Issues and SWOT: Basildon

strength

Make better use of homes already available

The allocation changes support tenants who want to move to smaller or more suitable homes.

A successful move can release family accommodation without waiting for construction.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,424 a month (August 2026) in Basildon council area. This is £35 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 9.8% in Castledon & Crouch to 22.7% in Nethermayne — a gap of 12.9 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

5% of people reported bad or very bad health in Basildon council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.6% in Billericay East to 7.8% in Pitsea North West — a gap of 5.2 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

Resolve the barriers to affordable homes in Wickford

The Bakers Farm Close proposal was refused despite an officer recommendation to approve.

Proposed housing capacity must not be counted as a completed response to need.

Evidence

opportunity

Renew the theatre’s equipment if funding is secured

Cabinet supports replacing sound and paging systems through a conditional contribution.

Reliable equipment helps an existing cultural venue keep operating.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

17% of people in Basildon council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 10.8% in Lee Chapel North to 25.6% in Castledon & Crouch — a gap of 14.8 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

24.6% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Basildon council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 13.1% in Billericay West to 28.4% in Pitsea South East — a gap of 15.3 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 Basildon 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 9.3% in Billericay East to 27.6% in Pitsea North West — a gap of 18.3 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

Keep a credible fallback for the theatre

If the external grant fails, the council must consider alternative funding.

A conditional budget cannot be treated as a fully funded replacement programme.

Evidence