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over retirement age (65 for men and 60 for women). In the working
population, however, the rise is anticipated to be no more than
1½ millions (5%). Given the present national rate of growth, there
will be at the end of this century some 15 millions (approx. 30%)
more people in England and Wales for which accommodation
must be found.
Population in Greater London, however, is not expected to
grow much beyond the eight million mark by 1981, primarily
because new housing, which can be built within this period, will be
sufficient only to satisfy the needs of the existing residents. Whilst
these observations may be true for Greater London as a whole,
Greenwich in particular will prove to be an exception because
development by the Greater London Council of the Plumstead
Marshes area to accommodate 60,000 or more persons will initiate
a gradual but persistent rise in the population of this Borough,
for the majority of these people will be Greenwich residents. Moreover,
arising from the implementation of the "Thamesmead"
scheme, future large-scale immigration may well distort or even
reverse national trends in this area for the greater proportion of
the prospective residents will be those seconded from the G.L.C.'s
Housing List which consists predominantly of younger married
couples and their children. Inevitably, long-term planning of
general practitioner, maternity and dental services, hospitals,
schools and the welfare of infants, the handicapped, elderly people,
etc., will be affected.
Boundary changes consequent upon the inauguration of the London
Borough of Greenwich meant that, for comparative purposes,
some adjustment to the combined populations of the old Metropolitan
Boroughs of Greenwich and Woolwich had to be made in
respect of the 1961 Census. According to the Registrar-General,
the 1961 Census population for the new Borough is to be regarded
as 230,250, which showed a transfer of 1,899 persons from North
Woolwich to the London Borough of Newham.
The Registrar-General has submitted his estimate of the Home
population of the London Borough of Greenwich, computed at
mid-year 1967, upon which the statistics of this Report have been
based. The figure returned is 231,150, indicating a decrease in the
population of 440 from that of the previous year but a rise of 900
since the 1961 Census.
Natural Increase.—The natural increase for the year, i.e. excess
of births over deaths, was 1,121 compared with the figure of 1,155
for the previous year.
Emigration! Immigration.—Taking into account a recorded
natural increase of 1,121, there is a presumptive emigration from
the Borough of 1,561 persons.