8:32am Saturday 25th August 2007
By Dan Goater
NEWBORNS in Puddletown will live longer than their neighbours in Dorchester, according to new figures.
Researchers at the Office for National Statistics also found that residents raised in Westham East in Weymouth have the worst life expectancy of any ward in the Weymouth and Portland borough.
The new figures show for the first time the life expectancy at birth of residents at ward level for the whole South West region.
The average life expectancy of someone born in Puddletown is 82.5 years, the highest in the Dorchester area, while Dorchester North ward manages only 71.6.
Dorchester South's average life expectancy at birth is 80.1, while Dorchester East stands at 79.1 and Dorchester West at 76.4.
Coun Nicki Barker, who represents the Piddle Valley ward, which scored 78.7, said: "Well, we're a lively bunch down here.
"I think it could be down to the good community we live in and the good village life.
"And I'm not surprised to find our neighbours in Puddletown have had a very strong figure.
"There are 90-year-olds around here that are still very active."
But Dorchester East ward Coun Tim Harries took the figures, which suggest some Dorchester residents will die 10 years earlier than their rural neighbours, with a pinch of salt.
He said: "I'd be very surprised if that was the case. I also dread to think what the figures for Leeds and Bradford would look like.
"I think this is a perfect example of there being three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
The figures are based on responses given to health and lifestyle questions asked for the first time in the 2001 population census.
A spokesman for the Office for National Statistics said: "This enabled the calculation of age and sex-specific health rates at a small area level in a consistent and robust manner."
In Weymouth and Portland, the top life expectancy at birth was found to belong to residents in Preston at 80.
The lowest expectancy was just 74.7 years in Westham East, which covers Abbotsbury Road and the east of the Westham Estate.
Coun Brian Ellis, who represents Preston, said: "Of course Preston is one of the more well-to-do areas of the borough so it's perhaps not surprising the life expectancy is a bit higher.
"It's of course good news for the people of Preston but we should be working on keeping Preston where it is and bringing up the other areas by improving things like housing."
The figures shows residents born in the southern part of Poundbury, part of the Dorchester West ward, should live approximately 76.4 years.
The results for Dorchester North, which has the lowest life expectancy of any ward in the area at 71.6 years, also covers parts of Prince Charles's model community north of Bridport Road.
Coun Trevor Jones, who represents Dorchester West, said: "These figures absolutely baffle me and I don't think anybody should be taking them at all seriously.
"The figures don't look credible to me."
A spokesman for the Office for National Statistics said it was important to recognise the nature of the figures. He said they are experimental because the research techniques used have not yet been tested or met the office's quality criteria.
The average life expectancy for wards in England and Wales is 78.3 years and in the South West region is 79.5.
Top five
Puddletown: 82.5
Lyme Regis: 80.6
Dorchester South: 80.1
Preston: 80
Chesil Bank and Chickerell: 79.9
Bottom five
Dorchester North: 71.6
Westham East: 74.7
Radipole: 74.9
Weymouth East: 75.1
Tophill East: 76.2
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