Issues and SWOT

strength

Residents have a defined role in small awards

Grand Choice offers local voting within a published £15,000 funding pot.

Proposed response: Make the selection and delivery of small projects transparent.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

6.2% of people reported bad or very bad health in Lisburn and Castlereagh council area (21 March 2021). Across Northern Ireland, the figure was 7.7%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.1% in Cairnshill to 11.7% in Enler — a gap of 8.7 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.

strength

Connect local skills to local opportunities

39.2% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Lisburn and Castlereagh council area. Across Northern Ireland, the figure was 32.1%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 10% in Cairnshill to 32.2% in Old Warren — a gap of 22.2 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

Vacant premises need workable tenants

The grant programmes invite proposals to reuse and improve premises; applications do not establish occupied businesses.

Proposed response: Follow grants through to viable occupation.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

The average home price is £241,000 (July 2026) in Lisburn and Castlereagh council area. This is about £38,000 higher than the Northern Ireland average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 5.5% in Ravernet to 20.5% in Hilden — a gap of 15 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.

opportunity

Pair vacant-premises support with a more legible city centre

Future City grant expressions of interest are open, while walking-sign installation has started without final completion verified.

Reusing premises and helping people find them can reinforce each other. Applications, awards, completed work and an occupied business are separate stages.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2

opportunity

Turn neighbourhood votes into visible community results

Grand Choice allows local people to choose projects within a fixed small-grants pot.

Proposed response: Publish awards and delivery so residents can see what their participation produced.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

17.6% of people in Lisburn and Castlereagh council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 7.7% in Ballymacoss to 29.7% in Lisnagarvey — a gap of 22.1 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.

opportunity

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Lisburn and Castlereagh 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.

threat

Signs need more than an installation target

Wayfinding installation began, but final completion was not verified in the reviewed release.

Proposed response: Check that signs form a usable, maintained walking network.

Evidence