Issues and SWOT: Welwyn Hatfield

strength

Connect completed homes to everyday services

One Town Centre includes completed social-rent homes and shops.

Residents already have a stake in the town’s next phase.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

3.8% of people reported bad or very bad health in Welwyn Hatfield council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.5% in Hatfield Villages to 5% in Peartree — a gap of 2.5 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

37.3% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Welwyn Hatfield council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9.7% in Hatfield Villages to 19.9% in Welham Green and Hatfield South — a gap of 10.2 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

Deliver suitable temporary homes

Howlands House responds to homelessness and hotel use.

Replacement accommodation is still proposed.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,512 a month (August 2026) in Welwyn Hatfield council area. This is £53 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 6.5% in Howlands to 30.8% in Hatfield Villages — a gap of 24.4 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 Hatfield’s next plan practical

The masterplan links community facilities, homes and movement.

Design can address daily journeys together.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

15.7% of people in Welwyn Hatfield council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 7.2% in Hatfield South West to 25.2% in Handside — a gap of 18 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 Welwyn Hatfield 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 8.7% in Brookmans Park and Little Heath to 20.5% in Hatfield Central — a gap of 11.8 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 neighbours informed as plans change

The Howlands proposal was reduced and repositioned after feedback.

Further changes could affect timing and cost.

Evidence