Issues and SWOT: Rushcliffe

strength

Sharphill has a new shared community space

The hall is open for local groups, meetings and activities.

Proposed response: Make availability, prices and accessible facilities easy to find.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,047 a month (August 2026) in Rushcliffe council area. This is £412 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 5.3% in Tollerton to 49.1% in Trent Bridge — a gap of 43.8 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.

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

3.9% of people reported bad or very bad health in Rushcliffe council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 1.5% in Newton to 6% in Lutterell — a gap of 4.5 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.

strength

Connect local skills to local opportunities

45.3% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Rushcliffe council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 7.6% in Soar Valley to 16.9% in Bingham North — a gap of 9.4 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.

weakness

Some homes remain unused while others need housing

The council’s empty homes programme tackles properties left vacant for long periods.

Proposed response: Provide a clear way to report an empty home or ask for advice.

Evidence

opportunity

More public charging can help drivers without it at home

New charging points are available in two West Bridgford car parks.

Proposed response: Explain charging and parking prices and accessible bays.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

21.6% of people in Rushcliffe council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 11.6% in Trent Bridge to 31.8% in Keyworth & Wolds — a gap of 20.1 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

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Rushcliffe 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 4.5% in Newton to 17.5% in Bingham North — a gap of 13 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

Advice alone will not resolve every empty property

The programme includes enforcement options when owners do not respond or make progress.

Proposed response: Set a clear route from advice to proportionate intervention.

Evidence