Issues and SWOT: Maldon

strength

Keep the completed skateparks welcoming

Three communities have received new or renewed skate facilities.

Local facilities can give young people places to be active.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,139 a month (August 2026) in Maldon council area. This is £320 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.1% in Burnham-on-Crouch North to 22.3% in Maldon North — a gap of 15.3 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 Maldon council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.1% in Tollesbury to 6% in Maldon East — a gap of 2.9 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.

weakness

Turn housing priorities into delivery agreements

The council identifies high costs, limited suitable homes and pressure on homelessness services.

Residents need prevention and secure homes as well as a strategy.

Evidence

opportunity

Let young people shape Riverside Park

Her Space Burnham invites participation in art and public-space improvements.

Those who use a space can help identify barriers adults miss.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

25% of people in Maldon council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 18% in Maldon East to 31.6% in Maldon North — a gap of 13.6 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

25.4% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Maldon council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 13.9% in Wickham Bishops and Woodham to 23.9% in Althorne — a gap of 10 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 Maldon 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 10.3% in Tollesbury to 20.6% in Maldon East — a gap of 10.3 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

Protect everyday use after park damage

Seating, paving, bins and play equipment were damaged in late September.

Repair costs and closures can reduce the benefit of recent investment.

Evidence