Issues and SWOT: Tonbridge and Malling

strength

Protect the value of completed castle repairs

The restoration renewed important parts of the historic building.

Regular upkeep can prevent another large repair backlog.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

4% of people reported bad or very bad health in Tonbridge and Malling council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 1.8% in Kings Hill to 6.3% in Trench — a gap of 4.5 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

Provide suitable temporary homes closer to northern communities

The council reports a shortage around the north of the borough.

Distant placements can disrupt school, work and support networks.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,489 a month (August 2026) in Tonbridge and Malling council area. This is £30 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 5.7% in Trench to 24.6% in Judd — a gap of 18.9 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.

opportunity

Make heating investment deliver usable comfort

Poult Wood’s old oil system is due to be replaced.

Success means reliable heating with verified running costs.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

19.1% of people in Tonbridge and Malling council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 11.4% in Kings Hill to 25.8% in Higham — a gap of 14.4 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.

opportunity

Connect local skills to local opportunities

32.5% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Tonbridge and Malling council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 10% in Kings Hill to 21.4% in Trench — a gap of 11.4 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 Tonbridge and Malling 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 7.2% in Kings Hill to 23.8% in Trench — a gap of 16.6 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 Angel Centre useful through its replacement

Users raised hearing, visibility and flexible-space concerns during design.

A new building must work for existing clubs and different access needs.

Evidence