Issues and SWOT: Broxbourne

strength

Maintain the public spaces already renewed

Waltham Cross and Grundy Park works are complete.

Residents can use these improvements now.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

4.4% of people reported bad or very bad health in Broxbourne council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.1% in Goffs Oak to 5.9% in Rosedale and Bury Green — 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.

weakness

Reduce long stays in temporary housing

The budget identifies rising accommodation costs.

Families need secure homes.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,685 a month (August 2026) in Broxbourne council area. This is £226 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 8.3% in Goffs Oak to 23.8% in Waltham Cross — a gap of 15.6 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.

opportunity

Make the sports-centre design usable for more people

Refurbishment design is underway.

Accessibility can be addressed before construction.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

17.4% of people in Broxbourne council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 13.1% in Waltham Cross to 24.4% in Broxbourne and Hoddesdon South — a gap of 11.3 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

Connect local skills to local opportunities

27.3% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Broxbourne council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 16.3% in Broxbourne and Hoddesdon South to 25.3% in Waltham Cross — a gap of 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.

opportunity

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Broxbourne 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 11.5% in Goffs Oak to 24% in Waltham Cross — a gap of 12.5 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

Test whether street improvements help local trade

Waltham Cross expects more visitors and investment.

Those benefits need evidence after completion.

Evidence