Issues and SWOT: South Holland

strength

A local sports organisation has a clearer role

The Monkshouse agreement provides a route for managing community sports space.

Proposed response: Publish access arrangements and maintenance responsibilities.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £775 a month (August 2026) in South Holland council area. This is £684 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 9.7% in Moulton, Weston and Cowbit to 37.3% in Spalding St John's — a gap of 27.6 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.

weakness

Limited power capacity can hold back local development

The Holbeach proposal responds to constraints in the existing network.

Proposed response: Publish connection milestones with the network operator.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

5.7% of people reported bad or very bad health in South Holland council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.7% in Spalding Monks House to 7.4% in Long Sutton — a gap of 3.7 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.

opportunity

Use new leisure space to widen participation

The Castle redevelopment could improve local exercise opportunities.

Proposed response: Publish verified opening stages and accessible sessions.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

23.9% of people in South Holland council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 17.4% in Spalding Wygate to 32.4% in Long Sutton — a gap of 15 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

20.1% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in South Holland council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 18.3% in Crowland and Deeping St Nicholas to 28.3% in Sutton Bridge — a gap of 10 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 South Holland 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 12.7% in Spalding Wygate to 25.2% in Sutton Bridge — a gap of 12.4 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

Planning permission alone cannot remove the power constraint

Holbeach’s network improvement must be delivered before its benefits can be relied on.

Proposed response: Identify outstanding construction and connection approvals.

Evidence