Issues and SWOT: Dover

strength

Help residents use The Bench’s new opportunities

The centre has opened with education and workspace occupiers.

It is now possible to judge access and use rather than only construction progress.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,021 a month (August 2026) in Dover council area. This is £438 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 9% in Whitfield to 39.9% in Town & Castle — a gap of 30.9 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

Prioritise homes needing repair and warmth

The housing strategy identifies a continuing programme of repairs and energy work.

Tenants need safe conditions while longer upgrades are delivered.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

6.2% of people reported bad or very bad health in Dover council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 4.7% in Maxton & Elms Vale to 8.3% in Town & Castle — a gap of 3.6 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 the restored Maison Dieu useful throughout the year

The historic venue has reopened for visitors and events.

Regular local use matters alongside visitor promotion.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

24% of people in Dover council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 12.1% in Tower Hamlets to 36.7% in Walmer — a gap of 24.6 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

27% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Dover council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 15.4% in Guston, Kingsdown & St Margaret's-at-Cliffe to 24.3% in Town & Castle — a gap of 9 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 Dover 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 12% in Dover Downs & River to 29.5% in St Radigunds — a gap of 17.5 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

Match flood protection to the homes affected

The housing strategy identifies flood risk and planned property measures.

District-wide averages cannot show which tenants face disruption.

Evidence