strength
Keep a restored community venue in use
Scarr Bandstand’s council-funded works are reported complete.
Proposed response: Make maintenance and access part of ongoing operation.
What could help →Forest of Dean, in numbers
Issues and SWOT: Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean local authority area. Every figure carries its own date.
Strengths to build on. Pressures to address. Choices to make.
These assessments connect evidence with proposed responses. They are not ratings of council performance.
Strengths
strength
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £828 a month (August 2026) in Forest of Dean council area. This is £631 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 5.9% in Pillowell to 19.3% in Cinderford West — a gap of 13.4 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.
What could help →Weaknesses
weakness
Turn heat-loss advice into affordable improvements
A thermal image can identify problems but does not pay for repairs.
Proposed response: Link the free service to practical next steps.
What could help →weakness
Bring support closer to people in poor health
5.5% of people reported bad or very bad health in Forest of Dean council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.9% in Hartpury & Redmarley to 7.8% in Cinderford West — a gap of 5 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.
What could help →Opportunities
opportunity
Make Five Acres useful across generations
The indoor phase combines exercise, community and education space.
Proposed response: Agree accessible services and travel information before opening.
What could help →opportunity
Plan homes and care around an older population
25.1% of people in Forest of Dean council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 19.5% in Lydney East to 31.8% in Lydney North — a gap of 12.3 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.
What could help →opportunity
Connect local skills to local opportunities
28.8% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Forest of Dean council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 10.6% in Hartpury & Redmarley to 26.5% in Cinderford West — a gap of 15.8 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.
What could help →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.
What could help →opportunity
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 11.1% in Dymock to 26% in Cinderford West — a gap of 14.9 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
What could help →Threats
threat
Keep separate Five Acres phases accountable
Indoor construction and the outdoor pitch are distinct phases.
Proposed response: Show what is funded, built and ready to use in each.
What could help →| Evidence and response | Who could lead | Related published plans |
|---|---|---|
| Keep a restored community venue in useScarr Bandstand improvement works: Council-funded works completed | Forest of Dean District Council with the named delivery partners | |
| Turn heat-loss advice into affordable improvementsThermal-camera lending service: Service transferred to community operator | Forest of Dean District Council with the named delivery partners | |
| Make Five Acres useful across generationsFive Acres leisure and community redevelopment: Phase-one construction underway | Forest of Dean District Council with the named delivery partners | |
| Keep separate Five Acres phases accountableFive Acres leisure and community redevelopment: Phase-one construction underway | Forest of Dean District Council with the named delivery partners | |
| Make room for homes people can affordAverage private rent is £828 a month (August 2026) in Forest of Dean council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 5.9% in Pillowell to 19.3% in Cinderford West — a gap of 13.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 21 of 21 current wards have comparable figures. | The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers | |
| Plan homes and care around an older population25.1% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 19.5% in Lydney East to 31.8% in Lydney North — a gap of 12.3 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 21 of 21 current wards have comparable figures. | Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Bring support closer to people in poor health5.5% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.9% in Hartpury & Redmarley to 7.8% in Cinderford West — a gap of 5 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 21 of 21 current wards have comparable figures. | Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Connect local skills to local opportunities28.8% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 10.6% in Hartpury & Redmarley to 26.5% in Cinderford West — a gap of 15.8 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 21 of 21 current wards have comparable figures. | Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Target support where disadvantages overlapHouseholds facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 11.1% in Dymock to 26% in Cinderford West — a gap of 14.9 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 21 of 21 wards. | The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services |