Issues and SWOT

strength

Connect local firms to existing innovation support

Dudley has an established innovation venue used for practical business support.

Proposed response: Publish current support routes and eligibility.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £858 a month (August 2026) in Dudley council area. This is £601 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.6% in Norton to 23.8% in St. Thomas's — a gap of 16.1 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.

weakness

The full tram connection is not yet available

The reviewed update covers testing to Dudley and a later Brierley Hill phase.

Proposed response: Make existing bus alternatives and expected changes clear.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

6.1% of people reported bad or very bad health in Dudley council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 4.6% in Halesowen South to 7.4% in St. James's — a gap of 2.8 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

Use revised funding for useful town-centre facilities

The revised package includes civic buildings and the Moor Centre.

Proposed response: Publish each funded scheme and its public use.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

20.4% of people in Dudley council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 11.6% in St. Thomas's to 29.3% in Kingswinford North & Wall Heath — a gap of 17.7 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.

opportunity

Connect local skills to local opportunities

25% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Dudley council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 16.9% in Norton to 29.6% in Netherton & Holly Hall — a gap of 12.7 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 Dudley 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 13.7% in Halesowen South to 28.1% in St. James's — a gap of 14.3 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 replacement promises accountable

The college’s withdrawal changed what the original funding would deliver.

Proposed response: Show what was removed and what replaces it.

Evidence