Issues and SWOT

strength

Use the reopened Walnuts to widen participation

The centre reopened with more accessible pools and changing facilities.

Proposed response: Check that cost and session times allow residents to use the investment.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

3.8% of people reported bad or very bad health in Bromley council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.5% in Shortlands & Park Langley to 6% in St Paul's Cray — 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.

strength

Connect local skills to local opportunities

42.8% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Bromley council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9.3% in Shortlands & Park Langley to 21.4% in St Paul's Cray — a gap of 12 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.

weakness

Show how learners would reach replacement courses

Poverest housing depends on moving adult education from its current site.

Proposed response: Assess access to proposed replacement venues before the decision.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,684 a month (August 2026) in Bromley council area. This is £225 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 8.2% in Biggin Hill to 33.3% in Beckenham Town & Copers Cope — a gap of 25.2 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

Link family housing to usable local facilities

The Poverest proposal includes family-sized and accessible affordable homes.

Proposed response: Keep housing, school access and green-space improvements together.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

17.7% of people in Bromley council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 8.9% in Crystal Palace & Anerley to 25.4% in Darwin — a gap of 16.4 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

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Bromley 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 9.1% in Shortlands & Park Langley to 26.4% in St Paul's Cray — 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

Keep restored heritage from deteriorating again

The dinosaurs were restored after structural damage had placed them at risk.

Proposed response: Maintain inspection and conservation funding after the main works.

Evidence