Issues and SWOT: Erewash

strength

Use the new canal crossing as a daily route

Britannia Mills Bridge is open and reduces the distance between crossings.

Proposed response: Connect the bridge with safe onward walking and cycling.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £834 a month (August 2026) in Erewash council area. This is £625 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 8.4% in Breaston to 29.6% in Derby Road East — a gap of 21.2 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

Keep Long Eaton accessible while streets change

The town-centre works alter parking, traffic and market arrangements.

Proposed response: Give traders and residents clear access information.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

5.7% of people reported bad or very bad health in Erewash council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 4.1% in Hallam Fields to 9.1% in Cotmanhay — a gap of 5.1 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.

opportunity

Choose play equipment with local families

The playground programme includes consultation on the Kirk Hallam adventure area.

Proposed response: Match play choices to different ages and abilities.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

20.8% of people in Erewash council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 12.5% in Hallam Fields to 31.7% in Breaston — a gap of 19.2 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

25.9% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Erewash council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 14.7% in Little Eaton & Stanley to 29.2% in Cotmanhay — a gap of 14.5 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 Erewash 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.

opportunity

Target support where disadvantages overlap

Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 12.3% in Little Eaton & Stanley to 29.8% in Cotmanhay — a gap of 17.6 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

Do not count planned playgrounds as delivered

The programme announcement describes future replacement work across many sites.

Proposed response: Track progress separately for each playground.

Evidence