Issues and SWOT: Elmbridge

strength

Keep the new hubs useful and accessible

Walton and Hersham have launched community services under Voices of Hope.

Residents need clear routes into activities and support.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

2.9% of people reported bad or very bad health in Elmbridge council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 1.4% in Oxshott and Stoke D'Abernon to 3.9% in Molesey West — 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.

strength

Connect local skills to local opportunities

52.1% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Elmbridge council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 7% in Hinchley Wood and Weston Green to 16.2% in Molesey West — a gap of 9.2 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

Keep present-day care access visible during the hub proposal

The Elm Grove update describes a proposed replacement for existing health premises.

Residents need care before a new building is available.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,891 a month (August 2026) in Elmbridge council area. This is £432 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 10.5% in Claygate to 26.2% in Weybridge St George's Hill — a gap of 15.7 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.

opportunity

Turn leisure energy investment into demonstrated savings

Solar installations are included in the capital programme.

Lower energy use could help sustain public facilities.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

17.9% of people in Elmbridge council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 11.7% in Walton North to 21.9% in Cobham and Downside — a gap of 10.1 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 Elmbridge 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 4.9% in Oxshott and Stoke D'Abernon to 15.8% in Walton North — a gap of 10.9 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 flood preparedness active while the wider scheme develops

The budget includes a River Thames Scheme contribution.

Financial provision does not establish protection on the ground.

Evidence