Issues and SWOT

strength

Make the new interchange easy to navigate

The interchange and walking links are open.

Proposed response: Test connections with disabled passengers and people changing modes.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,119 a month (August 2026) in Stockport council area. This is £340 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 6.2% in Bramhall South & Woodford to 24.6% in Reddish North — a gap of 18.4 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.

strength

Connect local skills to local opportunities

37.6% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Stockport council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9.5% in Marple North to 24.9% in Brinnington & Stockport Central — a gap of 15.4 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

Residents need clear service arrangements during the move

Marple’s combined hub was still at a construction milestone in the reviewed update.

Proposed response: Publish temporary service locations and the move timetable.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

5.3% of people reported bad or very bad health in Stockport council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.2% in Bramhall South & Woodford to 9.5% in Brinnington & Stockport Central — a gap of 6.3 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.

opportunity

Connect Cheadle’s new workspaces with local skills

Cheadle Eco Park is being built for industrial businesses.

Proposed response: Publish the tenant and training opportunities.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

20.1% of people in Stockport council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 11.3% in Brinnington & Stockport Central to 30.4% in Marple South & High Lane — a gap of 19.1 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

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% in Bramhall South & Woodford to 32.3% in Brinnington & Stockport Central — a gap of 24.3 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 service and building deadlines aligned

Marple and Cheadle both have construction-dependent benefits.

Proposed response: List the approvals and utilities needed before opening.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2