Issues and SWOT

strength

Help the reopened arcade sustain independent businesses

Dewsbury Arcade has reopened after restoration.

Proposed response: Publish the businesses, opening hours and access details.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £782 a month (August 2026) in Kirklees council area. This is £677 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 12% in Kirkburton to 32.4% in Greenhead — a gap of 20.4 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

Town-centre journeys still need safer connections

The Dewsbury scheme addresses pedestrian and cycling access through junction improvements.

Proposed response: Keep signed safe routes available during works.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

5.6% of people reported bad or very bad health in Kirklees council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.3% in Holme Valley South to 7.6% in Crosland Moor — a gap of 4.3 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

Support more than one town centre

The programme combines Huddersfield’s cultural investment with Batley street improvements.

Proposed response: Publish a distinct purpose and schedule for each place.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

17.7% of people in Kirklees council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 9.1% in Dewsbury West to 24.6% in Denby Dale — a gap of 15.6 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

29.9% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Kirklees council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 11.9% in Holme Valley South to 33.4% in Dewsbury West — a gap of 21.5 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 Kirklees 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 10.1% in Holme Valley South to 32.7% in Dewsbury West — a gap of 22.6 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

New public spaces and cultural facilities need lasting budgets

The phased cultural programme brings future operating and maintenance needs. This is a forward risk, not a proven shortfall.

Proposed response: Publish the operating plan for each phase.

Evidence