Standing view · business · Wealden
deteriorating, held with established confidence, formed on 31 August 2026 from movements in 2026-06.
Business deaths in Wealden rose to 240 in the second quarter of 2025, fell to 145 in the third, then rose to 175 in the fourth, 220 in the first quarter of 2026 and 225 in the second. Business births fell to 150 in the third quarter of 2025 and 145 in the fourth, then rose to 200 in the second quarter of 2026, still below closures. Rising closures running above formations is why the business base reads as shrinking.
A view is formed only where the evidence names a figure you can check. Each movement listed as a reason had to be large enough to matter and distinctive in at least one way — unusual against this area's own history, unusual against comparable areas, or sustained over several periods. A movement shared with peers counts for less, because it says something about the country rather than about Wealden. Where no figure supports a direction we hold no view rather than a hedged one.
| Measure | Period | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Business deaths | 2025-06 | deteriorating |
| Business births | 2025-09 | deteriorating |
| Business deaths | 2025-09 | improving |
| Business births | 2025-12 | deteriorating |
| Business deaths | 2025-12 | deteriorating |
| Business deaths | 2026-03 | deteriorating |
| Business births | 2026-06 | improving |
| Business deaths | 2026-06 | deteriorating |