THERE will be more older people in Herefordshire and fewer children in the future -according to figures released by Herefordshire Council.

The council has published population forecasts for Herefordshire to 2026, which show that the county’s population of older people will continue to grow but the number of children is expected to decline until 2016 before stabilizing.

Key results from the newly published 2006-based population forecasts suggest that the total population in 2026 will have grown by nine % from 2006 but the number of under-16-year-olds will continue to fall until 2016.

The number of 16-to-64-year-olds will continue to increase very slightly until 2011, but will then begin to fall steadily as the post-war baby-boomers move into retirement age.

By 2026 this age group will have reduced to 103,600 people, which is five % fewer than in 2006.

Whilst the younger population is declining, the number of people aged 65 and over is forecast to continue increasing but more rapidly than in recent years.

By 2026 the number of Herefordshire residents of this age is forecast to be 68 per cent higher than in 2006.

In particular, the number of people aged 85 and over is expected to more than double from 4,800 in 2006 to 10,200 in 2026.

Herefordshire Council’s research team produces projections of the county's future resident population.

These are based on Office for National Statistics estimates and take account of nationally predicted trends in fertility, mortality and migration, as well as the likely number of new houses in the county.

The results are used to help plan for the future, to make sure there are the right levels of services for different groups in the population.

Councillor June French, cabinet member for corporate, customer services and human resources, said: “Herefordshire Council is continually planning for the future and such population forecasts are a very important part of that planning process.” The population forecasts will be used by organizations and agencies across the county to plan commercial and public services.

They are available on the council’s website at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/research