Why are ONS introducing SOAs?
ONS are introducing SOAs to replace electoral wards as the standard geography for the collection and dissemination of small area statistics. So just as electoral wards currently form the geography for the targeting of funds and grants by the government and other agencies, SOAs will form the basis is the future. SOAs will be of a much more consistent size than electoral wards and each layer will have a specified minimum population to avoid the risk of data disclosure. SOAs will not be subject to as frequent a change of boundary as wards are, making them more suitable for comparison over time. In addition they will build on the existing availability of data for output areas. Relationship between electoral wards and SOAs Each area in the lower layer is constrained within Warrington’s electoral wards as at June 2004. These match the electoral ward boundaries for which 2001 Census results were made available. However SOAs will not be amended to reflect subsequent ward boundary changes and a
