strength
Town priorities have reached a council decision
The programme brings recommendations from local partnerships into an approved delivery schedule.
Proposed response: Keep residents able to follow each agreed project.
What could help →Monmouthshire, in numbers
Issues and SWOT
Monmouthshire council 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
Bring support closer to people in poor health
5.6% of people reported bad or very bad health in Monmouthshire council area (21 March 2021). Across Wales, the figure was 6.9%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.9% in Caldicot Castle to 10.2% in Lansdown — a gap of 7.3 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.
What could help →strength
Connect local skills to local opportunities
39.4% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Monmouthshire council area. Across Wales, the figure was 31.5%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 8.3% in Osbaston to 28.4% in Lansdown — a gap of 20.1 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 →Weaknesses
weakness
Accessible toilets need an operating plan
Proposed Changing Places facilities will only help if access and upkeep work.
Proposed response: Agree staffing, keys, hours and maintenance before opening.
What could help →weakness
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £994 a month (August 2026) in Monmouthshire council area. This is £148 higher than the Wales average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.9% in Caldicot Castle to 32% in Grofield — a gap of 24.2 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.
What could help →Opportunities
opportunity
Make the bus-station approach easier to use
The programme includes public-space work around Monmouth bus station.
Proposed response: Prioritise clear, accessible connections to the town.
What could help →opportunity
Plan homes and care around an older population
25.9% of people in Monmouthshire council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 16% in Bulwark and Thornwell to 35.5% in Cantref — a gap of 19.5 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
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Monmouthshire 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.
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 5.8% in St Kingsmark to 32.2% in Lansdown — a gap of 26.4 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
A skatepark needs upkeep beyond its opening
The Caldicot programme records a planned facility, without an operating outcome.
Proposed response: Plan safe use and maintenance alongside construction.
What could help →| Evidence and response | Who could lead | Related published plans |
|---|---|---|
| Town priorities have reached a council decisionChanging Places and public toilets: Included in the approved 2026–2027 programme; Caldicot skatepark and public-space improvements: Included in the approved 2026–2027 programme; Monmouth bus-station public space: Included in the approved 2026–2027 programme | Monmouthshire County Council with the named delivery partners | |
| Accessible toilets need an operating planChanging Places and public toilets: Included in the approved 2026–2027 programme | Monmouthshire County Council with the named delivery partners | |
| Make the bus-station approach easier to useMonmouth bus-station public space: Included in the approved 2026–2027 programme | Monmouthshire County Council with the named delivery partners | |
| A skatepark needs upkeep beyond its openingCaldicot skatepark and public-space improvements: Included in the approved 2026–2027 programme | Monmouthshire County Council with the named delivery partners | |
| Make room for homes people can affordAverage private rent is £994 a month (August 2026) in Monmouthshire council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.9% in Caldicot Castle to 32% in Grofield — a gap of 24.2 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 39 of 39 current wards have comparable figures. | The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Plan homes and care around an older population25.9% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 16% in Bulwark and Thornwell to 35.5% in Cantref — a gap of 19.5 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 39 of 39 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 health5.6% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.9% in Caldicot Castle to 10.2% in Lansdown — a gap of 7.3 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 39 of 39 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 opportunities39.4% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 8.3% in Osbaston to 28.4% in Lansdown — a gap of 20.1 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 39 of 39 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 safety work where problems repeatUse the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate. | The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services | 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 5.8% in St Kingsmark to 32.2% in Lansdown — a gap of 26.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 39 of 39 wards. | The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services |