Issues and SWOT: Waverley

strength

Follow completed Bargate Lodge homes into settled use

The council has taken ownership of completed flats.

Handover makes an identifiable addition to its housing.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

3.2% of people reported bad or very bad health in Waverley council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 1.8% in Farnham Bourne to 4.6% in Haslemere West — a gap of 2.8 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

46.6% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Waverley council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 5.9% in Godalming Holloway to 15.2% in Godalming Central & Ockford — 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

Maintain leisure access while Cranleigh’s replacement is prepared

The existing centre needs replacing and the new scheme is still before construction.

Residents need continuity through a long project.

Evidence

opportunity

Measure what Farnham’s energy investment achieves

Heating and solar equipment have been installed at Memorial Hall.

Actual use can show whether the investment reduces bills and emissions.

Evidence

opportunity

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,459 a month (August 2026) in Waverley council area. This matches the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 8.3% in Cranleigh East to 30.4% in Farnham Castle — a gap of 22.1 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.

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

21.8% of people in Waverley council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 16% in Godalming Central & Ockford to 30.1% in Cranleigh West — a gap of 14.1 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 Waverley 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 4.8% in Farnham Bourne to 14.9% in Farnham Castle — a gap of 10 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 Bramley’s technical work and resident advice visible

Several agencies publish different parts of the contamination response.

Residents need clear answers about the issues affecting their own location.

Evidence