strength
Make completed extra-care housing useful
The council reports Jubilee Gardens completed.
Proposed response: Check whether residents can access care and everyday services.
What could help →South Ribble, in numbers
Issues and SWOT: South Ribble
South Ribble local authority area. Every figure carries its own date.
Strengths to build on. Pressures to address. Choices to make.
These assessments connect evidence with proposed responses. They are not ratings of council performance.
Strengths
strength
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £805 a month (August 2026) in South Ribble council area. This is £654 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.4% in Seven Stars to 24.4% in Bamber Bridge West — a gap of 17 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.
What could help →strength
Bring support closer to people in poor health
5% of people reported bad or very bad health in South Ribble council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.8% in Buckshaw & Worden to 8% in Seven Stars — a gap of 5.1 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.
What could help →Weaknesses
weakness
Protect access while Leyland changes
The market works remove the Ecroyd Street car park and alter familiar routes.
Proposed response: Keep shopping and market access clear during construction.
What could help →Opportunities
opportunity
Connect new housing to usable green space
Paradise Park’s paths are being prepared to join routes within Centurion Village.
Proposed response: Coordinate the links rather than leaving disconnected paths.
What could help →opportunity
Plan homes and care around an older population
21.6% of people in South Ribble council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 16% in Broadfield to 31.2% in Longton & Hutton West — a gap of 15.2 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.
What could help →opportunity
Connect local skills to local opportunities
32% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in South Ribble council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 8.8% in Buckshaw & Worden to 22.6% in Bamber Bridge West — a gap of 13.8 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.
What could help →opportunity
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in South Ribble 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.
What could help →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.
What could help →opportunity
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 8.5% in Buckshaw & Worden to 25% in Seven Stars — a gap of 16.6 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
What could help →Threats
threat
Budget for upkeep after the capital works
The market and parks add facilities that need continuing management.
Proposed response: Set maintenance and operating responsibilities before handover.
What could help →| Evidence and response | Who could lead | Related published plans |
|---|---|---|
| Make completed extra-care housing usefulJubilee Gardens extra-care facility: Completed in the council budget review | South Ribble Borough Council with the named delivery partners | |
| Protect access while Leyland changesLeyland Market and square: Enabling works; 2027 completion forecast | South Ribble Borough Council with the named delivery partners | |
| Connect new housing to usable green spaceWithy Grove and Paradise Park improvements: Works begun | South Ribble Borough Council with the named delivery partners | |
| Budget for upkeep after the capital worksLeyland Market and square: Enabling works; 2027 completion forecast; Withy Grove and Paradise Park improvements: Works begun | South Ribble Borough Council with the named delivery partners | |
| Make room for homes people can affordAverage private rent is £805 a month (August 2026) in South Ribble council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.4% in Seven Stars to 24.4% in Bamber Bridge West — a gap of 17 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 23 of 23 current wards have comparable figures. | The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers | |
| Plan homes and care around an older population21.6% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 16% in Broadfield to 31.2% in Longton & Hutton West — a gap of 15.2 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 23 of 23 current wards have comparable figures. | Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Bring support closer to people in poor health5% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.8% in Buckshaw & Worden to 8% in Seven Stars — a gap of 5.1 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 23 of 23 current wards have comparable figures. | Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Connect local skills to local opportunities32% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 8.8% in Buckshaw & Worden to 22.6% in Bamber Bridge West — a gap of 13.8 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 23 of 23 current wards have comparable figures. | Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority | |
| Target safety work where problems repeatUse the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate. | The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Target support where disadvantages overlapHouseholds facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 8.5% in Buckshaw & Worden to 25% in Seven Stars — a gap of 16.6 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 23 of 23 wards. | The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services |