Whiteley

Last updated

Whiteley
Hampshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Whiteley
Location within Hampshire
Population3,236 (2011 Census) [1]
OS grid reference SU517093
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town FAREHAM
Postcode district PO15
Dialling code 01489
Police Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Fire Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Ambulance South Central
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Hampshire
50°52′51″N1°15′59″W / 50.8809°N 1.2665°W / 50.8809; -1.2665

Whiteley is a planned community of 6,500 homes in the county of Hampshire, England, United Kingdom near Fareham. The development straddles the boundary between two council districts: the Borough of Fareham to the south and east, and the city of Winchester to the north and west.

Contents

It was developed in the mid 1980s, and is now expanding rapidly, due to the town plan for North Whiteley, which was approved by Winchester Council in 2018.

Location

Whiteley is located in southern Hampshire between the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton and close to the market town of Fareham. The development is situated close to Junction 9 of the M27 motorway. Rail services are provided from Swanwick railway station to the south - services between London Victoria/Portsmouth and Southampton via Hamble, or Botley railway station to the north - services between London Waterloo and Portsmouth via Eastleigh.

Buses and cycle tracks interconnect the town with the two stations.

History

Whiteley contains a residential community, retail and a business park. Construction of the Solent business park started in the mid-1980s and the first houses were completed in the late 1980s, although construction slowed for a few years following a crash in the British residential property market during the mid-1990s. From 1996 construction recommenced and continues today.[ when? ]

Historically, the site now occupied by Whiteley was farmland and coppice. The nearest historical settlements are those of Park Gate situated just south of Swanwick Hill, Little Park to the South and Swanwick to the West. Farms in the local area included Rookery, Yew Tree, Sweethills and Whiteley. The wooded areas in Whiteley were used to provide shelter to troops in the build-up of forces for transportation to northern France in preparation for D-Day during the second world war. This is evidenced by the remains of a War Department water tank on the edge of the Bere Forest to the north of the community.

Part of the M27 motorway constructed to the south of the development was opened in February 1978.

The part of the development which falls in the Winchester district became a civil parish in 2003. [2]

One of the earliest buildings in Whiteley was the Solent Hotel and Spa which was constructed in the early 1990s.

Whiteley was recognised as a Parish in Portsmouth Diocese in 2021. Hope Church Whiteley began as the town first became established about 25 years ago, within people's home. It moved to the Community Centre in Gull Coppice before, in 2021, it moved to it's new home at Cornerstone School. It is a multicultural, intergenerational church.

Whiteley today

Whiteley children's train at Easter Whiteley.png
Whiteley children's train at Easter

Apart from the residential areas, which house around 6,000 residents, the main focus was the Whiteley Village outlet centre (a retail centre not to be confused with 'Whiteley Village' in Walton-on-Thames). This pedestrianised shopping centre consisted of a number of discount stores, particularly designer fashions. In September 2007, British Land announced plans to spend upwards of £100m redeveloping Whiteley Village and reconstructing it as a district centre, while also adding housing and a hotel to the area. [3]

The Whiteley village Outlet was demolished in Autumn 2011 (finishing by November 2011), with the exception of the medium-sized Tesco supermarket.

The new development was opened in 2013. Stores include Marks & Spencer, Next plc, Boots, WH Smith and many other common High Street names but there are also other units that were specifically earmarked for local enterprises. Parking is available for 1500 vehicles and is free for the first 4 hours and after 6pm. [4] In 2015 a new leisure complex adjacent to Whiteley Shopping, providing a nine-screen cinema and a further five restaurants.

Whiteley also contains the Solent Business Park which consists of a number of large companies, including Zurich Financial Services, the new headquarters for NATS (formerly National Air Traffic Services) and the offices and studios of ITV Meridian. Development at the business park continues as further offices are constructed.

As with many large new developments the community experienced problems in development owing to a slow provision of local amenities. Today the development has a modern and sizeable medical centre including a doctors' practice and pharmacy; a private medical establishment incorporating NHS dentists and a physiotherapy clinic; a local store; food take-away stores; a hairdresser; three pre-schools/nurseries; a community centre; a leisure centre; a recreation ground having football and cricket provision; children's playgrounds; a supermarket and petrol station a skate park; a three-form entry primary school; and maintained wooded areas.

During 2008, Whiteley Parish Council (now Whiteley Town Council), with input from Hampshire County Council, conducted a survey which looked at residents' opinions about road access, housing, retail provision and other aspects of living in Whiteley. 90% of respondents said that Yew Tree Drive or Rookery Avenue, or both, should be opened now, according to the Survey Summary Results. [5] Following a recent traffic census, Hampshire County Council has carried out a survey within Whiteley and affected surrounding villages (Burridge, Swanwick and Park Gate) asking similar questions, but accompanied with information about the consequences of various road openings. [6]

Demographics

The development has an overwhelmingly young population (79% under 44 years [7] ), white (96.95% [7] ), home-owning (87.23% [7] ) population of professionals and aspirational skilled workers (80% in social grade AB and C1 [8] ). Whiteley is reported by the local health authority to have a higher than average rate of divorce and separation (11% versus 6% nationally [9] ).

The future

The area north of Whiteley was included in the South East Plan as a possible urban extension and when the community is expanded northwards it will include further residential developments of 3,500 houses and associated infrastructure including transport, educational and community facilities. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hampshire</span> County of England

Hampshire is a ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, Dorset to the west, and Wiltshire to the north-west. The cities of Portsmouth and Southampton are the largest settlements and the county town is the city of Winchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fareham</span> Market town on Portsmouth Harbour, England

Fareham is a market town at the north-west tip of Portsmouth Harbour, between the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton in south east Hampshire, England. It gives its name to the Borough of Fareham. It was historically an important manufacturer of bricks, used to build the Royal Albert Hall, and grower of strawberries and other seasonal fruits. In 2011 it had a population of 42,210.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gosport</span> Coastal town in Hampshire, England

Gosport is a town and non-metropolitan borough, on the south coast of Hampshire, South East England. At the 2021 Census, its population was 81,952. Gosport is situated on a peninsula on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour, opposite the city of Portsmouth, to which it is linked by the Gosport Ferry. Gosport lies south-east of Fareham, to which it is linked by a Bus Rapid Transit route and the A32. Until the last quarter of the 20th century, Gosport was a major naval town associated with the defence and supply infrastructure of His Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Portsmouth. As such over the years extensive fortifications were created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portchester</span> Village in England

Portchester is a village in the borough of Fareham in Hampshire, England. It is 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Portsmouth and around 18 miles east of Southampton on the A27 road. Its population according to the 2011 United Kingdom census was 17,789.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borough of Eastleigh</span> Non-metropolitan borough and borough in England

The Borough of Eastleigh is a local government district with borough status in Hampshire, England. It is named after its main town of Eastleigh, where the council is based. The borough also contains the town of Hedge End along with several villages, many of which form part of the South Hampshire urban area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borough of Fareham</span> Non-metropolitan and borough in England

The Borough of Fareham is a local government district with borough status in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Fareham. Other places within the borough include Portchester, Hill Head, Sarisbury, Stubbington, Titchfield and Warsash. The borough covers much of the semi-urban area between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation. The neighbouring districts are Eastleigh, Winchester, Portsmouth and Gosport. The district's southern boundary is the coast of the Solent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Winchester</span> Place in England

Winchester, or the City of Winchester, is a local government district with city status in Hampshire, England.

Swanwick is a village in Hampshire, England, east of the River Hamble and north of the M27 motorway. The village is located within the borough of Fareham and is the site of the London Area Control Centre (LACC) and the London Terminal Control Centre (LTCC), part of National Air Traffic Services Air Traffic Control Centre, and Bursledon Brickworks, the last remaining example of a Victorian steam-powered brickworks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Titchfield</span> Village in Hampshire, England

Titchfield is a village and former civil parish in the Fareham district, in southern Hampshire, England, by the River Meon. The village has a history stretching back to the 6th century. During the medieval period, the village operated a small port and market. Near to the village are the ruins of Titchfield Abbey, a place with strong associations with Shakespeare, through his patron, the Earl of Southampton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Hampshire</span> Conurbation in Hampshire, southern England

South Hampshire is a term used mainly to refer to the conurbation formed by the city of Portsmouth, city of Southampton and the non-metropolitan boroughs of Gosport, Fareham, Havant and Eastleigh in southern Hampshire, South East England. The area was estimated to have a population of over 1.5 million in 2013. It is the most populated part of South East England excluding London. The area is sometimes referred to as Solent City particularly in relation to local devolution, but the term is controversial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warsash</span> Village in southern Hampshire, England

Warsash is a village in southern Hampshire, England, situated at the mouth of the River Hamble, west of the area known as Locks Heath and south of Sarisbury. Boating plays an important part in the village's economy, and the village has a sailing club. It is also home to the Warsash Maritime Academy, part of Southampton Solent University, which provides training for Merchant Navy Officers from around the world.

Hampshire's total economy is the largest economy in England outside London, providing almost 3% of total GDP for the UK as a whole.

Locks Heath is a residential suburb of Fareham, in the south of Hampshire, England. Locks Heath is immediately surrounded by a collection of villages including Sarisbury to the west, Swanwick, Park Gate and Whiteley to the north, Warsash to the southwest and Titchfield to the southeast. Within the heart of the area its shopping village is located with a community centre. The population of the village itself in 2011 was 7,104 whilst the wider Locks Heath residential area equaled 43,359 as of 2011.

Park Gate is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Fareham in Hampshire, England. It borders Locks Heath to the south, Segensworth to the east and Sarisbury to the west. Park Gate has two churches, Duncan Road Church and St Margaret Mary R.C. It also has three takeaway shops.

Segensworth is a business park near Whiteley and Fareham in Hampshire in England. At the 2011 Census the business park was included in the Park Gate Ward of Fareham Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solent Arena</span>

Solent Arena was an indoor arena, in Fareham, Hampshire. It was located alongside River Wallington by the M27 motorway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welborne, Hampshire</span> Proposed new town in Hampshire, United Kingdom

Welborne is a proposed new town to the north of Fareham, England, intended to include 6,000 houses with businesses and community facilities. A plan for the development was submitted for central Government examination on 23 June 2014, and modifications were published in January 2015 following the inspector's preliminary comments. Fareham Borough Council formally adopted the plan for Welborne as part of its statutory Local Plan for the Borough on 8 June 2015. Construction is scheduled in phases between 2015 and 2036, and As of 2019 the town was due to be completed by 2038. Transport plans include an upgrade to Junction 10 of the M27 motorway and a bus rapid transit route.

Solent Airport Daedalus is a general aviation airport in Hampshire, England.

References

  1. ↑ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  2. ↑ "The Winchester (Parishes) Order 2003" (PDF).
  3. ↑ "£100m cash to give town a new heart". The News. Retrieved 11 July 2008.
  4. ↑ "About". Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  5. ↑ "Full Survey Results". Whiteley Parish Council. Retrieved 15 September 2008.[ dead link ]
  6. ↑ "Open these roads up now". The News. Portsmouth. 15 September 2008.
  7. 1 2 3 "Key Figures for 2001 Census (Whiteley)". Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 11 July 2008.
  8. ↑ "Approximated Social Grade (Whiteley)". Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 11 July 2008.
  9. ↑ "Marital Status (Whiteley)". Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 11 July 2008.
  10. ↑ "North Whiteley". winchester.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.