Issues and SWOT: Chorley

strength

Use the established centre to support local trade

The Market Walk extension is already complete.

Proposed response: Connect its visitors to the rest of Chorley town centre.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £798 a month (August 2026) in Chorley council area. This is £661 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.7% in Euxton to 23.3% in Chorley North West — a gap of 15.5 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 leisure affordable during refurbishment

The budget commits to updating leisure facilities including All Seasons.

Proposed response: Keep usable sessions and clear temporary arrangements during works.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

5.2% of people reported bad or very bad health in Chorley council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.4% in Buckshaw & Whittle to 6.3% in Chorley North & Astley — a gap of 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

Join homes and learning at Woodlands

Woodlands has planned residential, education and commercial elements.

Proposed response: Make the parts useful together rather than treating floor space as the outcome.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

20.5% of people in Chorley council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 11.1% in Buckshaw & Whittle to 27.3% in Eccleston, Heskin & Charnock Richard — a gap of 16.3 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

33.8% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Chorley council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9.8% in Buckshaw & Whittle to 21.6% in Chorley East — a gap of 11.8 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 Chorley 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 8.6% in Chorley North East to 22.6% in Chorley East — a gap of 14 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

Test running costs as well as building budgets

Leisure upgrades and Woodlands create continuing operating responsibilities.

Proposed response: Publish whole-life costs before expanding commitments.

Evidence