Popley Community Area Profile

Last updated November 2026. If you notice any information that is out of date, please email community.development@basingstoke.gov.uk

This community area profile captures key facts about community assets, community groups and activities in the ward of Popley. It aims to be a useful reference for local services and community groups looking to understand the strengths and assets in the ward.

Popley CAP - Popley aerial

Population

11,468 (Census 2021)

Demographics

Within the ward:

  • 64.5% are economically active* in employment (age group over 16), 3.4% are economically active* but unemployed, 30.2% are economically inactive. This compares to a borough average of 63%, 2.4% and 32.5% respectively.
  • Educational attainment is lower with 20% having no qualifications compared to a borough average of 14.2%
  • The levels of health are reported as very good 46.7% and good 35.7%, compared to the borough average of 50.1% and 35%
  • The ethnic makeup has a majority being white 81% with 19% other ethnicities compared to a borough average of 88.5% and 11.5%

View more demographic information at the Office for National Statistics

*Economically active – People who are either in employment or unemployed
**Economically inactive - People who are neither in employment nor unemployed

Community venues

Popley CAP - Popley Fields Community Centre

Popley Fields Community Centre
Carpenters Down, Popley Way, Basingstoke, RG24 9AE
The centre is run by a group of trustees and hosts a variety of activities, groups and classes such as health groups, activities for children and older people, food pantry and community café.

Melrose Hall
597 Abbey Road, Basingstoke, RG24 9ES
The hall hosts a variety of activities, groups and classes such as food bank, activities for children and older people, community café, social and craft groups, fitness activities.

Bermuda Community Association
40-44 Bermuda Close, Basingstoke, RG24 9PE
Bermuda Hall is run by a group of trustees. The hall provides events and space for private hire.

Voluntary and community sector organisations in the area

School based community activities

Everest Community Academy, Floor 1 - Everest Community Academy, Oxford Way, Basingstoke, RG24 9UP

Leisure, sport and recreation

Marnel Bowls Club, Popley Fields, Carpenters Down, Basingstoke, RG24 9AE

Various sporting activities run at Everest Community Academy, Oxford Way, Basingstoke, RG24 9UP

Faith based venues offering wider community activities

Popley CAP - St Bede's Church

St Bede's Catholic Church
Popley Way, Basingstoke, RG24 9DX
Hosts various community groups including:

St. Gabriel's Church
25 Tewkesbury Close, Basingstoke, RG24 9DU
This venue provides lunch clubs and food bank.

Pre-schools and nurseries

Primary schools

Secondary schools

Special educational needs

After school and holiday clubs

Health provision

Other service providers working in area

Various housing providers have stock within the ward. These are A2 Dominion, Abri, Aster, Clarion, Home Group, L&Q, MTVH, Plexus, Sanctuary Housing, Sovereign Network Group, Southern Housing, Stonewater and Vivid.

Sovereign Network Group have been working with Popley Fields, have provided grant writing support and funding for food pantry. Vivid Housing have also given funding towards food pantry.

Open spaces and play areas

  • Popley Community Park, RG24 9ED
  • Popley Fields outdoor space, RG24 9AE
  • Popley Five open space, RG24 9DT
  • Abbey Road, RG24 9EH
  • Appleton Drive, RG24 9RX
  • Ascension Close, RG24 9AZ
  • Bermuda Close, RG24 9PE
  • Benham Road, RG24 9TP
  • Browning Close, RG24 9DQ
  • Carter Drive, RG24 9UL
  • Charlbury Lane and Risinghurst Mews, RG24 9FZ
  • Chineham Park play area and splash pad, RG24 9BL
  • Guernsey Close, RG24 9PS
  • Jennings Way, RG24 9ZE
  • Mauritius Close, RG24 9UW
  • Selby Walk, RG24 9EE
  • Tewkesbury Close, RG24 9BE
  • Tintern Close, RG24 9HF
  • Tobago Close, RG24 9PX
  • Basing Woods, RG24 9AE

Popley CAP - Splash pad

Popley CAP - Play area

Allotments

  • Abbey Road, RG24 9ER
  • Tintern Close, RG24 9HE
  • Trinidad Close, RG24 9PY
  • Marnel Park, RG24 9UR
  • Carpenters Down, RG24 9PS
  • Pitcairn Road, RG24 9PH
  • Bermuda Close, RG24 9PF

View the full list of allotments in the borough

Biodiversity

Our Natural Environment Team is involved in a range of work that protects and enhances the borough’s landscapes and habitats, such as developing strategic guidance including the Green Infrastructure Strategy, our Biodiversity Strategy and the emerging Tree Strategy.

Read the Biodiversity Strategy

Within this ward there are:

  • two Sites Important for Nature Conservation (SINCs)
  • one ancient woodland
  • five local green spaces
  • 42 parcels of priority habitat, including hedgerows, chalk grassland, reedbed and lowland mixed deciduous woodland

Sites Important for Nature Conservation (SINC) - locally designated sites of value for their biodiversity. They must be considered in any planning application.
Local Green Spaces (LGS) –introduced in 2012 NPPF and provide the same level of protection as Green Belt to areas of green space that are particularly valued by their local communities

Priority habitats – habitats of ‘principal importance’ listed within in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) as required under Section 41 of the NERC Act 2006. Also known as ‘S41 habitats’

Popley CAP - Basing Wood

Marnel and Popley Conservation Volunteers manage the Popley Ponds Local Nature Reserve and work on the green corridors which connect the site with Basing Woods and the wider countryside. Find out more information about conservation groups

Other local facilities

Popley CAP - Abbey Road shops

There are shops located at:

  • Abbey Road
    • Convenience store
    • Pharmacy
    • Take aways
    • Post office
  • Shakespeare Road
    • Convenience store with sub post office
    • Barbers
    • Tanning salon
  • Lindisfarne Close
    • Take away
    • Convenience store
  • Carpenters Down
    • Convenience store
    • Take away

There is one pub within the ward.

Transport

In Popley 24.9% of households had no access to a car or van, compared to 15.2% for the borough as a whole.

Popley is served by three Stagecoach buses routes. Route 4 connects to the hospital, 5 to West Popley and 6 to East Popley. These run all throughout the week.

Find out more about local cycle routes

Green infrastructure and climate change

View our green infrastructure strategy

Our Green Team are engaging with residents, communities and organisations in the area, including through events, the parish council and offering residents home energy surveys.

Find out more about the Green Team

Other local information

Data from Hampshire Constabulary Business Objects shows that over the past five years the number of crimes reported to the police in Popley (East and West) beats have fluctuated with a 14% increase since 2021/22. Anti-social behaviour reports have dropped year on year since 2021/22 with an overall 36% reduction.

Police recorded
incidents by year
2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26
Crime 989 871 1192 1170 1126
Anti-social behaviour 244 233 182 178 156

Over the last year in Popley, the most common types of:

  • Crime recorded have been violence against the person, theft offences and criminal damage.
  • Anti-social behaviour reported to the Police were youth related anti-social behaviour, vehicle nuisance and neighbour issues.

The Community Safety Partnership (CSP) is working hard to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in Popley and across the borough. The current priorities for the partnership are:

  • improving feelings of safety and health outcomes within the CSP area
  • serious violence
  • domestic abuse
  • anti-social behaviour
  • town centre crime and anti-social behaviour

Many actions are being undertaken in relation to these priorities and to address the issues seen locally.
Find out more about the Basingstoke and Deane Strategic Assessment

Our Community Safety Patrol Officers focus on anti-social behaviour affecting people and places.

Neighbourhood Watch operates in areas across the borough. There are several schemes operating in Popley. Find information about current schemes and setting up a new scheme

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