Issues and SWOT: Staffordshire Moorlands

strength

Biddulph has completed an energy-saving first phase

The centre’s air-handling and fan improvements are complete.

Proposed response: Publish the status of the remaining heating work.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £728 a month (August 2026) in Staffordshire Moorlands council area. This is £731 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 6.5% in Werrington to 24% in Leek East — a gap of 17.5 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.

weakness

Cheadle’s ageing leisure centre needs investment

The council recognises the need for modernisation while reviewing affordability.

Proposed response: Explain the condition problems and keep essential services reliable.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

5.6% of people reported bad or very bad health in Staffordshire Moorlands council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.1% in Manifold to 9.1% in Leek North — a gap of 5.9 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.

opportunity

Leek’s refurbished institute can support more local use

The Nicholson has renewed library and museum space and a separate gallery reopening programme.

Proposed response: Confirm which spaces are open and how residents can use them.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

26.2% of people in Staffordshire Moorlands council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 14.9% in Biddulph East to 35.9% in Biddulph South — a gap of 21 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

28.4% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Staffordshire Moorlands council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 15.2% in Bagnall and Stanley to 26% in Leek North — a gap of 10.8 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 Staffordshire Moorlands 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 9.6% in Horton to 27.7% in Leek North — a gap of 18.2 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

Cheadle’s timetable depends on a workable budget

Further consideration of refurbishment costs is needed before the next commitment.

Proposed response: Publish the financial questions and the date of the next decision.

Evidence