Issues and SWOT: Torridge

strength

Make the new service base improve everyday collections

The Operational Services Centre is fully operational.

Residents will judge the investment through dependable services.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £789 a month (August 2026) in Torridge council area. This is £670 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 13.5% in Two Rivers & Three Moors to 29.8% in Bideford North — a gap of 16.3 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.

weakness

Close the gap between housing proposals and usable homes

Sully House’s expansion report had no identified delivery budget.

Planning work alone cannot provide emergency accommodation.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

6% of people reported bad or very bad health in Torridge council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 4.2% in Two Rivers & Three Moors to 7.7% in Westward Ho! — 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.

opportunity

Connect local people with the maritime centre’s work

The council has backed school outreach and skills activity.

New premises can create routes into work if local people can participate.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

28.4% of people in Torridge council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 18.5% in Bideford West to 39.5% in Northam — a gap of 21 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

26.2% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Torridge council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 16.4% in Monkleigh & Putford to 22% in Holsworthy — a gap of 5.6 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 Torridge 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 12.6% in Two Rivers & Three Moors to 22.9% in Holsworthy — 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

Plan for occupation and running costs before the centre opens

The additional investment includes tenant incentives and a manager.

Empty workshops would limit the return from a completed building.

Evidence