Issues and SWOT: Blaby

strength

Share Huncote’s space between sport and community use

An under-used court has been converted for the library alongside improved sports facilities.

Proposed response: Make shared use convenient for residents.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £998 a month (August 2026) in Blaby council area. This is £461 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.7% in Fosse Highcross to 25.1% in Thorpe Astley & St Mary's — a gap of 17.3 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

4.2% of people reported bad or very bad health in Blaby council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.5% in Leicester Forest & Lubbesthorpe to 5.3% in Glenfield Faire — a gap of 2.8 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.

weakness

Provide suitable local temporary homes

The budget identifies temporary housing as an investment priority.

Proposed response: Show whether families can remain near their normal services.

Evidence

opportunity

Widen access to women’s volleyball

Huncote provides a base for Leicester Athena and community sport.

Proposed response: Link the improved facility with affordable beginner sessions.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

20.5% of people in Blaby council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 11.7% in Thorpe Astley & St Mary's to 28.3% in Kirby Muxloe — a gap of 16.6 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

Connect local skills to local opportunities

30.5% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Blaby council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 12.7% in Leicester Forest & Lubbesthorpe to 23.2% in Braunstone Ravenhurst — a gap of 10.5 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.

opportunity

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Blaby 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 8.9% in Leicester Forest & Lubbesthorpe to 18.6% in Braunstone Ravenhurst — a gap of 9.7 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

Protect services when reserves cover the budget gap

The adopted budget uses reserves to address a £1.5 million funding gap.

Proposed response: Separate recurring housing costs from one-off investment.

Evidence