Issues and SWOT

strength

Maintain the improved Castle Street

The street has completed pavement and public-space improvements.

Everyday use depends on upkeep.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £985 a month (August 2026) in Cheshire East council area. This is £474 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.8% in Wistaston to 42.4% in Crewe South — a gap of 34.6 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

4.7% of people reported bad or very bad health in Cheshire East council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.1% in Wilmslow Dean Row to 6.8% in Crewe Central — a gap of 4.6 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

37.6% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Cheshire East council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 6.6% in Wilmslow Dean Row to 27.6% in Crewe Central — a gap of 21 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

Give Flag Lane a realistic route back into use

The former baths remain a restoration proposal.

Residents need verified stages and dates.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan Crewe’s services alongside growth

New planning work will examine roads, schools and transport.

Separate investments need to work together.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

22.4% of people in Cheshire East council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 10.1% in Leighton to 33.6% in Poynton East and Pott Shrigley — a gap of 23.6 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 Cheshire East 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 6.4% in Prestbury to 27.1% in Crewe Central — a gap of 20.7 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 residents informed when plans change

The Flag Lane school proposal was withdrawn before leisure reuse was selected.

Old announcements can mislead families about available provision.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2