strength
Use the existing flood partnership
Several public bodies are working on the Shoreham wall.
Coordinated land, drainage and access decisions can avoid gaps.
What could help →Adur, in numbers
Issues and SWOT: Adur
Adur local authority area. Every figure carries its own date.
Strengths to build on. Pressures to address. Choices to make.
These assessments connect evidence with proposed responses. They are not ratings of council performance.
Strengths
strength
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £1,410 a month (August 2026) in Adur council area. This is £49 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 8.5% in Hillside to 20.9% in Southwick Green — a gap of 12.4 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.
What could help →Weaknesses
weakness
Make safe homes available to waiting tenants
The Albion Street homes could not be occupied because of defects.
A completed building is not the same as a usable home.
What could help →weakness
Bring support closer to people in poor health
5.6% of people reported bad or very bad health in Adur council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.3% in Buckingham to 7.4% in Peverel — a gap of 4.2 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.
What could help →Opportunities
opportunity
Secure a workable future for the pavilion
Buckingham Park has consent for improved facilities but needs a partner.
A sound operating plan matters as much as the building.
What could help →opportunity
Plan homes and care around an older population
23.6% of people in Adur council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 16.9% in Eastbrook to 29.7% in St Nicolas — a gap of 12.7 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.
What could help →opportunity
Connect local skills to local opportunities
27.9% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Adur council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 11.2% in Marine to 24.4% in Southlands — a gap of 13.2 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.
What could help →opportunity
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Adur 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.
What could help →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.
What could help →opportunity
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 10.8% in Buckingham to 27.1% in Southlands — a gap of 16.3 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
What could help →Threats
threat
Do not repeat poor construction handovers
The Albion Street investigation reports substantial defects.
Future projects need checks before the council accepts liability.
What could help →| Evidence and response | Who could lead | Related published plans |
|---|---|---|
| Use the existing flood partnershipAugust 2026 preparation update. | Adur District Council | |
| Make safe homes available to waiting tenantsJuly 2026 defects investigation. | Adur District Council | |
| Secure a workable future for the pavilionJuly 2026 invitation. | Adur District Council | |
| Do not repeat poor construction handoversJuly 2026 engineering investigation. | Adur District Council | |
| Make room for homes people can affordAverage private rent is £1,410 a month (August 2026) in Adur council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 8.5% in Hillside to 20.9% in Southwick Green — a gap of 12.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 current wards have comparable figures. | The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers | |
| Plan homes and care around an older population23.6% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 16.9% in Eastbrook to 29.7% in St Nicolas — a gap of 12.7 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 current wards have comparable figures. | Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Bring support closer to people in poor health5.6% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.3% in Buckingham to 7.4% in Peverel — a gap of 4.2 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 current wards have comparable figures. | Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Connect local skills to local opportunities27.9% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 11.2% in Marine to 24.4% in Southlands — a gap of 13.2 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 current wards have comparable figures. | Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Target safety work where problems repeatUse the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate. | The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services | |
| Target support where disadvantages overlapHouseholds facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 10.8% in Buckingham to 27.1% in Southlands — a gap of 16.3 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 wards. | The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services |