Issues and SWOT: Broadland

strength

Build on the park’s conservation partnership

A specialist wildlife charity now manages the country park.

Free access can be combined with habitat care.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £938 a month (August 2026) in Broadland council area. This is £521 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.5% in Plumstead to 22.7% in Drayton North — a gap of 15.2 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

4.6% of people reported bad or very bad health in Broadland council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.3% in Plumstead to 5.9% in Hellesdon North West — a gap of 2.7 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

Confirm when park facilities are usable

Visitors asked for toilets and refreshments; the new building was still under construction in May.

A construction milestone does not meet the need until the building opens.

Evidence

opportunity

Turn village grants into everyday improvements

Small schemes cover access, community buildings and energy use.

Benefits can reach several villages.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

25.9% of people in Broadland council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 14.3% in Drayton North to 38.3% in Drayton South — a gap of 24 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

27.4% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Broadland council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 12.8% in Plumstead to 22.8% in Hellesdon North West — a gap of 10 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 Broadland 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 10% in Thorpe St Andrew South East to 19.5% in Hellesdon North West — a gap of 9.5 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

Resolve running costs before promising new hubs

The Taverham and North Rackheath proposals still need business cases and land arrangements.

A building needs sustainable services as well as construction funding.

Evidence