It is frustrating to see Portishead's 'current' population quoted time and time again as 18,000 when it was nearing this figure in the 2001 census. Seven years on, Portishead

It is frustrating to see Portishead's 'current' population quoted time and time again as 18,000 when it was nearing this figure in the 2001 census. Seven years on, Portishead Town Council still quotes this on their website, The Times printed the 18,000 figure recently and, while an accurate figure will not be available until the next census in 2011, the approximate figure in three years time is likely to be heading towards 30,000 following the massive development in the area. Even Dr Liam Fox MP, in his House of Commons speech in 2005, gave the 2001 figure despite the subsequent four years from 2001 seeing a huge leap in development enticing thousands into the area. A census every 10 years is an outdated practice that is too infrequent for areas such as Portishead that has seen a population explosion higher than the UK average. A truer estimate is more likely to be that the population is 'currently' nearing 25,000 and it would be interesting to see what figure is used when calculating government funding to councils which, if based on the previous census, would mean residents are being deprived of essential financial resources that could make the difference between saving an amenity or service and losing it.Annette Hennessy, Portishead