Issues and SWOT

strength

Use Earlestown’s market and town hall together

The square and historic town hall give the town a shared focus for trading and community activity.

Proposed response: Coordinate accessible routes and public opening information.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £807 a month (August 2026) in St. Helens council area. This is £652 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.1% in Eccleston to 32.5% in St Helens Town Centre — a gap of 25.4 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

Travellers need clear routes during interchange works

The interchange preparation requires highway works around Hall Street.

Proposed response: Keep current bus stops and step-free routes clearly signed.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

7.5% of people reported bad or very bad health in St. Helens council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 5.1% in Eccleston to 10.3% in Peasley Cross & Fingerpost — a gap of 5.2 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.

opportunity

Connect industrial investment with local training

SINA’s facility was close to building completion and recruitment had begun.

Proposed response: Publish actual vacancies and training requirements.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

20.5% of people in St. Helens council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 14% in Parr to 31.1% in Rainford — a gap of 17.1 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

27.2% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in St. Helens council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 14.1% in Eccleston to 32.2% in Parr — a gap of 18.1 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 St. Helens 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 13.4% in Eccleston to 35.3% in Peasley Cross & Fingerpost — a gap of 21.9 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

A finished building may still be unable to operate

The SINA update identified outstanding power and legal arrangements.

Proposed response: Publish the remaining dependencies and responsible parties.

Evidence