Issues and SWOT: East Staffordshire

strength

The Washlands has more accessible places to visit

The first improvement phase brought boardwalks, play space and environmental features.

Proposed response: Keep routes and flood-related access advice clear.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £858 a month (August 2026) in East Staffordshire council area. This is £601 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 10.3% in Blythe to 47.6% in Anglesey — a gap of 37.3 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

4.8% of people reported bad or very bad health in East Staffordshire council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.2% in Branston to 7.7% in Stapenhill — 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.

weakness

Poor rented housing needs direct action

The new licensing scheme targets areas with poorly managed and maintained private homes.

Proposed response: Explain affected streets and how tenants can report unsafe conditions.

Evidence

opportunity

Burton and Uttoxeter have sites that could gain new uses

The Old Brewery Quarter has approved plans, while The Maltings is being promoted for investment.

Proposed response: Show the delivery stage and next decision for each site separately.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

18.6% of people in East Staffordshire council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 8.7% in Anglesey to 27.2% in Bagots & Needwood — a gap of 18.5 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

28.7% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in East Staffordshire council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 13.9% in Bagots & Needwood to 29.9% in Anglesey — a gap of 16 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 East Staffordshire 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 9.3% in Blythe to 25.6% in Stapenhill — a gap of 16.3 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

A large heritage programme depends on several stages

The Old Brewery Quarter is planned through separate enabling, conversion and restoration phases.

Proposed response: Explain what is funded now and what depends on later decisions.

Evidence