strength
Use public control to coordinate market improvements
The market decision joins district delivery with a town-council agreement.
Proposed response: Publish who maintains each part after the works.
What could help →Bolsover, in numbers
Issues and SWOT: Bolsover
Bolsover local authority area. Every figure carries its own date.
Strengths to build on. Pressures to address. Choices to make.
These assessments connect evidence with proposed responses. They are not ratings of council performance.
Strengths
strength
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £706 a month (August 2026) in Bolsover council area. This is £753 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 11.5% in Blackwell to 30.6% in Shirebrook South — a gap of 19.1 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 →Weaknesses
weakness
Show the difference between approved and occupied homes
Alder Close is approved within a programme, while the other sites remain at preparation stage.
Proposed response: Report each stage in the housing pipeline.
What could help →weakness
Bring support closer to people in poor health
7.8% of people reported bad or very bad health in Bolsover council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 5.4% in Barlborough to 11.6% in Shirebrook North — a gap of 6.2 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 →Opportunities
opportunity
Design new homes for changing needs
The Alder Close decision describes adaptable, energy-efficient homes.
Proposed response: Check accessibility and running costs with future users.
What could help →opportunity
Plan homes and care around an older population
20.2% of people in Bolsover council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 15% in Shirebrook South to 24.7% in Blackwell — a gap of 9.7 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
Connect local skills to local opportunities
21.7% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Bolsover council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 16.8% in Barlborough to 32.6% in Shirebrook North — a gap of 15.8 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 →opportunity
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Bolsover 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
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.
What could help →opportunity
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 15% in Barlborough to 34.4% in Shirebrook North — a gap of 19.5 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
What could help →Threats
threat
Check viability before committing later housing phases
Briar Close and High Street need further viability reports after preparation.
Proposed response: Make the later investment decision explicit.
What could help →| Evidence and response | Who could lead | Related published plans |
|---|---|---|
| Use public control to coordinate market improvementsShirebrook Market Place improvements: Contract appointment approved | Bolsover District Council with the named delivery partners | |
| Show the difference between approved and occupied homesAlder Close council homes: Included in approved housing programme; Briar Close and High Street preparation: Pre-construction funding approved | Bolsover District Council with the named delivery partners | |
| Design new homes for changing needsAlder Close council homes: Included in approved housing programme | Bolsover District Council with the named delivery partners | |
| Check viability before committing later housing phasesBriar Close and High Street preparation: Pre-construction funding approved | Bolsover District Council with the named delivery partners | |
| Make room for homes people can affordAverage private rent is £706 a month (August 2026) in Bolsover council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 11.5% in Blackwell to 30.6% in Shirebrook South — a gap of 19.1 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 17 of 17 current wards have comparable figures. | The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers | |
| Plan homes and care around an older population20.2% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 15% in Shirebrook South to 24.7% in Blackwell — a gap of 9.7 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 17 of 17 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 health7.8% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 5.4% in Barlborough to 11.6% in Shirebrook North — a gap of 6.2 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 17 of 17 current wards have comparable figures. | Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Connect local skills to local opportunities21.7% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 16.8% in Barlborough to 32.6% in Shirebrook North — a gap of 15.8 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 17 of 17 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 15% in Barlborough to 34.4% in Shirebrook North — a gap of 19.5 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 17 of 17 wards. | The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services |