Issues and SWOT: Oadby and Wigston

strength

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

strength

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.

strength

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.

weakness

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

opportunity

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

opportunity

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.

opportunity

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.

opportunity

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.

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 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.

threat

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