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45
been considered necessary. Accommodation for 60,000 inhabitants
as originally planned has been reduced to under 45,000, the effects
of which can only serve to increase unit costs (thereby presaging
greater subvention) and cast serious doubts on the social and
economic stability of the emerging conurbation.
However, the introduction of a yacht basin and marina facilities,
together with confirmation of the need for a Flood Barrier at the
Borough's eastern river boundary, may yet prove the scheme's
salvation. Development of a community spirit depends such a
great deal upon the viability of local industry and these innovations
may provide just the stimuli necessary to resuscitate some of the
lighter industries concerned with boat-building and associated
trades which used to be prevalent in Greenwich earlier in this
century.
Natural Increase—The natural increase for the year, i.e. excess
of births over deaths, was 549 compared with the figure of 563
for the previous year.
Emigration/Immigration—Assessing all sources of migration and
making necessary adjustments to the International Passenger
Survey returns concerning intended and actual migration, there
was a total net loss of 40,400 in the population of the United
Kingdom.
Migration movements into and out of England and Wales during
1971, as derived from the I.P.S. totals, amounted to a net loss of
26,900 (excluding those regarding the Irish Republic). Only one
Region, that of the South East, registered an increase, namely of
2,300.
Taking into account a recorded natural increase of 549, there
was a presumptive emigration from Greenwich of 8,889 during the
current year. However, as stated earlier, this is a statistical aberration
produced by the substantial difference in the estimations
produced over recent years by the Registrar-General and the
provisional totals for the 1971 Census. Nevertheless, there is no
doubt that there has been a substantial exodus of people from this
Borough since 1965 amounting to some 13,980 (6.0%).
Estimates based upon the 1961 Census indicated that at 1st
April, 1965, there were 7,947 residents (Equivalent to 3.4% of the
Borough's total population) who were born outside the British Isles,
of whom almost 2/3rds were from the Commonwealth countries,
the Colonies or Protectorates. By the 1966 Census some 9,350 or
4.5% were registered as born overseas, an increase of 15% since
the 1965 estimate, the proportion of these coming from the
Commonwealth, Colonies or Protectorates remained roughly the
same, i.e. 2/3rds.
In the absence of any 1971 Census figures on this subject any