Practical proposed steps for Oadby and Wigston.
The stages explain what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Funding, powers and ongoing costs need to be established before a proposal is adopted.
Proposal
Build on inclusive play already delivered
Willow Park includes equipment developed with families whose children have additional needs.
Proposed response: Keep those users involved after opening.
Evidence
Who could lead: Oadby and Wigston Borough Council with the named delivery partners.
- Short term
Check the complete route through the park.
- Medium term
Resolve equipment or surface problems quickly.
- Long term
Review inclusive use with families.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Willow Park accessible playground: Opened March 2026
Measure: Accessible equipment in service and barriers removed.
Trade-off: Good equipment can still be undermined by poorly maintained paths.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Willow Park accessible playground →
Proposal
Make booking and equipment less of a barrier
Uplands Park combines paid booking with free coached sessions.
Proposed response: Keep the free route easy to find and use.
Evidence
Who could lead: Oadby and Wigston Borough Council with the named delivery partners.
- Short term
Publish clear booking and concession information.
- Medium term
Provide help for people who struggle with online booking.
- Long term
Review free-session demand and access problems.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Uplands Park tennis courts: Opened May 2026
Measure: Free places used and booking barriers resolved.
Trade-off: Popular sessions may fill before newcomers can join.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Uplands Park tennis courts →
Proposal
Offer activity without a gym membership
Brocks Hill has a free weekly event that includes walkers.
Proposed response: Connect it with local groups and accessible participation advice.
Evidence
Who could lead: Oadby and Wigston Borough Council with the named delivery partners.
- Short term
Publish route conditions and first-visit information.
- Medium term
Work with groups helping less-active residents.
- Long term
Review repeat participation and reasons for dropping out.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Brocks Hill Country Park parkrun: Launched October 2026
Measure: Regular participation beyond the launch event.
Trade-off: A trail route may not be suitable for every mobility need.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Brocks Hill Country Park parkrun →
Proposal
Maintain volunteer capacity and safe facilities
The park event depends on volunteers, and the new courts and playground need upkeep.
Proposed response: Plan for reliable staffing and maintenance.
Evidence 1 · Evidence 2 · Evidence 3
Who could lead: Oadby and Wigston Borough Council with the named delivery partners.
- Short term
Record volunteer roles and inspection responsibilities.
- Medium term
Build a reserve rota and repair process.
- Long term
Review cancellations, defects and maintenance costs.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Brocks Hill Country Park parkrun: Launched October 2026; Willow Park accessible playground: Opened March 2026; Uplands Park tennis courts: Opened May 2026
Measure: Events delivered and equipment closure days.
Trade-off: Free participation still requires time and resources.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Brocks Hill Country Park parkrun →
Uplands Park tennis courts →
Willow Park accessible playground →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £1,024 a month (August 2026) in Oadby and Wigston council area. This is £435 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 10.9% in Wigston St Wolstan's to 23.1% in South Wigston — a gap of 12.2 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.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together. Start by checking the different needs in South Wigston and Wigston St Wolstan's; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Average private rent is £1,024 a month (August 2026) in Oadby and Wigston council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 10.9% in Wigston St Wolstan's to 23.1% in South Wigston — a gap of 12.2 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 10 of 10 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average monthly rent →
Evidence: Average home price →
Proposal
Plan homes and care around an older population
21.3% of people in Oadby and Wigston council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 15.8% in Oadby Grange to 30.1% in Wigston All Saints — a gap of 14.3 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.
Who could lead: Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities.
- Start now
Compare the location of older residents with access to care, shops and transport. Start by checking the different needs in Wigston All Saints and Oadby Grange; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Prioritise home adaptations and care capacity in places with the clearest unmet need.
- Over the longer term
Build accessible homes and joined-up care into local development plans.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 21.3% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 15.8% in Oadby Grange to 30.1% in Wigston All Saints — a gap of 14.3 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 10 of 10 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Waits for home adaptations and care, avoidable hospital stays, and accessible homes delivered.
Trade-off: Services need skilled staff and ongoing funding. Age profiles alone cannot measure unmet care need.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 65 or over →
Proposal
Bring support closer to people in poor health
4.8% of people reported bad or very bad health in Oadby and Wigston council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.1% in Oadby Woodlands to 6.3% in Wigston All Saints — a gap of 3.2 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.
Who could lead: Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations.
- Start now
Use neighbourhood evidence to find where poor health and barriers to services overlap. Start by checking the different needs in Wigston All Saints and Oadby Woodlands; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test accessible local support and publish who is reached and who is missed.
- Over the longer term
Review whether health gaps narrow, alongside housing and employment improvements.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 4.8% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.1% in Oadby Woodlands to 6.3% in Wigston All Saints — a gap of 3.2 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 10 of 10 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Access to services and the health gap between neighbourhoods, using comparable age-adjusted measures when available.
Trade-off: A census snapshot is dated. New service decisions also need current needs assessments and residents’ experience.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People reporting bad or very bad health →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
32% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Oadby and Wigston council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 10.8% in Oadby Grange to 23.6% in South Wigston — a gap of 12.8 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.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents. Start by checking the different needs in South Wigston and Oadby Grange; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 32% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 10.8% in Oadby Grange to 23.6% in South Wigston — a gap of 12.8 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 10 of 10 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or equivalent →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
Proposal
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Oadby and Wigston 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.
Who could lead: The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services.
- Start now
Check recurring places and categories alongside local police priorities and residents’ reports.
- Over the next few years
Test focused prevention and support, with a comparison period agreed before the work starts.
- Over the longer term
Publish whether problems fall, move elsewhere or return, and adjust the response.
How to judge progress
Crime evidence and coverage →
Starting point: Use the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate.
Measure: Comparable recorded incidents, repeat victimisation and residents’ reported experience; never a single crude league table.
Trade-off: More reporting can increase recorded crime. Enforcement and support may work differently for different problems.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Proposal
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.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Brocks Hill Country Park parkrun →
Uplands Park tennis courts →
Willow Park accessible playground →
Proposal
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 10.1% in Oadby Woodlands to 21.2% in South Wigston — a gap of 11.1 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
Who could lead: The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services.
- Start now
Check current advice and support access in South Wigston, using the census pattern as a starting point and asking residents what is missing.
- Over the next few years
Test joined-up housing, work and health support, and publish who takes part, who cannot reach it and what changes.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained outcomes and whether gaps between neighbourhoods narrow, using comparable dates and measures.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 10.1% in Oadby Woodlands to 21.2% in South Wigston — a gap of 11.1 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 10 of 10 wards.
Measure: Access to support, unresolved housing problems and sustained work or health outcomes. Census percentages alone cannot measure a new programme's success.
Trade-off: Targeting neighbourhoods can miss people in need elsewhere. Avoid labelling every resident by the average for their ward.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages →
Brocks Hill Country Park parkrun →
Uplands Park tennis courts →
Willow Park accessible playground →
