Issues and SWOT: South Kesteven

strength

A renewed play area is available now

The Harrowby Lane upgrade has opened.

Proposed response: Check accessibility with local families.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £845 a month (August 2026) in South Kesteven council area. This is £614 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 8.6% in Grantham Harrowby to 35.2% in Grantham St Vincent's — a gap of 26.6 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.

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

4.8% of people reported bad or very bad health in South Kesteven council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.3% in Stamford St John's to 8.3% in Grantham Harrowby — a gap of 6.1 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

An unusable flume leaves a gap for families

Stamford’s old attraction has been out of use for months.

Proposed response: Explain the replacement and closure dates.

Evidence

opportunity

New council homes can meet identified local need

The council has homes under construction and further sites in preparation.

Proposed response: Publish site-by-site handover expectations.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

23.1% of people in South Kesteven council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 11.3% in Grantham Earlesfield to 33.3% in Belvoir — a gap of 21.9 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

30.1% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in South Kesteven council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 11.6% in Grantham Arnoldfield to 27.8% in Grantham Earlesfield — a gap of 16.2 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.

opportunity

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in South Kesteven 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 7.6% in Stamford St John's to 28.5% in Grantham Harrowby — a gap of 20.9 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

Construction dates can move before families get the keys

The June housing update identifies costs, site conditions and later phased handovers.

Proposed response: Keep the later timetable beside earlier announcements.

Evidence