strength
Use a clear public investment programme
The county identifies transport, bridges and school investment in one annual plan.
Residents can connect a local promise with an accountable programme.
What could help →East Sussex, in numbers
Issues and SWOT
East Sussex County Council area. Every figure carries its own date.
Strengths to build on. Pressures to address. Choices to make.
These assessments connect evidence with proposed responses. They are not ratings of council performance.
Strengths
Weaknesses
weakness
Make new specialist places useful to families
Additional specialist school places are part of the plan.
New capacity needs staff, suitable support and workable journeys.
What could help →weakness
Make room for homes people can afford
The average home price is £317,000 (July 2026) in East Sussex council area. This is about £23,000 higher than the England average for the same month.
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.
What could help →weakness
Bring support closer to people in poor health
5.7% of people reported bad or very bad health in East Sussex council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%.
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.
What could help →Opportunities
opportunity
Connect Hastings improvements to daily destinations
Hastings has named public-space and connection investment.
Street changes can improve access when they join useful routes.
What could help →opportunity
Plan homes and care around an older population
26.1% of people in East Sussex council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021).
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.
What could help →opportunity
Connect local skills to local opportunities
31.3% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in East Sussex council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
What could help →opportunity
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in East Sussex 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.
What could help →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.
What could help →Threats
threat
Keep bridge delivery and disruption visible
Exceat replacement sits within a wider structures programme.
A critical link needs a clear timetable and safe alternatives during works.
What could help →| Evidence and response | Who could lead | Related published plans |
|---|---|---|
| Use a clear public investment programmeCouncil Plan 2026/27 capital programme. | East Sussex County Council | |
| Make new specialist places useful to familiesSchool places allocation in the 2026/27 plan. | East Sussex County Council | |
| Connect Hastings improvements to daily destinationsHastings projects in the annual capital programme. | East Sussex County Council | |
| Keep bridge delivery and disruption visiblePublished bridge and structures programme. | East Sussex County Council | |
| Make room for homes people can affordThe average home price is £317,000 (July 2026) in East Sussex council area. | The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Plan homes and care around an older population26.1% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. | Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Bring support closer to people in poor health5.7% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. | Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Connect local skills to local opportunities31.3% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. | Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority | |
| Target safety work where problems repeatUse the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate. | The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services |