton which is within the administrative area of the city, however a number of new divisions primarily formed along civil parish boundaries were created. Overall, these new areas were not enough to offset the loss with net effect of a reduction in population since 2011.[10][11]
| Urban subdivision | Population | District | County | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 | 2021 | |||
| Nottingham | 273,300 | 270,222 | 249,584 | 289,301 | 299,790 | City of Nottingham | Nottinghamshire |
| Carlton | 46,053 | 47,302 | 48,493 | 49,235 | 53,555 | Gedling | Nottinghamshire |
| Beeston | 64,785 | 66,626 | 66,683 | 51,479 | 52,355 | Broxtowe | Nottinghamshire |
| Ilkeston | — | — | 37,270 | 38,640 | 38,725 | Erewash | Derbyshire |
| Arnold | 37,721 | 37,646 | 37,402 | 37,768 | 40,010 | Gedling | Nottinghamshire |
| Long Eaton | 42,285 | 44,826 | 46,490 | 37,760 | 37,820 | Erewash | Derbyshire |
| West Bridgford | 27,463 | 33,843 | 43,395 | 45,509 | 36,490 | Rushcliffe | Nottinghamshire |
| Hucknall | 27,463 | 29,160 | 29,188 | 32,107 | 35,840 | Ashfield | Nottinghamshire |
| Heanor | 21,863 | 22,180 | 22,620 | 25,644 | 24,260 | Amber Valley | Derbyshire |
| Ripley | 17,548 | 18,310 | 18,523 | 19,315 | 20,180 | Amber Valley | Derbyshire |
| Eastwood | 18,085 | 19,363 | 18,612 | 18,422 | 18,890 | Broxtowe | Nottinghamshire |
| Stapleford | — | — | — | 16,190 | 15,045 | Broxtowe | Nottinghamshire |
| Nuthall and Watnall | — | — | — | — | 9,585 | Broxtowe | Nottinghamshire |
| Sandiacre | — | — | — | 9,600 | 9,370 | Erewash | Derbyshire |
| Wilford | — | — | — | — | 4,850 | City of Nottingham | Nottinghamshire |
| Edwalton | — | — | — | — | 4,760 | Rushcliffe | Nottinghamshire |
| Kimberley | 9,818 | 10,488 | 11,027 | 11,353 | 4,470 | Broxtowe | Nottinghamshire |
| Awsworth | — | — | — | 2,517 | 2,445 | Broxtowe | Nottinghamshire |
| Smalley | — | — | — | — | 2,200 | Amber Valley | Derbyshire |
| Gamston | — | — | — | — | 2,175 | Rushcliffe | Nottinghamshire |
| Trowell | — | — | 1,013 | 953 | 2,165 | Broxtowe | Nottinghamshire |
| Bestwood Village | — | — | — | — | 2,150 | Gedling/Ashfield | Nottinghamshire |
| Swingate | — | — | — | — | 910 | Broxtowe | Nottinghamshire |
| Denby Common | — | — | — | 495 | 455 | Amber Valley | Derbyshire |
| Linby | — | — | — | — | 350 | Gedling | Nottinghamshire |
| Papplewick | — | — | — | — | 335 | Gedling | Nottinghamshire |
| Risley | — | — | — | — | 220 | Erewash | Derbyshire |
| Clifton | — | — | 22,312 | 22,407 | — | City of Nottingham | Nottinghamshire |
| Breaston | — | 7,284 | 7,305 | 7,545 | — | Erewash | Derbyshire |
| Ruddington | 6,504 | 6,476 | 6,264 | 7,020 | — | Rushcliffe | Nottinghamshire |
| West Hallam | — | — | — | 6,016 | — | Erewash | Derbyshire |
| Stanton-By-Dale | — | — | — | 505 | — | Erewash | Derbyshire |
| Ruddington Grange | — | — | 177 | 196 | — | Rushcliffe | Nottinghamshire |
| Total | 593,768 | 613,726 | 666,358 | 729,977 | 719,400 | ||
| Change | - | +3.36% | +8.58% | +9.55% | -1.45% | ||
- Awsworth, Breaston, Denby Common, Ilkeston, Ruddington Grange and West Hallam were independent areas until their inclusion in the table.
- Total of 1981 subdivision figures is 592,888, an additional 880 residents are unaccounted for in the census report[12] total.
- Up to the 2001 census, the Beeston subdivision included Stapleford and was named Beeston And Stapleford.
- Up to the 2001 census, Sandiacre was included as part of the Long Eaton subdivision.
- Up to the 1991 census, the Nottingham subdivision included Clifton.
- In the 2001 census, Stanton-By-Dale was included as part of the Ilkeston subdivision.
Greater Nottingham Partnership/D2N2
editThe local authorities collaborate in some ways. The Greater Nottingham Partnership considered Greater Nottingham to consist of the City of Nottingham plus the entirety of the Rushcliffe, Broxtowe and Gedling boroughs, along with Hucknall from Ashfield, but no part of Derbyshire, as no Derbyshire council was a member of the Partnership. They together worked as an advisory and lobbying body for projects and decisions involving the region. However it was axed due to funding in 2011 and the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership is instead assuming those functions with cross-county political and local business support.[13]
Nottingham-Derby 2011 metropolitan area
edit
The conurbation forms a large part of the Nottingham-Derby metropolitan area, which has an estimated population of 1.5 million.[14] The urban areas of both Derby and Nottingham are almost continuous with Draycott (part of the Breaston Urban sub-division) being almost continuous with the Borrowash part of the Derby Urban Area.[15] The Mansfield Urban Area also forms part of this metropolitan area, although it is not continuous with the Nottingham Urban Area. However, it is almost continuous with the Alfreton/South Normanton Built-up area, which had a population of 41,289 according to the last census,[15] with the South Normanton/Pinxton Urban sub-division of the Alfreton Urban Area being almost continuous with the Sutton-in-Ashfield Urban sub-division of the Mansfield Urban Area. The Alfreton Urban Area is also nearly continuous with Ripley part of the Nottingham Urban Area. Other minor urban areas to the west of the Ripley, Heanor and West Hallam sub divisions daisy-chain towards Derby from the north, notably Belper, Kilburn and Crich/Heage. See the maps above for a demonstration of these BUAs in close proximity.
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "ONS 2011 Built-up Areas - Methodology and Guidance" (PDF). www.ons.gov.uk.
- ↑ "Census 2001: Key Statistics for urban areas in England and Wales" (PDF). webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ "2011 Census – Built-up areas". ONS. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- ↑ "ONS Geography Linked Data - Nottingham BUA". statistics.data.gov.uk.
- ↑ "National Statistics Online - Census 2001". webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 18 July 2006.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ "Home - Office for National Statistics". www.statistics.gov.uk.
- ↑ "The UK's major urban areas" (PDF). www.ons.gov.uk. ONS.
The identification of small urban areas in the 1991 Census was less precise than in the 2001 Census. The biggest difference in method is that the distance for merger of areas of urban land increased from 50 to 200 metres
- ↑ "Technical Assessment of the Derby Principal Urban Area Green Belt Purposes" (PDF). www.south-derbys.gov.uk. September 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ↑ https://guidebook.ukllc.ac.uk/_downloads/1aa2e3876e531089dc7a388eac88fdf6/RUC_2021_methodology.pdf
- ↑ "Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Census 2021 - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
- ↑ "2021 Rural Urban Classification - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
- ↑ Censuses, Office of Population; Surveys (1984). Census 1981 : key statistics for urban areas : the Midlands, cities and towns - Table 1. London: H.M.S.O. ISBN 0116910623.
- ↑ "City's regeneration body the Greater Nottingham Partnership set to be axed". Nottingham Post. 14 July 2010. Archived from the original on 5 November 2014.
- ↑ "British urban pattern: population data" (PDF). ESPON project 1.4.3 Study on Urban Functions. European Spatial Planning Observation Network. March 2007. p. 119. Archived from the original (pdf) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
- 1 2 "UK Government Web Archive". webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk.