South Hampshire is a term used mainly to refer to the metropolitan area formed by the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton and their suburbs and commuter towns, in southern Hampshire, England. The area had population of around 1 million based on the 2001 census, and estimated population of over 1.5 million in 2013.
Contents
- Campaign for a green belt across south hampshire
- History
- Geography
- Climate
- Built up areas within the metropolitan area
- South Hampshire built up area
- Other built up areas
- Other towns in the area
- References
The area is sometimes referred to as Solent City but the term is controversial.
The Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, a collaboration between local authorities and businesses set up in 2011 by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, has a population of over 1.3m (2011). 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.
Campaign for a green belt across south hampshire
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 grew 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, carefully connected by new road networks, of commercial and residential use by Hampshire County Council's architects, led by Colin Stansfield Smith. Otherwise development has tended to be a case-by-case basis for retail parks, business parks and housing.
Geography
The region may be subdivided into two conurbations, one 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 comparatively 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.
Built-up areas within the metropolitan area
The following Built-up areas fall inside the South Hampshire metropolitan area have a combined population of 1,086,786.
South Hampshire built-up area
In the 2001 census Portsmouth and Southampton were recorded as being parts of separate urban areas however by the time of 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.
Notes:
Other built-up areas
There are three other significant urban areas in the area:
There are fourteen smaller urban areas also in the region:
Notes:
Other towns in the area
Slightly further out there are many satellite towns that are not directly attached to Southampton or Portsmouth, or necessarily in their Travel to work areas, but are nonetheless still heavily reliant on the two cities for employment and services.
Places within the wider Portsmouth-Southampton Metropolitan area include: