Issues and SWOT: Warwick

strength

Kenilworth has a newly opened swimming centre

Abbey Fields is operating with improved access to the water.

Proposed response: Publish accessible and affordable sessions.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,241 a month (August 2026) in Warwick council area. This is £218 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 5.7% in Bishop's Tachbrook to 38.3% in Leamington Clarendon — a gap of 32.6 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

3.8% of people reported bad or very bad health in Warwick council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.2% in Kenilworth Abbey & Arden to 5.1% in Leamington Brunswick — 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

45.2% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Warwick council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 7.8% in Kenilworth Abbey & Arden to 17.8% in Leamington Brunswick — 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.

weakness

Part of a nature reserve is being damaged

The council records vegetation loss and unauthorised bike tracks at Kenilworth Common.

Proposed response: Explain protected areas and suitable alternatives.

Evidence

opportunity

New homes and restored buildings can meet local housing needs

Tournament Fields has begun handovers while St Michael’s Place is under restoration.

Proposed response: Publish separate completion and allocation stages.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

18.9% of people in Warwick council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 10.6% in Bishop's Tachbrook to 28.9% in Kenilworth St John's — a gap of 18.4 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 Warwick 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 7.1% in Kenilworth Abbey & Arden to 22.1% in Leamington Brunswick — a gap of 14.9 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

Repeated damage can undo habitat restoration

The Common’s rare wildlife relies on vegetation that has been disturbed.

Proposed response: Coordinate reports and targeted protection.

Evidence