Issues and SWOT: Crawley

strength

Build on heating improvements already operating

The council runs a town-centre heat network and reports home upgrades.

Existing installations allow performance checks before expansion.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

4.3% of people reported bad or very bad health in Crawley council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.3% in Maidenbower to 5.3% in Broadfield — a gap of 3 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

Make the bus station work for complete journeys

Station Gateway responds to capacity and interchange problems.

Passengers need accessible connections while works take place.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,488 a month (August 2026) in Crawley council area. This is £29 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 12.1% in Furnace Green to 31.8% in Three Bridges — a gap of 19.7 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

Turn network investment into usable connections

The council reports that the business network is live, including coverage in Manor Royal.

Firms benefit only when they can buy and use a suitable service.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

13.3% of people in Crawley council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 8.5% in Bewbush & North Broadfield to 22.8% in Furnace Green — a gap of 14.3 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

27.5% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Crawley council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9.9% in Maidenbower to 22.6% in Langley Green & Tushmore — a gap of 12.7 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 Crawley 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 10.2% in Maidenbower to 26.2% in Broadfield — a gap of 16 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 growth benefits separate from household savings

Heat expansion and transport improvements have staged delivery.

Benefits should not be promised before services operate.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2