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Home , Borough of Eastleigh, Borough of Fareham, Eastleigh, Fareham, Hiltingbury

’s Community Plan

Where we are now!

Located in ’s South East Region, the forms part of the South sub-region, which stretches from the rural of Hampshire County to the busy Solent coastline. The borough adjoins Borough to the north-west, District to the north, the Borough of to the east, and City to the south and west.

The borough covers an area of 80 km2 and was estimated in 2007 to contain 120,749 people. It is predominantly an urban or suburban location, but contains some important areas of countryside. Its average population density is similar to Fareham, 8 to 9 times higher than the more rural districts of Test Valley and Winchester, and around 3 times lower than the more urbanised city of Southampton (4,587). Within the borough are three large urban / residential areas - Eastleigh, Chandlers Ford and - and 7 significant settlements, which in order of size are: , West End, and Horton Heath, , Hamble, and Botley.

The borough’s age profile is similar to that of the UK as a whole, while the 2001 census indicated that the borough’s ethnic minority population comprised 2.6% of the total, which is about half the UK average. The largest ethnic minority group is Asian / Asian British. Looking forward, the borough’s population is expected to increase to 125,369 by 2012 and 134,930 by 2026. The greatest predicted increase is for the 65+ age group, with the number of persons of pensionable age as a proportion of the working age population predicted to rise from 21% in 2001 to 33% by 2026.

For overall quality of life, the borough is ranked in the top quarter of districts in England and Wales. It has relatively low levels of deprivation and is placed amongst the top eighth of least deprived local authority areas. The borough experiences much less deprivation than Southampton - which is ranked in the quarter of most deprived local authority areas - but is significantly more deprived than Winchester or Fareham - which are ranked in the top 15 of least deprived local authority areas (out of a total of 353).

Since 1900, the number of houses in the borough has grown at a fast but steady pace, with around 10,000 more people being housed every decade. The borough was estimated to contain 50,932 dwellings in 2007, but the draft South East Plan - the key regional planning document prepared by the Regional Assembly (SEERA) - requires at least 10,000 more to be provided between 2008 and 2026. According to the Plan, 4,000 of these dwellings will be located in the proposed Strategic Development Area (SDA) to the North / North East of Hedge End. Part of the SDA will extend into Winchester District, where another 2,000 houses will be built.

The demand for additional housing is mainly driven by changes in household sizes. As is the case elsewhere in the UK, average household size in the borough has fallen over the last ten years and is predicted to continue falling

in the future: from 2.39 in 2008 to 2.23 in 2026. This change is mainly due to the increasing number of one person households, which is predicted to rise from 13,630 in 2008 to 21,420 in 2026. The long-term effect of the credit crunch on housing in the borough is hard to predict, although the level of new construction has sharply fallen. There is a high level of owner occupation (80%) and, despite a historically high ratio of average property prices to average earnings, cheap credit had previously meant that new buyers were not completely cut out of the market.

In recent years, the borough has been in the top quarter of councils for affordable dwellings completed as a proportion of all new housing completions. This was mainly as a result of developers agreeing to provide a certain percentage of new homes on development sites as affordable housing. With respect to housing stock condition, the borough has a much higher percentage of modern housing than is average in England. This means that fuel poverty – defined as households receiving income-based benefits and living in a home with a low energy efficiency rating – is relatively low in the borough and is experienced by around 2.3% of households.

There are approximately 5,000 businesses operating in the borough, and together these provide employment for around 60,000 people. The fastest economic growth in recent years has been in retailing and transport, while the large proportion of people historically employed in manufacturing compared to elsewhere has declined. The borough’s economy is closely linked to the sub-regional economy, which has tended to perform economically less well than the South East Region overall. As part of the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH), the Borough Council is committed to helping improve the economic performance of the local area.

Compared to the nation as a whole, the borough has long enjoyed high levels of employment and low numbers of working-age benefit claimants. However, the borough’s close neighbours (apart from Southampton) have tended to do slightly better. Overall, the borough has relatively low levels of income deprivation, while pockets of more significant income deprivation can still be found on the Pilands Wood, Stoke Park, Velmore and Aviary housing estates.

Average achievement at GCSE level across the borough is relatively high by national and Hampshire standards, although levels of educational attainment vary widely from institution to institution. The qualification levels of the borough’s working population also tend to be higher, with more people being qualified to NVQ2 level or to NVQ4 level (degree level) than almost all the borough’s neighbours. However, the proportion of people with no qualifications is also slightly higher, and the Eastleigh South and Central Wards show raised levels of education and skills deprivation. Other areas for potential improvement include job-related training and adult learning opportunities, which both involve a lower proportion of the population than is the case nationally or in neighbouring districts.

The borough has excellent communication links by road (the M3 and M27), rail (the -Bournemouth and London- railway lines) and air

(Southampton International Airport). However, at peak times many roads in the borough suffer significant congestion. The amount of congestion matches the high and increasing traffic flows on the borough’s motorways, which are the highest in Hampshire. Car ownership in the borough is relatively high, while overall bus use has been on the decline and the proportion of people travelling to work by cycling, walking or public transport is relatively low.

Despite the borough being a relatively safe, low-crime area, fear of crime tends to be higher than expected. Particular concerns expressed by residents focus on anti-social behaviours, particularly those involving the misuse of alcohol. There are also a few forms of crime that present greater challenges for the borough. Criminal damage (arson, vandalism and graffiti) accounts for about a quarter of recorded crime and occurs at a higher rate than for a peer group of similar profile districts. Vehicle crime accounts for over one-eighth of recorded crime, with theft from vehicles being more of an issue than theft of vehicles. Violent offences also tend to occur at a slightly higher rate for the borough than for its more rural neighbours.

The borough contains a number of important historic monuments and archaeological sites, such as , Hamble Common, and Botley Mill. It also features an aviation, railways and waterways heritage of national significance. In the field of arts, the borough houses a nationally recognised jazz venue at the Concorde Club, a nationally recognised centre for contemporary dance at The Point, and a regional centre for music at Thornden Hall. Major leisure and shopping venues include Europe’s largest combined Sainsburys / Marks & Spencer’s shopping centre at Hedge End, and the newly-expanded Swan Centre indoor shopping and entertainment complex in Eastleigh.

Important sports locations in the borough include: the Rose Bowl, which hosts international cricket matches and is the home of Hampshire County Cricket; the , which is an international sailing centre that provides the headquarters for the Royal Yacht Association; and the Fleming Park Leisure Centre, which is one of the best sports centres in Southern England. Opportunities for informal recreation and enjoyment of the countryside are provided by a network of parks, the largest of which are the Itchen Valley Country Park (440 acres) and the Royal Victoria Country Park (200 acres).

Despite having relatively fewer sports halls, swimming pools and health / fitness suites than the South East Region as whole, overall satisfaction with the borough’s sports and leisure facilities remains higher than for Hampshire and the South East Region. Satisfaction with the borough’s parks and open spaces is also high. However, especially in the Borough’s southern parts, residents tend to express less satisfaction with activities for teenagers and availability of cultural facilities, such as museums, theatres and concert halls.

Generally resident’s health appears good compared to the region and the country as a whole, although there are some health inequalities in those areas that have higher levels of multiple deprivation. The borough has a lower average mortality rate than England and Wales, although the rates for the

less-urbanised neighbouring districts are even lower. While death rates are falling overall, cardiovascular disease and cancer remain the major killers, and targeted prevention and treatment activities will be required to reduce some of the health inequalities associated with these diseases.

As in other parts of the country, lifestyle-related health issues represent a growing challenge for the borough. Smoking, obesity, sexually-transmitted infections and alcohol-related harm have all increased for both young people and adults. Another key challenge is the effect of an ageing population, with the proportion of the population aged over 65 being predicted to increase 15% by 2012. This is expected to have significant consequences for health and long-term care services, creating a challenge not merely for public services, but also for informal carers such as family and friends.

The borough is a two-tier local authority area, which means it is administered by Eastleigh Borough Council, while is the authority responsible for education, social care, highways, libraries and museums. The borough’s 19 wards are represented by 44 Borough Councillors and 7 County Councillors. The Borough Council has set up five Local Area Committees (LACs) to make decisions for their respective parts of the borough: Bishopstoke, Fair Oak and Horton Health LAC; Bursledon, Hamble-le-Rice and Hound LAC; Chandlers Ford and LAC; Hedge End, West End and Botley LAC; and Eastleigh LAC. There are Parish Councils at Bishopstoke, Botley, Bursledon, Fair Oak and Horton Heath, Hamble-le-Rice, Hedge, Hound, and West End. The borough is also represented at the national level by two Members of Parliament.

Overall, the borough enjoys relatively high levels of community involvement and cohesion. Compared to the nation as a whole, a higher proportion of residents say they feel they belong to their neighbourhood and that people from different backgrounds get on well in their local area. Incidents of racial harassment and hate crime are also relatively low. As is the case nationally, divorce rates have increased and families are generally becoming more varied and less stable in nature. Family relationships are also being affected by the increasing likelihood that both parents will be in full-time employment.

The Borough Council has played a pioneering role in reducing the contributions of local areas to global climate change, launching a number of innovative initiatives, such as the CarbonFREE fund to promote better insulation of local properties. While household carbon dioxide emissions are expected to decrease, the types of industry carried out in the borough mean that emissions by commercial organisations present more of a challenge. The borough’s performance in household waste recycling is ranked amongst the top of all districts nationally, and household waste per resident is declining. Satisfaction with the borough’s level of cleanliness was high in a 2006 survey and generally the amounts of unacceptable litter, detritus and graffiti are low, although fly-tipping is sometimes a problem.

Air quality across the Borough is generally good, however in certain areas it is above government target levels. This is mainly attributable to emissions of

nitrogen dioxide by road traffic in and around Eastleigh centre, on both carriageways of the M3 motorway (junctions 12 – 14) and around the northern section of Hamble Lane. For these areas, Air Quality Management Areas have been declared and 5 year action plans have been produced and are helping to improve the air quality.

Over a tenth of the borough’s area has nature conservation importance. Of particular note is the Itchen River which represents a unique environment of European importance, but which is threatened by over- abstraction and pollution. Indeed, the increasingly urban nature of the borough presents difficulties for all its watercourses, with only about a third of river length assessed as being of good biological quality. Other key biodiversity issues include habitat fragmentation, human disturbance, loss of species and habitats in urban areas, and climate change.

Authors: Vince Johnston / Melvyn Reader