Issues and SWOT: Rugby

strength

Completed homes are already housing residents

Navigation Way has moved beyond construction to occupation.

Proposed response: Resolve defects and explain new heating systems to tenants.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,049 a month (August 2026) in Rugby council area. This is £410 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 9.2% in Dunsmore to 45% in Benn — a gap of 35.8 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

4.3% of people reported bad or very bad health in Rugby council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.4% in Coton and Boughton to 6% in Rokeby and Overslade — a gap of 3.6 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

34.9% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Rugby council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9.6% in Coton and Boughton to 21.5% in Benn — a gap of 11.9 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

A key town-centre site remains difficult to unlock

Different valuations are holding back agreement over Rugby Central.

Proposed response: Explain the public objectives and alternatives.

Evidence

opportunity

Use small improvements while larger projects are negotiated

Rental auctions and grants have supported town-centre units.

Proposed response: Track whether new tenants remain trading.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

18.2% of people in Rugby council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 10.3% in Coton and Boughton to 32.1% in Bilton — a gap of 21.8 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 Rugby 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 8.2% in Clifton, Newton and Churchover to 20.1% in Benn — a gap of 11.9 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

An unapproved guarantee cannot finance a promised outcome

Rugby’s national guarantee proposal is still a request.

Proposed response: Separate confirmed resources from proposed support.

Evidence