Issues and SWOT: Dacorum

strength

Keep installed charging usable

St Margarets Way has tenant charging points.

Shared equipment needs clear access and maintenance.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

3.9% of people reported bad or very bad health in Dacorum council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2% in Tring East to 6.1% in Highfield — a gap of 4.1 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

37.8% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Dacorum council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 8.2% in Berkhamsted Castle to 22.8% in Highfield — a gap of 14.6 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

Make the roof-repair status clear

Gravel Lane’s page still gives forecast dates.

Residents need actual progress and contact routes.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,594 a month (August 2026) in Dacorum council area. This is £135 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 8.2% in Ashridge to 26.5% in Hemel Hempstead Town — a gap of 18.3 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

Design care around patients’ journeys

The campus options would bring several services together.

Fewer separate trips could help some patients.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

17.4% of people in Dacorum council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 10.3% in Woodhall Farm to 27.9% in Northchurch — a gap of 17.6 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 Dacorum 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 6.5% in Tring East to 24.6% in Highfield — a gap of 18.1 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 drainage and play-space concerns together

The estate update identifies children entering drainage areas.

Outdoor space must be safe and maintained.

Evidence