Demographics and Housing
Presently the Population stands at 13,190 more than doubling the figure of 6,500 in 1971. The last census (2001) indicated that:- Linlithgow has a population profile that is similar to West Lothian as a whole. This includes a higher proportion of young and early middle aged residents and fewer older residents
than is the norm across Scotland; (and is a ‘younger’ community than most other traditional towns and villages in West Lothian) - Just over 16% of the town’s population was born outwith Scotland compared to around 10% of West Lothian’s population as a whole. More than 11% of Linlithgow’s population were born in England;
- The composition of households within Linlithgow showed that the town had a high proportion of 'nuclear family' households (i.e. containing two or more adults with one or more children)
- Over 38% of Household own more than one car in Linlithgow as opposed to 28% in West Lothian as a whole. The number of Households without a car at 17% is the third lowest of all settlements in West Lothian.
The growth in the number of houses noted above has been mainly due to private sector development, which has extended the town’s built-up area beyond the historic Burgh boundaries. This allied to Council house sales, results in the town’s housing stock being overwhelmingly dominated by the private sector. Of the 5,243 households in Linlithgow at the last census, 85% were in the Private sector with 15% Council or Housing Association owned, this is around half the West Lothian average of 31%.
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Economy and Employment
Until the last forty years or so, the majority of people in the Linlithgow area were employed either on the land or in the shale-mining industry. Within the town itself the indigenous trades and industries were enough to support its small population.The increase in population has long outstripped growth in the number of local jobs and the availability of agricultural work has declined sharply. As noted, Linlithgow’s Central location has been responsible for attracting many of its incoming residents, rather than the prospect of jobs within the town itself. At the time of the last
Census it was apparent that of the more than 10,300 economically active residents from Linlithgow and its surrounding areas 29% found work in the Linlithgow area and 20% elsewhere in West Lothian. However 31% travelled to Edinburgh with a further 9% finding employment in Falkirk Council area, which would include those working in Petrochemical and related operations at Grangemouth. There are still however an estimated 7,564 jobs in Linlithgow and the surrounding area. The public sector notably West Lothian Council employs around 1,351 people. There are in addition an estimated 400 businesses located in and around the town employing around 6,200. The most important include Sun Microsystems, Cape Industrial Services, First Group and ARCO East Scotland as well as retailers including Sainsbury’s and Tesco. Given the important position Linlithgow occupies in Scottish History, efforts to exploit the potential for tourism have been pursued over the years. The visitor facilities at the Tourist Information Centre and the Linlithgow Story Museum are an important part of this, however the main draw for tourists in Linlithgow is the 14th Century Linlithgow Palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. The latest significant tourism related investment is along the Union Canal as part of the Millennium Link project. Although much of the attention has focused on the Falkirk Wheel, the overall raised profile of the canal has also benefited Linlithgow, with the Linlithgow Canal Centre a focus for tourists. Unemployment in the Linlithgow wards is generally lower than elsewhere in the county. Indeed the latest rate for the town of 1.5% suggests that in reality conditions of ‘full employment’ pertain in the town. It is an indication that the wider economy is prospering, and Linlithgow residents are generally able to compete for jobs that are available. The issue of future employment still needs consideration; much of the incoming population consists of young families with second earners looking for local service employment and eventually, larger numbers of school leavers looking for work. Although Linlithgow’s expansion has been driven by access to jobs across central Scotland, this might not be the case in the future, as the drive to conserve resources puts more emphasis on homeworking and reducing travel to work journeys.
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Social Capacity
Based on the Townsend Z score, Linlithgow is rated the second least disadvantaged community in West Lothian. In general, Linlithgow is a prosperous town ? this is reflected in a low incidence of disadvantage, relative to West Lothian figures. The percentage of population educated to degree level is also indicative of this prosperity; reflected and reinforced by the high examination pass rate of pupils at Linlithgow Academy and the high percentage of school leavers going on to higher education, in comparison to the majority of schools in West Lothian.
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Policy Challenges
Despite the generally positive outlook, there are a number of challenges facing Linlithgow if the town’s prosperity and quality of life are to be maintained and enhanced. These challenges are exercising local policy makers and the wider community alike.Traffic Congestion The growth of population, housing and local and regional commuting patterns has led to severe congestion. Increased car ownership has exacerbated the problem leading to concerns about the impact of
traffic congestion on: - the comfort and safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
- the profitability of local shops with delivery and customer parking difficulties
- the tourism potential of the town.
In other West Lothian towns of a similar size the problems have been lightened by the presence of a town centre relief road. This is not an option in Linlithgow because of the importance of preserving the historic fabric of the centre and the physical constraints imposed by the Loch to the north and the canal, railway and Bathgate Hills. School Capacity Within the last ten years, Linlithgow Academy has operated at full capacity. Its waiting list has been subject to many pressures, both in terms of accommodating the increase in residential development within Linlithgow and the applications from students outwith the catchment area, perhaps attracted by the high examination attainment and reputation of the school. Housing Policy A restraint policy has been established to curb the over-development of housing. The policy aims to spread out the few remaining development opportunities over as long a period as possible and concentrate on high quality and low-density schemes. High-density schemes will only be considered as exceptions in the high street area and for special needs, non family and car-free proposals. However, Councillor Martyn Day (Preston Ward) comments “Because Linlithgow has proved a popular place to live, it has expanded rapidly and significantly, more than doubling over the last 30 years. Ironically, at the same time there is definitely a housing shortage, particularly for affordable rented accommodation and house prices tend to be higher than in neighbouring communities. This is resulting in many younger local people having difficulty in getting housed and regrettably often having to move to other communities to find suitable accommodation.”
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Linlithgow (which for the purposes of this Profile includes Linlithgow Bridge) is one of the most popular places to live in Scotland today, and is now the fourth largest town in West Lothian behind Livingston, Bathgate and Broxburn. Alongside the core attractions of its history and architectural heritage, the town has a number of assets that have underpinned its growth in the last forty years. Most of its housing is of a high standard. It is situated in fine countryside and particularly benefits from the proximity of the Bathgate Hills and Forth Foreshore as well as its own loch. Its location between Glasgow and Edinburgh, with a station on the main train route between the two cities and connections to most parts of central Scotland via the M9 have also encouraged people to buy property in what is often described as a dormitory town. During the last 40 years the town?s growth has seen large-scale private house building, the number of houses within the town increased by 38% from 3,876 in 1971 to 5,341 in 2001. This recent population and housing growth and the resultant pressure on physical and social infrastructure and services provide the backdrop to Linlithgow?s current situation and its characteristics as a community.