Geographies

Lower-layer super output areas (LSOAs) and middle-layer super output areas (MSOAs)

Lower-layer super output areas (LSOAs) and middle-layer super output areas (MSOAs) are designed to improve the reporting of small area statistics. Each LSOA contains between 1,000-3,000 people (400 to 1,200 households). There are typically between one and six LSOAs per ward in the Lancashire-14 area. Each MSOA contains between 5,000-15,000 people (2,000 to 6,000 households). The number of MSOAs per local authority in the Lancashire-14 area ranges from eight MSOAs in Ribble Valley to 20 MSOAs in Lancaster.

International Territorial Level (ITLs) areas and former NUTS areas

Following the UK's withdrawal from the EU on 31 December 2020, a replacement to the Eurostat geographical classification, the Nomenclature des Unités territoriales statistiques (NUTS), has been created. The replacement UK-managed classification is referred to as the International Territorial Levels (ITLs). These ITLs align with international standards, enabling comparability internationally. The ITLs have been established as a mirror to the previous Eurostat NUTS system used by the UK and will follow a similar timetable to the review of the NUTS system, meaning ITLs will be reviewed roughly every three years. The next review was scheduled to be in 2024, however, there has been a delay, owing to proposed changes to the ITL2 and ITL3 boundaries for Scotland. It is anticipated that the new set of ITL boundaries will be delivered later in 2024 for adoption from January 2025.

Former NUTS area codes and replacement International Territorial Level (ITL) codes

Geographic area	Former NUTS codes	Replacement ITL codes
	Former NUTS-1 area code	Replacement ITL-1 code
North West region	UKD	TLD
	Former NUTS-2 area code	Replacement ITL-2 code
Lancashire-14 area	UKD4	TLD4
	Former NUTS-3 area codes	Replacement ITL-3 codes
Blackburn with Darwen	UKD41	TLD41
Blackpool	UKD42	TLD42
Lancaster and Wyre	UKD44	TLD44
Mid Lancashire	UKD45	TLD45
East Lancashire	UKD46	TLD46
Chorley and West Lancashire	UKD47	TLD47

 

Former Clinical Commissioning Groups and former local authorities in Cumbria.

Prior to 2022 there was a smaller type of area for the commissioning of health services built up from LSOAs known as a Clinical Commissioning Group area. The groupings were of medical practices. As these were in force at the time of Census 2021, it is possible to get census outputs and other statistics at this geographical area. What is now known as the Integrated Care System, formerly the Sustainability and Transformation Plan, was built up from CCGS.

In 2023 local government in Cumbria changed to having just two unitary authorities, Westmorland and Furness, which resembles the old county of Westmorland, and Cumberland, also resembling the pre-1974 county. A lot of statistics are not yet available for the new boundaries, but some on Fingertips are. Prior to 2023 the Lancashire and South Cumbria ICS covered all of the districts South Lakeland and Barrow in Furness and a small part of Copeland district that is now in Cumberland. At the same time Craven district in the former North Yorkshire County, also being covered by a small area of the ICS, was merged into the new North Yorkshire unitary authority. 

The maps we used to show for these geographies are here.