Issues and SWOT

strength

Keep Wembley High Road comfortable to use

The High Road has wider sections of pavement, accessible bus stops and renewed lighting.

Proposed response: Maintain the street and measure whether access works for users.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

4.4% of people reported bad or very bad health in Brent council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 1.9% in Wembley Park to 5.9% in Stonebridge — a gap of 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

40% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Brent council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 5.9% in Wembley Park to 30.1% in Wembley Central — a gap of 24.2 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

Reduce the strain of a long estate rebuild

South Kilburn renewal spans distinct housing phases and affected households.

Proposed response: Give residents one reliable view of moves, repairs and construction.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £2,014 a month (August 2026) in Brent council area. This is £555 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 22.8% in Stonebridge to 61.9% in Wembley Park — a gap of 39.1 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.

opportunity

Make the new market square work for existing traders

Church Road combines council homes with a market square.

Proposed response: Plan affordable trading and access alongside the buildings.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

11.6% of people in Brent council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 1.6% in Wembley Park to 19.2% in Kenton — a gap of 17.6 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

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Brent 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 12.1% in Wembley Park to 31.3% in Stonebridge — a gap of 19.2 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

Keep long-range housing promises separate from delivery

Brent’s regeneration pages mix completed schemes, active phases and long-term ambitions.

Proposed response: Track each phase against a dated decision and actual handover.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2