Issues and SWOT: South Hams

strength

Build on support within Westville’s temporary homes

The flats combine housing with an on-site support base.

Practical support can help people work towards a lasting tenancy.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,012 a month (August 2026) in South Hams council area. This is £447 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 10.2% in Wembury & Brixton to 22.1% in Woolwell — a gap of 11.9 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 South Hams council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.8% in Woolwell to 6.6% in Totnes — a gap of 2.8 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

39.9% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in South Hams council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9.6% in West Dart to 16.4% in Kingsbridge — a gap of 6.8 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

Get home improvements to households who need them

The warmer-homes programme is aimed at low-income households in poor conditions.

An allocation of money helps only once eligible homes are improved.

Evidence

opportunity

Make community solar benefits clear

Development funding supports the Dart Marine Park proposal.

Community ownership needs a viable installation and understandable terms.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

28.3% of people in South Hams council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 18.6% in Woolwell to 37% in Stokenham — a gap of 18.3 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 South Hams 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% in Woolwell to 18% in Totnes — a gap of 10 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

Check whether revised energy schemes can be delivered

The original capital proposal was judged unviable and replaced by Follaton solar.

Changing a project can protect value, but promised savings must be checked again.

Evidence