Issues and SWOT

strength

The Fish Quay now has a step-free link

The opened walkway connects North Shields’ centre with the riverside.

Proposed response: Publish the route and gradient information clearly.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £857 a month (August 2026) in North Tyneside council area. This is £602 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.7% in Backworth & Holystone to 30.8% in Wallsend Central — a gap of 23.1 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

Completed paths do not show the whole journey

The Wallsend update confirms physical links but does not measure end-to-end access or usage.

Proposed response: Check routes from nearby homes and transport stops.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

6.2% of people reported bad or very bad health in North Tyneside council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.3% in Whitley Bay North to 8.8% in Howdon — a gap of 5.5 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.

opportunity

Make the coastal route useful for daily trips

The second coastal phase is recorded as complete.

Proposed response: Publish connections to local services and public transport.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

20.5% of people in North Tyneside council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 11.9% in Backworth & Holystone to 29.8% in St Mary's — a gap of 18 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

32.9% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in North Tyneside council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 10.1% in Whitley Bay North to 25.7% in Chirton & Percy Main — a gap of 15.6 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 North Tyneside 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 9% in St Mary's to 29.5% in Chirton & Percy Main — a gap of 20.4 percentage points.

These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.

threat

New routes can lose value if upkeep slips

The walkway, coast route and town links add surfaces and equipment that must be maintained. This is a forward operating risk.

Proposed response: Assign inspection and repair responsibilities.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2