The second largest settlement in the Borough is the Tadley /Baughurst /Pamber Heath area, on the northern Hampshire boundary, with a population approaching 16,000. The western part of the borough is dominated by the sparsely populated North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. On the periphery of this area are several settlements of 3,000 to 5,000 population such as Overton and Whitchurch, both of which lie in the upper valley of the River Test.
The River Loddon which rises in Basingstoke, flows through old Basing and Sherfield-On-Loddon in the eastern part of the borough. Elsewhere numerous small villages and hamlets are scattered throughout the borough.
At the 2001 Census, the Borough had a younger than average age profile with over 25% of the population aged 19 or under and only 17% of the population aged 60 or older. In the medium term, on the basis of current trends in life expectancy and migration, the over 60 age group is predicted to increase most rapidly, reaching more than 39,200 people (nearly 23% of the total population) by 2017 (2).
Looking further ahead, the Borough population is projected to increase to approximately 183,000 by 2026 (3), of whom more than 34,800 will be aged over 65.
Over 70% of the recent and planned major development is located within the central area of Basingstoke town and around the northern urban fringe of the town.
Unemployment is relatively low at around 5.6% (4) of the economically active working age population, which is typical of rates in the South East (5). Over 81% of the borough`s working age population are economically active, significantly higher than the national average.
Basingstoke’s strategic location on the national road and rail networks has contributed to its success as an employment centre, with 83% of the Borough’s jobs located in Basingstoke town. The Borough’s close proximity to London, to the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth, and to Heathrow, Gatwick and Southampton airports, has also helped its commercial success.
Commuting out of the Borough to work in other nearby centres such as Newbury, Reading, or in London, is counter-balanced by those commuting into the Borough from other parts of Hampshire and surrounding counties. The Borough’s enterprises and businesses provide jobs for two thirds of its employed residents, a higher ‘self sufficiency’ ratio than any other Hampshire District. Overall, the borough provides about 83,600 (6) jobs and is home to about 6,200 (7) businesses occupying over 7,000 different sites.
Average earnings levels compare favourably with wage levels for Hampshire and the South East and with national averages, but affordability of house prices is an issue for many of the borough’s younger residents. Recent developments have increased the proportion of smaller homes for one- and two-person households.
While the 2001 Census shows that levels of car ownership are generally high, there are some communities where up to 30% of households do not have access to their own transport. While over 70% of Borough residents travel to work by car or van, access to affordable transport in rural areas and in some parts of our towns remains an issue.
The English Indices of Deprivation 2010 (ID 2010) indicate that Basingstoke and Deane experiences relatively little deprivation in the national context. When all indicators are combined into the “Index of Multiple Deprivation” (IMD 2010), only four of the borough's 104 geographical areas fall within the 30% most deprived in England. More than half fall within the least deprived 20% in England, 9 of them within the 1% least deprived nationally. However, some parts of the borough experience relatively high levels of disadvantage in terms of education, crime and income.
Within the Borough, there are 16 Infant, 16 Junior, 26 Primary and 11 Secondary schools supported by Hampshire County Council as the Local Education Authority, as well as private sector schools. Eight of the Borough’s eleven Secondary schools have achieved Specialist Schools Status. Post 16 education is served in the further education colleges of BCoT, Queen Mary’s College and the University of Winchester, which has a local campus in Basingstoke town. Some families in the Borough also make use of schools and colleges outside the Borough.
The 2001 Census showed that 21% of Basingstoke and Deane’s working age population are educated to degree level or equivalent. GCSE results in recent years have shown grades for the Borough’s pupils to be around national levels in terms of the percentage gaining 5 or more A* to C grades; and in terms of all results (pupils gaining five or more A* to G grades) they are higher than both national and Hampshire averages.
However, the percentage of pupils gaining five or more GCSE grades at A* to C has been lower than the Hampshire average in recent years. The 2001 Census also showed that 22% of the working age population had no qualifications.
There is a strong voluntary and community sector in the Borough, with about 1,000 active organisations. The 2008 “State of the Sector Report” (8) examined a number of local organisations in the Borough. This showed they were supported by over 8,000 volunteers. Information provided on volunteering hours revealed that 6,912 volunteers provide 817,251 volunteering hours p.a. with a value to the economy of between £6.4m and £12.2m.
There are 24 community facilities and 65 village halls in the Borough, where a wide range of activities take place, including health services, education and learning, arts clubs, uniformed groups, social clubs and events, and sporting activities. The voluntary and community sector also works alongside the statutory organisations, delivering highly valued services to the public.
Residents enjoy a wide range of publicly provided leisure services and facilities in and around the borough such as arts venues, museums and sports facilities, parks, local nature reserves and woodlands. This is complemented by a range of private sector attractions such as cinemas, health clubs, golf and tennis clubs and equestrian facilities. 84% (9) of borough residents feel that Basingstoke and Deane is a good place to live.
Festival Place, a major redevelopment of Basingstoke town centre in 2002, has greatly enhanced the borough`s shopping, restaurant/café and leisure facilities. Together with emerging improvements to the “top of town” and the current refurbishment of The Malls, the town centre continues to attract local and regional shoppers.
(1) 2010 based Small Area Population Forecasts HCC (2011)
(2) 2010 based Small Area Population Forecasts HCC (2011)
(3) Projected by Hampshire County Council Long Term Population and Household Projections - based on Zero Net migration from 2010 (Nov 2010)
(4) Annual Population Survey Jan-Dec 2010 – model based unemployed
(5) This is now considered to be a more realistic measure of unemployment than the Job Seekers Allowance claimant count which stands at about 2.2% (June 2011)
(6) Annual Business Inquiry – employee jobs 2008
(7) UK Business: activity, size and location 2008
(8) State of the Voluntary and Community Sector in the Borough. Basingstoke Voluntary Services – 2008.
(9) BDBC General survey 2006
