Issues and SWOT

strength

Keep public chargers dependable

New charging points are already serving several towns.

Residents without home charging need reliable public access.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £644 a month (August 2026) in Redcar and Cleveland council area. This is £815 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.9% in Hutton to 40.6% in Coatham — a gap of 32.8 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.

weakness

Make town-centre access easier

The Guisborough programme identifies walking, cycling and accessibility improvements.

Routes should work for people with limited mobility as well as shoppers.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

7.6% of people reported bad or very bad health in Redcar and Cleveland council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.4% in Wheatlands to 10.4% in Kirkleatham — a gap of 8 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

Make the upgraded forest centre useful year-round

The visitor-centre works add facilities for visitors.

Good access and maintenance can widen use.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

23.3% of people in Redcar and Cleveland council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 11.1% in Wheatlands to 32.4% in St Germain's — a gap of 21.3 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

24.9% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Redcar and Cleveland council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9% in Wheatlands to 32.7% in Grangetown — a gap of 23.7 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 Redcar and Cleveland 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 6.5% in Wheatlands to 37.1% in Grangetown — a gap of 30.6 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

Verify the pool’s readiness before counting benefits

The published pool completion forecast has elapsed.

Opening, affordable sessions and safe operation need evidence.

Evidence