Issues and SWOT: Rother

strength

Build on the Sidley community partnership

The council has completed the hub building with Heart of Sidley involved.

A community operator can shape useful local activity.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,165 a month (August 2026) in Rother council area. This is £294 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 8.1% in Southern Rother to 41.5% in Bexhill Central — a gap of 33.4 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.

weakness

Connect the medical building with a staffed service

Barnhorn Green aims to relieve pressure on existing surgeries.

Rooms alone do not create appointments.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

6% of people reported bad or very bad health in Rother council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.6% in Hurst Green & Ticehurst to 8.8% in Bexhill Sidley — a gap of 5.2 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

Keep cultural access open through phased repairs

The Pavilion plans continued activity during restoration.

Careful sequencing can retain public use while protecting the building.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

32.4% of people in Rother council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 20.9% in Bexhill Sidley to 52.2% in Bexhill Collington — a gap of 31.3 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

29.9% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Rother council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 13% in Burwash & the Weald to 23.7% in Bexhill Sidley — a gap of 10.8 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 Rother 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 11.2% in Burwash & the Weald to 30.7% in Bexhill Sidley — a gap of 19.5 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

Resolve conflicting dates before promising delivery

Barnhorn Green’s page contains different construction dates.

Residents need one current programme with clear dependencies.

Evidence