Issues and SWOT: West Devon

strength

Make the new station useful for everyday journeys

Okehampton Interchange has opened with connecting bus services.

Residents need journeys that work beyond the station platform.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £846 a month (August 2026) in West Devon council area. This is £613 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 10.2% in Tavistock South East to 28.6% in Okehampton South — a gap of 18.4 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

Connect local skills to local opportunities

34.1% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in West Devon council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 11.1% in Drewsteignton to 20.3% in Hatherleigh — a gap of 9.3 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

Make leisure services dependable after operator failure

Fusion’s administration required a replacement operating contract.

Residents rely on predictable sessions and clear membership arrangements.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

5.3% of people reported bad or very bad health in West Devon council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 4% in Bridestowe to 7.5% in Hatherleigh — 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

Turn meadow events into lasting habitats

Community sowing events were planned at two Tavistock sites.

Local care can help habitats survive after initial planting.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

28.5% of people in West Devon council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 21.6% in Okehampton South to 38.6% in Tavistock South East — a gap of 17 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 West 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

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 11.1% in Buckland Monachorum to 21% in Okehampton South — a gap of 9.9 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 future leisure promises affordable

The council says it repeatedly supported the previous operator.

A short-term rescue should be followed by a clear long-term operating plan.

Evidence