Local help →Wells · England
Somerset council area. Every figure carries its own date.
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats drawn from the available evidence. These are analytical judgements, not an official council assessment. Where a national comparison is available, lower housing costs, lower reported poor health and higher qualification shares are treated as relative strengths; this does not prove affordability or service quality.
strength
Average private rent is £1,016 a month (August 2026) in Somerset council area. This is £443 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 9.6% in Huntspill to 30.6% in Taunton East — a gap of 21 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 →strength
5.1% of people reported bad or very bad health in Somerset council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.5% in Monkton & North Curry to 8.4% in Highbridge & Burnham South — a gap of 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.
What could help →The evidence gathered here does not yet support a distinct finding in this category.
opportunity
The skatepark has planning permission, while fundraising continues.
The proposal could give young people a better place to skate. Permission does not establish that construction or long-term maintenance is funded.
What could help →opportunity
24.8% of people in Somerset council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 14% in Bridgwater North & Central to 37.1% in Minehead — a gap of 23.1 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.
What could help →opportunity
30.5% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Somerset council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 12.4% in Monkton & North Curry to 27.9% in Bridgwater North & Central — a gap of 15.5 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.
What could help →opportunity
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Somerset 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
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
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 10.7% in King Alfred to 26.8% in Bridgwater South — a gap of 16.1 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 →threat
The new plan identifies flooding, power loss and severe weather as risks. Adopting a plan is only the starting point for a usable local response.
Proposed response: test the contact arrangements, practical support and communication routes before a major incident.
What could help →| Evidence and response | Who could lead | Related published plans |
|---|---|---|
| Turn Wells’ skatepark permission into a viable community facilityWells skatepark proposal: Planning permission reported; fundraising continues. | Local skatepark charity, supported by Wells City Council | |
| Turn Wells’ emergency plan into tested local readinessCommunity Resilience Plan adoption announced on 12 October 2026. | Wells City Council and its emergency-response and community partners | |
| Make room for homes people can affordAverage private rent is £1,016 a month (August 2026) in Somerset council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 9.6% in Huntspill to 30.6% in Taunton East — a gap of 21 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 55 of 55 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 population24.8% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 14% in Bridgwater North & Central to 37.1% in Minehead — a gap of 23.1 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 55 of 55 current wards have comparable figures. | Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities | |
| Bring support closer to people in poor health5.1% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.5% in Monkton & North Curry to 8.4% in Highbridge & Burnham South — a gap of 5 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 55 of 55 current wards have comparable figures. | Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations | |
| Connect local skills to local opportunities30.5% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 12.4% in Monkton & North Curry to 27.9% in Bridgwater North & Central — a gap of 15.5 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 55 of 55 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 | |
| Target support where disadvantages overlapHouseholds facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 10.7% in King Alfred to 26.8% in Bridgwater South — a gap of 16.1 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 55 of 55 wards. | The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services |