Issues and SWOT

strength

Use the local family hub to connect support

Martin’s House opened with several organisations supporting young people.

A familiar local place can make support easier to reach.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

4.2% of people reported bad or very bad health in South Gloucestershire council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.8% in Stoke Park & Cheswick to 5.6% in Woodstock — a gap of 2.9 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

Follow Thornbury’s health upgrade through to use

New facilities have been approved for practices currently sharing older premises.

Residents need clarity about when and how services will move.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,464 a month (August 2026) in South Gloucestershire council area. This is £5 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 8.6% in Frampton Cotterell to 31.2% in Bradley Stoke South — a gap of 22.7 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.

opportunity

Make the former factory serve homes and work

The Yate proposal combines housing with business space near the station.

The mix should meet local needs while retaining useful employment space.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

18.7% of people in South Gloucestershire council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 4.4% in Stoke Park & Cheswick to 27.8% in Severn Vale — a gap of 23.3 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

33% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in South Gloucestershire council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 4.2% in Stoke Park & Cheswick to 21.9% in Patchway Coniston — a gap of 17.6 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 South Gloucestershire 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

4 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 8.6% in Charfield to 19.4% in Patchway Coniston — a gap of 10.8 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

Keep Kingswood accessible as works move through the centre

Shopfront work precedes further street changes.

Different work stages can affect traders, buses and pedestrians.

Evidence