Issues and SWOT: Runnymede

strength

Build on parks residents can already use

Edgell Close playground and Gogmore’s games area are open.

Completed facilities can be assessed by their users.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

3.6% of people reported bad or very bad health in Runnymede council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 1.6% in Englefield Green East to 5% in Chertsey St Ann's — a gap of 3.4 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

35.3% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Runnymede council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 3.5% in Englefield Green East to 19.8% in Chertsey St Ann's — a gap of 16.4 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

Maintain care while Hythe’s permanent premises are built

The practice has been working from temporary cabins.

Patients need continuity during the move.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,586 a month (August 2026) in Runnymede council area. This is £127 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 6.1% in Woodham & Rowtown to 35.8% in Egham Town — a gap of 29.7 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

Make Kings Lane easier to use safely

The proposal responds to access and safety concerns.

Paths and facilities should work for different ages and mobility needs.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

17.2% of people in Runnymede council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 8.2% in Englefield Green East to 24.4% in Thorpe — a gap of 16.3 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

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Runnymede 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 7.2% in Virginia Water to 18.8% in Addlestone South — a gap of 11.6 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 the Kings Lane timetable before making promises

The project page contains inconsistent application dates.

Residents need one reliable sequence of decisions.

Evidence