Issues and SWOT: South Cambridgeshire

strength

Build on a service already helping household budgets

The Cambourne shop is operating from dedicated new premises.

Affordable goods and wider support are available through a local service.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,408 a month (August 2026) in South Cambridgeshire council area. This is £51 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 5.9% in Barrington to 22.5% in Fen Ditton & Fulbourn — a gap of 16.6 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

3.4% of people reported bad or very bad health in South Cambridgeshire council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.3% in Cambourne to 4.6% in Sawston — a gap of 2.3 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.

strength

Connect local skills to local opportunities

47.8% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in South Cambridgeshire council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 6.7% in Cambourne to 18.2% in Gamlingay — a gap of 11.5 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

Close the gap between homes and local services

Northstowe residents have asked for more facilities as the town grows.

A planning application cannot substitute for services people can use now.

Evidence

opportunity

Follow the housing mix through to occupation

Cambium Square has completed its first homes.

Separate tenures meet different needs and should remain visible.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

19.6% of people in South Cambridgeshire council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 5.3% in Cambourne to 26.7% in Gamlingay — a gap of 21.5 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

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in South Cambridgeshire 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 8.1% in Girton to 15.9% in Sawston — a gap of 7.7 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

Match planned growth with reliable water and infrastructure

The joint plan explicitly addresses water-supply constraints.

Homes and jobs depend on more than planning allocations.

Evidence