Issues and SWOT

strength

Use the delivered Dover fleet as a starting point

Electric buses have been introduced through a council and operator partnership.

People benefit when cleaner vehicles also provide useful reliable journeys.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

5% of people reported bad or very bad health in Kent 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.

weakness

Connect new homes with usable alternatives to driving

The Bean Road scheme responds to congestion around a growing area.

Residents need complete links to destinations, not infrastructure in isolation.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

The average home price is £347,000 (July 2026) in Kent council area. This is about £53,000 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.

opportunity

Make family support easier to navigate

Families First is intended to join services around the family.

Fewer hand-offs could improve access if agencies work together.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

20.3% of people in Kent 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.

opportunity

Connect local skills to local opportunities

30.5% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Kent 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.

opportunity

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Kent 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

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.

threat

Keep the underpass cost and benefit case current

The Bean Road page reports cost growth and restricted funding.

Residents need to see what changed and what the money can fund.

Evidence