Issues and SWOT

strength

Keep the reopened hall accessible to local people

King George’s Hall is hosting audiences again.

Restored facilities should serve community use as well as major performances.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £714 a month (August 2026) in Blackburn with Darwen council area. This is £745 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 9% in Livesey with Pleasington to 33.5% in Darwen East — a gap of 24.5 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 long-empty homes back into use

The council reports deteriorating empty properties affecting neighbours.

Recovering existing housing can also improve the surrounding street.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

6.6% of people reported bad or very bad health in Blackburn with Darwen council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.7% in West Pennine to 10.7% in Blackburn Central — a gap of 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

Link Darwen’s new youth centre to its civic renewal

The youth centre is open while market, library and theatre improvements remain in development.

A connected offer could serve different ages in the same town centre.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

14.5% of people in Blackburn with Darwen council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 9.6% in Bastwell & Daisyfield to 25.5% in Livesey with Pleasington — a gap of 15.9 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

26.8% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Blackburn with Darwen council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 11.9% in West Pennine to 34.3% in Blackburn Central — a gap of 22.5 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 Blackburn with Darwen 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

5 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 11.3% in West Pennine to 38.1% in Blackburn Central — a gap of 26.8 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

Reduce preventable moorland fires

The council reports a July 2026 wildfire and renewed prevention measures.

Moorland damage affects wildlife, local access and emergency services.

Evidence