Issues and SWOT: Epping Forest

strength

Make the new centre work for regular users

Epping’s replacement leisure centre is open.

An operating facility can support swimming lessons and everyday activity.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

4.1% of people reported bad or very bad health in Epping Forest council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.5% in Loughton Forest to 6% in Waltham Abbey North — a gap of 3.5 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

Keep support available after digital workshops end

The Nazeing programme addressed difficulty using devices and online services.

Residents can lose access when essential services move online.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,844 a month (August 2026) in Epping Forest council area. This is £385 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 9.3% in Waltham Abbey North to 22% in Buckhurst Hill West — a gap of 12.7 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

Turn the tenancy decision into clearer housing security

The council approved lifetime security for new general-needs homes and transfers at review.

Tenants should understand what changes and when.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

19.5% of people in Epping Forest council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 12.6% in Loughton Fairmead to 24.9% in Roydon & Lower Nazeing — a gap of 12.2 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

32.4% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Epping Forest council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 12.2% in Loughton Forest to 25.5% in Waltham Abbey North — a gap of 13.3 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 Epping Forest 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 8.3% in Loughton Forest to 25.6% in Loughton Fairmead — a gap of 17.3 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

Resolve housing and infrastructure together at Latton Priory

The appeal follows refusal over affordable homes, transport, agreements and environmental protection.

Counting disputed capacity as delivered housing would hide unresolved requirements.

Evidence