Issues and SWOT

strength

Build on Stretford’s renewed shopping streets

The first phase of King Street renewal is already being used.

Proposed response: Keep entrances and pedestrian routes clear during later phases.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,369 a month (August 2026) in Trafford council area. This is £90 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.5% in Davyhulme to 32.2% in Gorse Hill & Cornbrook — a gap of 24.7 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.

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

4.6% of people reported bad or very bad health in Trafford council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.1% in Hale to 8.5% in Bucklow-St Martins — a gap of 6.4 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.

strength

Connect local skills to local opportunities

43% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Trafford council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 7% in Hale to 22.5% in Bucklow-St Martins — a gap of 15.5 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.

weakness

Leisure plans still need to become usable facilities

Sale and Stretford were at design and feasibility stage.

Proposed response: Publish the existing service gaps and options.

Evidence

opportunity

Tie Old Trafford investment to everyday local needs

The development body creates a route to coordinate a wider neighbourhood plan.

Proposed response: Publish housing, transport and public-space priorities separately from stadium plans.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

17.6% of people in Trafford council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 8.5% in Gorse Hill & Cornbrook to 24.7% in Hale Barns & Timperley South — a gap of 16.2 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

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 6.5% in Hale to 27.9% in Bucklow-St Martins — a gap of 21.4 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

Large plans depend on more than a launch

The Old Trafford announcement establishes an organisation, not completed infrastructure or secured outcomes.

Proposed response: Show which parts have funding and permission.

Evidence