Issues and SWOT

strength

Use the new leisure centres throughout the year

Leighton Buzzard and Houghton Regis have opened new facilities.

The buildings offer places to exercise and meet.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,250 a month (August 2026) in Central Bedfordshire council area. This is £209 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.8% in Houghton Conquest & Haynes to 24.8% in Dunstable Central — a gap of 17.1 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

3.8% of people reported bad or very bad health in Central Bedfordshire council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.9% in Shefford to 5.4% in Dunstable South — a gap of 2.5 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

Make Houghton Regis activities affordable

The opening report identifies local deprivation alongside the new investment.

An attractive facility may still be out of reach for some households.

Evidence

opportunity

Make the Grove View hub easier to navigate

Several health and care services work from one location.

Residents need to know which service to contact.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

18% of people in Central Bedfordshire council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 11% in Biggleswade East to 28.3% in Eaton Bray — a gap of 17.3 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

Connect local skills to local opportunities

33.2% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Central Bedfordshire council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 11.9% in Ampthill to 22.7% in Houghton Regis East — a gap of 10.8 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.

opportunity

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Central Bedfordshire 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 8.5% in Westoning, Flitton & Greenfield to 22% in Houghton Regis East — a gap of 13.5 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 travel access in step with leisure services

The Leighton opening includes new evening and Sunday bus links.

People without a car depend on usable connections.

Evidence