strength
Keep community buildings affordable to run
Bordon’s community-centre upgrades and Alton’s club solar panels are reported installed.
Usable community places offer a practical benefit beyond large redevelopment plans.
What could help →East Hampshire · Hampshire
Issues and SWOT: East Hampshire
East Hampshire local authority area. Every figure carries its own date.
Strengths to build on. Pressures to address. Choices to make.
These are evidence-led assessments, not council ratings. Each issue links to a proposed response and the local work connected to it.
Strengths
strength
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £1,262 a month (August 2026) in East Hampshire council area. This is £197 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 6.1% in Alton Whitedown to 25.2% in Petersfield St Peter's — a gap of 19.2 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.
What could help →strength
Bring support closer to people in poor health
3.6% of people reported bad or very bad health in East Hampshire council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.3% in Froxfield, Sheet & Steep to 5% in Whitehill Chase — a gap of 2.7 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.
What could help →strength
Connect local skills to local opportunities
38.7% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in East Hampshire council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 7.9% in Bentworth & Froyle to 22.6% in Alton Eastbrooke — a gap of 14.6 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.
What could help →Weaknesses
weakness
Resolve the Health Hub funding gap openly
The council says the Health Hub’s funding and terms were unresolved in September 2026.
People need a credible route to healthcare without losing existing provision prematurely.
What could help →Opportunities
opportunity
Target home improvements where they help most
A limited Home Health Fund covers eligible households in the wider Bordon area.
Small home improvements can support people whose health or circumstances make cold homes harder.
What could help →opportunity
Plan homes and care around an older population
23.1% of people in East Hampshire council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 4.4% in Whitehill Pinewood to 30.8% in Petersfield St Peter's — a gap of 26.4 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.
What could help →opportunity
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in East Hampshire 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
5 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 →opportunity
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 6.6% in Horndean Catherington to 23.8% in Alton Eastbrooke — a gap of 17.1 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
What could help →Threats
threat
Keep town-centre promises tied to delivery
Whitehill & Bordon’s foodstore and Health Hub have different delivery risks and timetables.
A new town centre needs useful services, not a single date that implies everything is ready.
What could help →| Evidence and response | Who could lead | Related published plans |
|---|---|---|
| Keep community buildings affordable to runDated completion or installation reports. | East Hampshire District Council and community building operators | |
| Resolve the Health Hub funding gap openlyCouncil request for confirmation by 24 December 2026. | NHS health commissioners, Defence Infrastructure Organisation, developer and East Hampshire District Council | |
| Target home improvements where they help mostJune 2026 fund announcement; awards and balance not verified. | East Hampshire District Council | |
| Keep town-centre promises tied to deliveryFoodstore construction update and unresolved health-hub terms. | Developer, landowner, NHS and East Hampshire District Council | |
| Make room for homes people can affordAverage private rent is £1,262 a month (August 2026) in East Hampshire council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 6.1% in Alton Whitedown to 25.2% in Petersfield St Peter's — a gap of 19.2 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 31 of 31 current wards have comparable figures. | The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers | |
| Plan homes and care around an older population23.1% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 4.4% in Whitehill Pinewood to 30.8% in Petersfield St Peter's — a gap of 26.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 31 of 31 current wards have comparable figures. | 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 health3.6% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.3% in Froxfield, Sheet & Steep to 5% in Whitehill Chase — a gap of 2.7 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 31 of 31 current wards have comparable figures. | Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations | |
| Connect local skills to local opportunities38.7% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 7.9% in Bentworth & Froyle to 22.6% in Alton Eastbrooke — a gap of 14.6 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 31 of 31 current wards have comparable figures. | 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 | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Target support where disadvantages overlapHouseholds facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 6.6% in Horndean Catherington to 23.8% in Alton Eastbrooke — a gap of 17.1 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 31 of 31 wards. | The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services |