South Hampshire

South Hampshire is a term used mainly to refer to the conurbation formed by the city of Portsmouth, city of Southampton and the boroughs of Gosport, Fareham, Havant and Eastleigh in southern Hampshire, South East England. Using the definition of the agglomeration used by CityPopulation.de, the area had a population of 1,151,300 in the 2021 census. The area has sometimes been referred to as Solent City, particularly in relation to proposed local devolution, but the term is controversial.

History Harold Wilson's Labour government commissioned town planner Colin Buchanan in 1965 to study the region. He found a region of growing economic importance, in desperate need of proper planning to avoid unplanned sprawl, and suggested the construction of a modernist urban area between Southampton and Portsmouth. However this was resisted by local authorities who occupied the proposed development sites, and Buchanan's plans were never put into effect.

Instead, as a result of high-tech industry and services, the area was able to grow largely without overall planning to become perhaps the most densely populated region of the UK. In the late 20th century mass manufacturing of ordinary commodities declined, leaving several town and city neighbourhoods impoverished and suffering unemployment; however by the early 21st century high income and retirement properties came to dominate some neighbourhoods, particularly close to universities, and many suburbs and exurbs. Centrally planned building programmes included large estates, connected by new road networks, for commercial and residential use by Hampshire County Council's architects, led by Colin Stansfield Smith. Otherwise development has tended to be on a case-by-case basis for retail parks, business parks and housing.

The Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is a collaboration between local authorities, universities and businesses set up in 2011 by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Different departments of the Solent LEP are distributed across the area, with its 'Growth Hub' being based in Southampton. On 12 November 2013 the government announced the second wave of City Deals, with a successful joint bid of Southampton and Portsmouth providing £953 million of investment into the Solent LEP.

Devolution Various attempts at a South Hampshire or Solent City devolution deal have been made, but saw minor local resistance, stemming from the Southampton-Portsmouth rivalry, as well as from the more rural Isle of Wight. Whilst the proposal did otherwise see continued support, particularly from councillors, by 2018 talks with the government had stalled. More recent proposals have included southeast Dorset, that is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP). After another bid was submitted in 2021, Gerald Vernon-Jackson claimed the government were "keen" on including BCP in a potential deal. A November 2022 report by BCP Council suggested a Central South deal as an alternative to a Pan-Hampshire deal with BCP tacked on.

In 2027 the area will be reorganised into two unitary authorities: South West Hampshire focused on Southampton, and South East Hampshire focused on Portsmouth. These will sit under the Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority.

Geography

The region can be subdivided into two conurbations, one centred around Southampton and one around Portsmouth. Most of the area is in the Hampshire districts of Gosport, Fareham, Havant, Eastleigh, Portsmouth and Southampton. All of these districts have high population densities, with Portsmouth and Southampton being the most densely populated districts in England outside Greater London. Other parts of the area are in the Test Valley, East Hampshire, City of Winchester and New Forest districts, all of which have lower population densities. Small parts of the area are also in the West Sussex district of Chichester.

Climate

The climate is temperate oceanic, Cfb in the Köppen climate classification.

Demography The following Built-up areas fall inside the South Hampshire metropolitan area have a combined population of 1,086,786.

By council boundaries

The following populations is those of council boundaries that are considered part of the South Hampshire conurbation.

South Hampshire built-up area In the 2001 census Portsmouth and Southampton were recorded as being parts of separate urban areas; but by the 2011 census they had merged to become the sixth largest built-up area in England, with a population of 855,569. The new built-up area also merged with smaller urban areas called Locks Heath, Bursledon, Whiteley and Hedge End/Botley in the 2001 census. Urban subdivisionPopulationDistrict(2001 census)(2011 census)Portsmouth187,056238,137City of PortsmouthGosport69,34871,529Borough of GosportFareham56,16042,210Borough of FarehamHavant45,43545,125Borough of HavantLee-on-the-Solent7,067Borough of GosportStubbington13,62814,077Borough of FarehamWaterlooville63,558Borough of HavantTotal Portsmouth urban area population442,252Southampton234,224253,651City of SouthamptonEastleigh52,89478,716Borough of EastleighBishopstoke17,282Borough of EastleighTotal Southampton urban area population304,400Locks Heath & surrounding villages36,45243,359Borough of FarehamBursledon6,7446,955Borough of EastleighWhiteley2,1953,236Borough of Fareham/City of WinchesterTotal Western Wards population45,39153,550Hedge End21,17425,117Borough of EastleighBotley2,5065,083Borough of EastleighTotal Hedge End/Botley population23,68030,200Horndean46,924East Hampshire/Borough of HavantTotal South Hampshire built-up area population855,569

Notes:

Other built-up areas There are three other significant urban areas in the area: Shows what is considered part of this metropolitan area Urban subdivisionPopulation (2001 census)Population (2011 census)DistrictAshurst/Netley Marsh3,1163,212New Forest DistrictTotton27,98628,676New Forest DistrictBartley2,281New Forest District Total Totton built-up area population 31,102 34,169Winchester built-up area 41,420 46,074City of WinchesterStubbington built-up area24,644Borough of Fareham/Borough of Gosport Hythe built-up area 19,599 20,201New Forest District

There are fourteen smaller urban areas also in the region: Urban areaPopulation (2001 census)Table KS01 Usual resident populationPopulation (2011 census)DistrictColden Common 3,249 3,419City of WinchesterCompton/Otterbourne 2,2612,569City of WinchesterDenmead 5,788 6,107City of WinchesterEmsworth/Southbourne 18,139 18,777Borough of Havant/Chichester DistrictFawley/Blackfield 13,775 13,712New Forest District Hamble3,8534,696Borough of Eastleigh Hayling Island 14,842 15,485Borough of Havant Horton Heath 2,223Borough of Eastleigh Kings Worthy 4,292 4,901City of Winchester Marchwood 5,586 6,141New Forest District Netley 6,150 6,338Borough of Eastleigh North Baddesley 6,234 6,823Test Valley Romsey 17,386 17,161Test Valley

Notes:

Other towns in the area Slightly further out there are many surrounding towns and villages as well as the city of Chichester which are not directly close to Southampton or Portsmouth, or necessarily in their travel to work areas. - see map on website Some of these settlements rely on the latter cities for employment or retail due to close proximity but are not limited to these alone.

Places within the wider Portsmouth-Southampton Metropolitan area include: SettlementCounty AndoverHampshire Bishop's Waltham Hampshire Bognor Regis West Sussex Brockenhurst Hampshire Chichester West Sussex Lyndhurst Hampshire Salisbury Wiltshire

South Hampshire

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