Issues and SWOT: East Devon

strength

Keep repaired pools dependable

Underwater works have been completed in three towns.

Maintained pools are a practical local asset.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £968 a month (August 2026) in East Devon council area. This is £491 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 6.2% in West Hill & Aylesbeare to 39.3% in Exmouth Town — a gap of 33.1 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

4.9% of people reported bad or very bad health in East Devon council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.6% in Cranbrook to 7.2% in Seaton — a gap of 4.5 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

Match Cranbrook’s growth with usable health services

The health-centre proposal is waiting for running funds.

Space for a service is not the same as staff and appointments.

Evidence

opportunity

Make Cranbox a useful town-centre destination

Permission has been secured for community and business space.

Its value depends on tenants, useful activity and practical access.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

30% of people in East Devon council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 4.1% in Cranbrook to 50.5% in Sidmouth Town — a gap of 46.4 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

Connect local skills to local opportunities

33.8% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in East Devon council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 7.5% in Cranbrook to 21.2% in Honiton St Paul's — a gap of 13.7 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 East Devon 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 7.2% in West Hill & Aylesbeare to 19.8% in Exmouth Withycombe Raleigh — a gap of 12.6 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

Restore safe access without rushing an unsafe repair

Contractor safety concerns removed the preferred wall-repair option.

The level walkway matters for visitors who cannot use steps.

Evidence