Issues and SWOT

strength

Make the new interchange work for everyday journeys

Fleming Way has opened with bus and cycling facilities.

Useful connections depend on services as well as infrastructure.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,096 a month (August 2026) in Swindon council area. This is £363 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 8.3% in South Marston to 51.8% in Queen's Park — a gap of 43.5 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

4.4% of people reported bad or very bad health in Swindon council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 1.8% in St Andrews West & Tadpole to 8.2% in Parks — a gap of 6.4 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.

weakness

Finish the Hydro’s restoration without confusing the phases

The building has reopened while further restoration remains a separate task.

Users need to know which facilities and works are available.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2

opportunity

Give the centre more reasons to visit

The Heart of Swindon vision brings living, learning and work into the centre.

A broader mix could support activity beyond shopping.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

15.9% of people in Swindon council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 3.6% in St Andrews West & Tadpole to 27.2% in Highworth — a gap of 23.6 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

27.9% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Swindon council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 8% in St Andrews West & Tadpole to 28.2% in Parks — a gap of 20.2 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 Swindon 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 7.9% in St Andrews West & Tadpole to 32% in Parks — a gap of 24.2 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

Reach people before a housing crisis

The council asks residents facing homelessness to seek early help.

Earlier advice gives more time to find a safe solution.

Evidence