Practical proposed steps for South Tyneside.
The stages explain what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Funding, powers and ongoing costs need to be established before a proposal is adopted.
Proposal
Measure the completed heat network’s performance
Jarrow has an operating heat network serving public buildings.
Proposed response: Publish connected buildings and actual energy use.
Evidence
Who could lead: South Tyneside Council.
- Start now
Publish connected buildings and actual energy use.
- Over the next few years
Compare emissions and bills with the previous heating systems.
- Over the longer term
Review performance and maintenance over several winters.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Viking Energy Network: Operational in the reviewed performance report.
Measure: Measured bills, energy use and reliability.
Trade-off: Projected carbon savings differ from measured results.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Viking Energy Network →
Proposal
An occupied neighbourhood still has construction around it
Holborn has occupied phases alongside continuing development.
Proposed response: Keep resident access and construction information clear.
Evidence
Who could lead: South Tyneside Council.
- Start now
Keep resident access and construction information clear.
- Over the next few years
Coordinate shared spaces and services with new occupations.
- Over the longer term
Review the completed neighbourhood’s access and upkeep.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Holborn Riverside housing: Earlier phases occupied; final phase in delivery.
Measure: Access problems and facilities delivered by phase.
Trade-off: Building later phases can disrupt early residents.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Holborn Riverside housing →
Proposal
Link the college move to local work and services
The new campus would bring learning activity into South Shields’ centre.
Proposed response: Publish course access and travel arrangements.
Evidence
Who could lead: South Tyneside Council.
- Start now
Publish course access and travel arrangements.
- Over the next few years
Connect students with local employers and businesses.
- Over the longer term
Track completed learning and sustained employment routes.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Tyne Coast College town-centre campus: Campus development programme.
Measure: Course participation, completion and local work opportunities.
Trade-off: More footfall does not automatically benefit every business.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Tyne Coast College town-centre campus →
Proposal
Technical problems can change the solution
Hebburn’s original mine-water approach had to change after drilling difficulties.
Proposed response: Explain the final system and what changed.
Evidence 1 · Evidence 2
Who could lead: South Tyneside Council.
- Start now
Explain the final system and what changed.
- Over the next few years
Compare measured performance with the revised design.
- Over the longer term
Use the lessons before expanding similar networks.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Hebburn Renewable Energy Scheme: Revised scheme; completion confirmed by the 2026 financial plan.
Measure: Actual energy performance and documented design changes.
Trade-off: Early investigation costs money but can expose expensive risks.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Hebburn Renewable Energy Scheme →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £743 a month (August 2026) in South Tyneside council area. This is £716 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 5.9% in Cleadon Village & East Boldon to 29.2% in West Park — a gap of 23.2 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.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together. Start by checking the different needs in West Park and Cleadon Village & East Boldon; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Average private rent is £743 a month (August 2026) in South Tyneside council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 5.9% in Cleadon Village & East Boldon to 29.2% in West Park — a gap of 23.2 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 18 of 18 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average monthly rent →
Evidence: Average home price →
Holborn Riverside housing →
Proposal
Plan homes and care around an older population
20.9% of people in South Tyneside council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 14.5% in Hebburn North to 27.9% in Cleadon Village & East Boldon — a gap of 13.3 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.
Who could lead: Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities.
- Start now
Compare the location of older residents with access to care, shops and transport. Start by checking the different needs in Cleadon Village & East Boldon and Hebburn North; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Prioritise home adaptations and care capacity in places with the clearest unmet need.
- Over the longer term
Build accessible homes and joined-up care into local development plans.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 20.9% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 14.5% in Hebburn North to 27.9% in Cleadon Village & East Boldon — a gap of 13.3 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 18 of 18 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Waits for home adaptations and care, avoidable hospital stays, and accessible homes delivered.
Trade-off: Services need skilled staff and ongoing funding. Age profiles alone cannot measure unmet care need.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 65 or over →
Proposal
Bring support closer to people in poor health
7.7% of people reported bad or very bad health in South 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 Cleadon Village & East Boldon to 10.2% in Simonside & Rekendyke — a gap of 6.9 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.
Who could lead: Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations.
- Start now
Use neighbourhood evidence to find where poor health and barriers to services overlap. Start by checking the different needs in Simonside & Rekendyke and Cleadon Village & East Boldon; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test accessible local support and publish who is reached and who is missed.
- Over the longer term
Review whether health gaps narrow, alongside housing and employment improvements.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 7.7% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.3% in Cleadon Village & East Boldon to 10.2% in Simonside & Rekendyke — a gap of 6.9 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 18 of 18 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Access to services and the health gap between neighbourhoods, using comparable age-adjusted measures when available.
Trade-off: A census snapshot is dated. New service decisions also need current needs assessments and residents’ experience.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People reporting bad or very bad health →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
26.1% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in South Tyneside council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 11.2% in Cleadon Village & East Boldon to 26.6% in Biddick & All Saints — a gap of 15.4 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.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents. Start by checking the different needs in Biddick & All Saints and Cleadon Village & East Boldon; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 26.1% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 11.2% in Cleadon Village & East Boldon to 26.6% in Biddick & All Saints — a gap of 15.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 18 of 18 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or equivalent →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
Tyne Coast College town-centre campus →
Proposal
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in South 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.
Who could lead: The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services.
- Start now
Check recurring places and categories alongside local police priorities and residents’ reports.
- Over the next few years
Test focused prevention and support, with a comparison period agreed before the work starts.
- Over the longer term
Publish whether problems fall, move elsewhere or return, and adjust the response.
How to judge progress
Crime evidence and coverage →
Starting point: Use the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate.
Measure: Comparable recorded incidents, repeat victimisation and residents’ reported experience; never a single crude league table.
Trade-off: More reporting can increase recorded crime. Enforcement and support may work differently for different problems.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Proposal
Turn published plans into visible progress
4 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.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Tyne Coast College town-centre campus →
Holborn Riverside housing →
Viking Energy Network →
Hebburn Renewable Energy Scheme →
Proposal
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 9.1% in Cleadon Village & East Boldon to 31.2% in Simonside & Rekendyke — a gap of 22.1 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
Who could lead: The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services.
- Start now
Check current advice and support access in Simonside & Rekendyke, using the census pattern as a starting point and asking residents what is missing.
- Over the next few years
Test joined-up housing, work and health support, and publish who takes part, who cannot reach it and what changes.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained outcomes and whether gaps between neighbourhoods narrow, using comparable dates and measures.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 9.1% in Cleadon Village & East Boldon to 31.2% in Simonside & Rekendyke — a gap of 22.1 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 18 of 18 wards.
Measure: Access to support, unresolved housing problems and sustained work or health outcomes. Census percentages alone cannot measure a new programme's success.
Trade-off: Targeting neighbourhoods can miss people in need elsewhere. Avoid labelling every resident by the average for their ward.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages →
Tyne Coast College town-centre campus →
Holborn Riverside housing →
