Issues and SWOT: Horsham

strength

Protect the reserve’s working partnership

Volunteers have supported facilities and maintenance at Warnham.

Local knowledge and ongoing care help keep public assets useful.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

3.5% of people reported bad or very bad health in Horsham council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 1.9% in Colgate & Rusper to 4.6% in Henfield — a gap of 2.7 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% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Horsham council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9.2% in Holbrook East to 15.1% in Henfield — a gap of 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

Explain exactly how collection routes have changed

Coffee-pod collection lost funding and reusable items have a new partner.

Households need clear options, especially if they cannot reach drop-off points.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,474 a month (August 2026) in Horsham council area. This is £15 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 9% in Roffey North to 23.4% in Denne — a gap of 14.4 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

Use the Bishopric scheme to close walking gaps

Plans address damaged surfaces and town-centre connections.

Safer continuous routes can make shops easier to reach.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

22.8% of people in Horsham council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 11.2% in Broadbridge Heath to 32.8% in Storrington & Washington — a gap of 21.6 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 Horsham 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 6.9% in Nuthurst & Lower Beeding to 15.6% in Roffey South — a gap of 8.7 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

Make maintenance part of every improvement

New public spaces and reserve facilities require continuing care.

Capital investment alone cannot preserve their condition.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2