Issues and SWOT

strength

Use the existing heat network well

Bunhill already recovers heat and supplies connected buildings.

Proposed response: Monitor reliability and costs alongside environmental performance.

Evidence

strength

Connect local skills to local opportunities

56.6% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Islington council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 10.7% in Highbury to 17.1% in Laycock — a gap of 6.4 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

A planning permission does not provide a health service

Vorley Road has permission for housing, a medical centre and a library.

Proposed response: Identify the operating decisions needed alongside construction.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £2,868 a month (August 2026) in Islington council area. This is £1,409 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 23.6% in Hillrise to 37.5% in Finsbury Park — a gap of 14 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.

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

5.5% of people reported bad or very bad health in Islington council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 4.1% in Arsenal to 6.9% in Laycock — a gap of 2.7 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

Keep Grovedale’s shared space welcoming

The estate has converted unused locked areas into communal space.

Proposed response: Support everyday use and maintenance with residents.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

9.4% of people in Islington council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 6.6% in Arsenal to 11.9% in Barnsbury — a gap of 5.3 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

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Islington 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 15.9% in Highbury to 26.5% in Finsbury Park — a gap of 10.6 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 heat costs and performance transparent

Bunhill’s environmental purpose does not establish identical savings for all users.

Proposed response: Publish dated costs and performance with clear explanations.

Evidence