Issues and SWOT: Eastbourne

strength

Use regular housing scrutiny to test improvements

The council publishes housing performance and tenant feedback.

Residents can compare promises with practical service results.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,169 a month (August 2026) in Eastbourne council area. This is £290 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 12.2% in Ratton to 47.1% in Devonshire — a gap of 34.9 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

Finish repairs promptly and safely

The July review still identifies repair and contractor weaknesses.

Tenants need resolved problems, not only a revised process.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

6.3% of people reported bad or very bad health in Eastbourne council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 4.6% in Old Town to 8% in Hampden Park — a gap of 3.5 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

Make a continuous route between shops and the sea

The transport programme has several construction phases.

A joined-up accessible journey matters more than isolated improvements.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

24.5% of people in Eastbourne council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 14% in Devonshire to 38.5% in Meads — a gap of 24.5 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

29.8% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Eastbourne council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 12.1% in Old Town to 22.8% in Langney — a gap of 10.7 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 Eastbourne 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 13.7% in Old Town to 29.7% in Hampden Park — a gap of 16.1 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 new collections reliable after launch

The council reports early food-waste take-up.

Participation depends on a service households can use consistently.

Evidence