Issues and SWOT: Rushmoor

strength

Make Union Yard a used place, not just a finished building

Union Yard is complete and has public space, homes and business premises.

Occupancy and regular use determine how much the wider town gains.

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,385 a month (August 2026) in Rushmoor council area. This is £74 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 10.5% in Fernhill to 48.3% in Wellington — a gap of 37.8 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

3.8% of people reported bad or very bad health in Rushmoor council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2% in Wellington to 6.1% in Aldershot Park — a gap of 4.1 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

Unblock stalled town-centre plans with clear responsibilities

The delivery plan calls for a viable approach to the civic quarter and work to unblock The Galleries.

Permission alone does not give residents the homes and facilities proposed.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan access to the new pools before they open

Farnborough Pools and Fitness is under construction.

Useful health benefits depend on who can reach and afford the facilities.

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

15.2% of people in Rushmoor council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 6.1% in Wellington to 20.1% in Rowhill — a gap of 13.9 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

29.8% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Rushmoor council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 11.1% in Empress to 27.9% in Cherrywood — a gap of 16.7 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 Rushmoor 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

4 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 9.7% in Knellwood to 23.9% in Cherrywood — a gap of 14.3 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 the live build separate from the wider masterplan risk

The pools project has started, while much of the civic quarter remains a longer programme.

Residents should be able to tell which facilities are funded and being built.