Issues and SWOT: Ashfield

strength

A main route into Hucknall has improved

Central Walk’s main refurbishment is complete.

Proposed response: Keep the route clean, accessible and well maintained.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £795 a month (August 2026) in Ashfield council area. This is £664 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 10% in Sutton Junction & Harlow Wood to 34% in Sutton Central & New Cross — a gap of 23.9 percentage points.

Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.

weakness

Leamington needs a sustained safety response

The council identifies antisocial behaviour as a problem behind its proposed local officer hub.

Proposed response: Explain how residents can report concerns and reach the local team.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

7.1% of people reported bad or very bad health in Ashfield council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.5% in Larwood to 11.9% in Leamington — a gap of 8.3 percentage points.

This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.

opportunity

An empty Kirkby site could provide homes and activity

The North Kirkby Gateway apartment scheme has planning approval.

Proposed response: Publish the next delivery milestone and proposed housing mix.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

19.7% of people in Ashfield council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 12.9% in Ashfields to 29.5% in Underwood — a gap of 16.6 percentage points.

Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.

opportunity

Connect local skills to local opportunities

21.6% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Ashfield council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 14.2% in Larwood to 31.9% in Leamington — a gap of 17.7 percentage points.

Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.

opportunity

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Ashfield council area.

Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.

opportunity

Turn published plans into visible progress

3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.

A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.

opportunity

Target support where disadvantages overlap

Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 12.1% in Larwood to 38.6% in Carsic — a gap of 26.5 percentage points.

These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.

threat

Permission must turn into a funded build

Planning approval for the gateway is not evidence that new homes are finished.

Proposed response: Show remaining conditions, funding and construction decisions.

Evidence