Issues and SWOT

strength

Check that New Green works for returning households

New Green is occupied and includes residents returning after renewal.

Proposed response: Use their experience to improve later estate projects.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

4.4% of people reported bad or very bad health in Havering council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.6% in Emerson Park to 6.1% in Heaton — 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.

weakness

Keep older residents’ practical needs visible

Park Rise provides housing for over-55s rather than a single type of care provision.

Proposed response: Check accessibility, local connections and available support.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,565 a month (August 2026) in Havering council area. This is £106 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 8.3% in Emerson Park to 35% in St Alban's — a gap of 26.8 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.

opportunity

Bring useful spaces forward during Waterloo’s long rebuild

The programme includes temporary uses, green space and future permanent homes.

Proposed response: Coordinate safe interim uses with confirmed building phases.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

17.6% of people in Havering council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 9.8% in St Alban's to 24.8% in Emerson Park — a gap of 15.1 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

29.5% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Havering council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 15.2% in Upminster to 24.9% in Heaton — a gap of 9.7 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 Havering 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 10.7% in Upminster to 28.1% in Heaton — a gap of 17.4 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 return arrangements clear when phases change

Waterloo’s published history includes a pause and revised proposals.

Proposed response: Maintain reliable information for households waiting to return.

Evidence