Findings where this place differs most from its surroundings, with the evidence behind each one. A difference is not a verdict: it is a prompt to look closer.
Homeshigh confidence
Higher than England: Households that own their home
Households that own their home is 80.1% in Castle Point (2021), compared with 61.3% in England (18.8 percentage points higher; n = 37,395).
80.1% here61.3% England
How do we know this?
- Source
- Office for National Statistics (Census 2021): Census 2021 housing and household summary by Output Area (tenure, accommodation type, cars, overcrowding, household size, general health) (Open Government Licence v3.0)
- Period
- 2021
- Geography
- Council area, compared with England
- Method
- Census 2021 housing summary. Percentages by output area are converted back to counts using the OA household total (or usual residents for health) and rolled up as in the area apportioning method, so area figures are household-weighted. England only: Welsh OAs are not in the loaded table, so Welsh and Scottish places have no value. Labelled 2021.
- Limitations
- Census 2021 is a snapshot taken in March 2021 and may have changed since.
Homesmedium confidence
Higher than similar council areas: Minor and other planning applications decided on time
Minor and other planning applications decided on time is 99.7% in Castle Point (Year to Jun 2026), compared with 84.4% across five council areas with a similar profile (Lichfield, Mole Valley, Forest of Dean, Lewes, West Lindsey); 15.3 percentage points higher. It lies outside the range of all five (57.8% to 97.0%).
99.7% here84.4% five similar council areas: Lichfield, Mole Valley, Forest of Dean, Lewes, West Lindsey
How do we know this?
- Source
- Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (now Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government): Planning application statistics: live tables PS1 and PS2 (district matters) (Open Government Licence v3.0)
- Period
- Year to Jun 2026
- Geography
- Council area, compared with five similar council areas: Lichfield, Mole Valley, Forest of Dean, Lewes, West Lindsey
- Method
- Planning application decisions. Local planning authorities report to government every quarter how many applications for planning permission (district matters: housing, commercial and other development, excluding minerals and waste) they decided, how many they granted and refused, and how many were decided within the statutory time or an agreed extension. We add the four most recent complete quarters (July 2025 to June 2026) and compare with the four before. Percentage granted is granted divided by all decisions, which includes applications withdrawn only if reported as decided; it is a measure of the mix of applications a council receives, not of how fair or permissive it is, because many applications are refused for good reason or amended before decision. Speed is the share decided in time among decisions not covered by a planning performance agreement, shown separately for major developments (10 or more homes, or sites over 1 hectare) and for minor and other applications. Few major decisions are made each year in most authorities, so major-development figures rest on small numbers. National Park authorities and development corporations are separate planning authorities and are not included in the council totals. Wales (Welsh Government development management survey): major plus minor and householder applications over April 2025 to March 2026, summed from four quarterly returns; other consents, pre-application cases and non-material amendments are excluded. "Decided in time" covers all applications and consents decided within the statutory period or an agreed extension. Denbighshire did not supply data. Scotland (Scottish Government annual planning statistics): all applications decided in the financial year 2024/25 (the 2025/26 annual release is not yet out); the share approved is of all applications decided; "local developments decided within two months" and average weeks are for local developments without a processing agreement. Northern Ireland (Department for Infrastructure): applications received and decided by each council in 2025/26, and the share approved of those decided. Each nation counts and classifies applications differently, so the figures describe each nation's own system and should not be compared across borders.
- Limitations
- Planning performance agreements excluded.
- Coverage: England: local planning authorities (district matters), councils only here. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own sources.
- Covers the 12-month window Year to Jun 2026 only.
- Similar areas are the five council areas closest on population size, share aged 65 and over, share aged under 16, share of neighbourhoods in the most deprived 20%, median house price (standardised); this is a convenience comparison, not a like-for-like guarantee.
Communitymedium confidence
Lower than similar council areas: Charities based in the area per 1,000 residents
Charities based in the area per 1,000 residents is 1.53 per 1,000 in Castle Point (Oct 2026), compared with 3.60 per 1,000 across five council areas with a similar profile (Lichfield, Mole Valley, Forest of Dean, Lewes, West Lindsey); about 43% of the average for similar areas. It lies outside the range of all five (2.66 per 1,000 to 4.97 per 1,000).
1.5 per 1,000 here3.6 per 1,000 five similar council areas: Lichfield, Mole Valley, Forest of Dean, Lewes, West Lindsey
How do we know this?
- Source
- Charity Commission for England and Wales; OSCR (Scotland); Charity Commission for Northern Ireland: Registers of charities (registered address, latest income, charitable purposes) (Open Government Licence v3.0 (Charity Commission, OSCR and CCNI terms apply: not the register itself, no direct marketing))
- Period
- Oct 2026
- Geography
- Council area, compared with five similar council areas: Lichfield, Mole Valley, Forest of Dean, Lewes, West Lindsey
- Method
- Charities in an area. A charity is placed by the postcode of its registered/contact address (or the nearest postcode to its geocoded address; some are placed by the nearest postcode to a geocoded address), so counts show where charities are based, not where they work: a national charity with a London address is counted in London. Income is the latest annual income on the register, summed; it is dominated by a few very large charities. "Declaring the area" counts charities that name the local authority (or its county) as an area of operation on the register; it does not mean services are delivered everywhere in that area. Registered charities only; unregistered community groups, small charities below the registration threshold and removed charities are not counted.
- Limitations
- A charity's recorded location is not necessarily where its services are delivered.
- Similar areas are the five council areas closest on population size, share aged 65 and over, share aged under 16, share of neighbourhoods in the most deprived 20%, median house price (standardised); this is a convenience comparison, not a like-for-like guarantee.
Educationhigh confidence
Lower than England: Adults with a degree-level qualification or above
Adults with a degree-level qualification or above is 18.5% in Castle Point (2021), compared with 34.0% in England (15.5 percentage points lower; n = 74,412).
18.5% here34% England
How do we know this?
- Source
- Office for National Statistics: Census 2021 bulk tables via Nomis: TS054 tenure, TS045 cars, TS044 accommodation type, TS017 household size, TS052 occupancy rating (bedrooms), TS037 general health, TS067 highest qualification (Open Government Licence v3.0)
- Period
- 2021
- Geography
- Council area, compared with England
- Method
- Census 2021 housing, health and qualifications for Wales. Wales held its census on the same day as England (21 March 2021) with the same questions, so the figures are directly comparable. For Wales we use the published local authority tables. Tenure counts shared ownership with owners; "private rented" includes people who live rent free, as in the England figures. Overcrowding is an occupancy rating of -1 or less for bedrooms. Qualifications are for people aged 16 and over; "no qualifications" and "Level 4 or above" (degree level and above) are shares of all those people. Counts are rounded by random adjustment, so tiny differences from other tables are expected. Wales households per local authority are not split to small areas here.
- Limitations
- Census 2021 is a snapshot taken in March 2021 and may have changed since.
Neighbourhoodshigh confidence
Lower than England: Share of residents living in the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England (overall)
Share of residents living in the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England (overall) is 10.1% in Castle Point (2025), compared with 20.3% in England (10.2 percentage points lower; n = 90,581).
10.1% here20.3% England
How do we know this?
- Source
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (LSOA 2021 ranks and deciles) (Open Government Licence v3.0)
- Period
- 2025
- Geography
- Council area, compared with England
- Method
- Summarising deprivation for an area. The Indices of Deprivation rank every LSOA in England; decile 1 contains the most deprived 10 per cent of LSOAs nationally. Ranks and deciles are ordinal, so they are never averaged. An area is described by (1) how many of its LSOAs fall in each national decile, (2) how many of its residents live in LSOAs of each decile (mid-2024 population apportioned to output areas, see the area apportioning method), (3) the share of residents in the most deprived 10 and 20 per cent of LSOAs nationally, and (4) the median decile of residents. IoD is a relative measure of small areas, not of individuals: most people in a deprived LSOA are not deprived and many deprived people live elsewhere. England only. Where an area straddles the England-Wales border the figures cover the English part only and are not published unless 90 per cent of residents are covered.
- Limitations
- none recorded
Educationmedium confidence
Lower than East of England: GCSE results (Attainment 8 score)
GCSE results (Attainment 8 score) is 39.4 in Castle Point (2024/25), compared with 45.8 in East of England (6.4 points lower; n = 1,062).
39.4 here45.8 East of England
How do we know this?
- Source
- Department for Education (compare school performance): Key stage 2 and key stage 4 school-level performance tables extract (Open Government Licence v3.0)
- Period
- 2024/25
- Geography
- Council area, compared with East of England
- Method
- Pupil-weighted school measures. FSM, SEN and absence percentages are school-level figures averaged with school roll (January 2026 census) as the weight; KS2 and KS4 measures are averaged with the number of eligible pupils (KS2) or the KS4 cohort as the weight. This equals the share of pupils in the area's schools, not of pupils living in the area. The England value uses the same method on the same files and is the comparator. Suppressed school values are skipped, so coverage differs by measure (the number of schools used is in the notes). Ofsted outcomes are the latest overall grade on record at 31 August 2026; schools inspected under the new report-card framework may carry no single grade.
- Limitations
- Cohort-weighted mean of school Attainment 8 scores. From 6 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live.