South Ham 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 If you notice any information that is out of date, please email community.development@basingstoke.gov.uk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 profile captures key facts about community assets, community groups and activities in the ward of South Ham. It aims to be a useful reference for local services and community groups looking to understand the strengths and assets in the ward and should be read alongside the Ward Profile for South Ham.

South Ham is an urban ward of Basingstoke, to the west of the town centre. Taking its name from South Ham Farm, which was once the major farm in the area but was demolished in the early 1960s. Parts of the area were developed for council housing in both the 1930s and 1950s when Western Way, one of the principal roads was built. Most of the development took place in the late 1960s, when Basingstoke was developed as an overspill town for London.

Population

10,662 (Census 2021)

Demographics

Within the ward:

• 57.7% are economically active* in employment (age group over 16), 3.2% are economically active* but unemployed, 38.8% are economically inactive**. This compares to a borough average of 63%, 2.4% and 32.5% respectively.
• Educational attainment is lower with 24% having no qualifications compared to a borough average of 14.2%
• The levels of health are reported as very good 41.6% and good 37.1%, compared to the borough average of 50.1% and 35%
• The ethnic makeup has a majority being white 87.1 % with 12.9% 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 groups and communication channels

Westside Community Association (WCA)

This association runs activities out of Russell Howard Pavilion, Ridgeway Community Centre in Buckskin and Kings Cafe in Kings Road shopping parade.
View Westside Community Association website

Facebook pages and groups

View South Ham Community Group Facebook page

View the South Ham facebook group

Noticeboard

There is a notice board at Buckland Avenue, this is managed by Westside Community Association.

The South Ham and Berg Estate used to have the “Hamberger” newsletter. The newsletter ceased production as it was too costly to produce and distribute.

Community venues

Westside Community Association (WCA)

Activities running from Russell Howard Pavilion, Kings Cafe and the Ridgeway Centre in Buckskin include youth club, uniformed groups, children’s activities and holiday clubs, cooking classes, language groups, private events (such as parties), senior groups/bingo, pre-school, SEN group, food pantry and health visitors.

• WCA moved into Russell Howard Pavilion in 2006 and this building has seen improvements in recent years.
• In November 2021, the library next to the community centre closed and this space was offered to the association on a lease from SNG.
• Since the closure of the community centre and library in 2023, SNG have provided WCA with a shop on Kings Road which they have converted into a community cafe and the new home for the food pantry, this will also offer space to hire, such as a commercial food service and space for WCA to run some smaller services such as family sessions, cooking classes social inclusion sessions.
• Westside Community Association signed the lease for the Old Beacon pub to be used as a community hub for South Ham in early November 2026. They are currently in the process of setting the centre up, starting new community activities and services and hiring the space to generate income to deliver the services.
  They have successfully gained several grants to cover the cost of equipment and to renovate the garden space for activities such as a sensory garden. Services will start to be delivered mid November 2026, including a church service, exercise group and are planning to move the Monday lunch club from the Kings Café as it has outgrown the café space. They also plan to hold school holiday activities, new SEND sessions as well as expanding their current children’s offer currently running from the Ridgeway Centre in Buckskin.
  
  
  

Voluntary and community sector organisations in the area

Community groups

• South Ham Community Group Sovereign Network Group sponsored. The community group do litter picking, community walks and community events.
• Visit Greenfingers (Mencap) at Elizabeth Road allotments, RG22 6AX
• A community-led plan for South Ham, the Berg Estate and the South Ham extension was published in 2013, developed by a local residents' group.

Neighbourhood watch

• Basingstoke and Deane Neighbourhood Watch covers Orchard Road Scheme 163, Western Way South and Elizabeth Road.
  

School based community activities

Westside Community Association cooking sessions at Park View School

Leisure, sport and recreation

Russell Howard Park, St Andrew's Road, Basingstoke, RG22 6PT
Offering netball courts, football pitches, two bowls clubs and a play area

Basingstoke Leisure Park
Euskirchen Way, Basingstoke, RG22 6PG
Home of Basingstoke Aquadrome, Planet Ice rink, Odeon Cinema, iFly Indoor Sky Diving, McDonald’s, KFC, Costa Coffee, Loddon Vale Indoor Bowling Club, Gala Bingo, Hollywood Bowl, Premier Inn and Basingstoke Golf Centre

Arts and culture

Milestones Museum, Basingstoke Leisure Park, Churchill Way West, Basingstoke, RG22 6PG

Faith based venues offering wider community activities

• St Peters Church, Pinkerton Road, Basingstoke, RG22 6QP
  This venue offers community food link, messy play and hosts uniformed groups.
• St Joseph's Catholic Church, 171A St Michael's Road, Basingstoke, RG22 6TY
  This venue offers an Over 50s lunch club.
• St Andrews Methodist Church, 120 Western Way, Basingstoke, RG22 6ER
  This venue offers a Café, lunch club, social and craft groups.

Pre-schools and nurseries

• Westside Pre School at Russell Howard Pavilion, Howard Way, Basingstoke, RG22 6LF
• St Peter's Day Nursery, Pinkerton, Basingstoke, RG22 6RH
• St Anne's Pre school, Pinkerton Road, Basingstoke, RG22 6RE
• Park View Nursery, Pinkerton Road, Basingstoke, RG22 6RT
• The Willows Day Nursery, 137 Worting Road, Basingstoke, RG22 6NN

Primary schools

• St Anne's Catholic Primary School, Pinkerton Road, Basingstoke, RG22 6RE
• Park View Primary School, Pinkerton Road, Basingstoke, RG22 6RT

Secondary schools

• The Blue Coat School, Western Way, Basingstoke, RG22 6HA
• Bishop Challoner Catholic Secondary School, St Michael's Road, Basingstoke, RG22 6SR

Special educational needs

Limington House School, St Andrew's Road, Basingstoke, RG22 6PS

After-school and holiday Clubs

View the holiday activities run by Westside Community Association from Russell Howard Pavilion.

Health provision

• The Camrose, Gillies, Hackwood and Beggarwood Partnership (CGHB), St Andrew’s Medical Centre, Western Way, Basingstoke, RG22 6ER
  It is run by Operose Health and includes a pharmacy.
• Damira Dental is based at St Andrews Medical Centre and offers both NHS and Private dental care.
• Health Visitor clinics are available at Ridgeway Community Centre, Blackdown Close, Buckskin, Basingstoke, RG22 5BW

Other service providers working in area

Various housing providers have stock within the ward, these are Abri, Anchor, Clarion, L&Q, MTVH, Sanctuary Housing, SNG, Stonewater and Vivid.

Sovereign Network Group - Community action group support. Grants available.

Open spaces and play areas

Russell Howard Park within the park is the Pavilion that is managed by Westside Community Association and includes changing rooms for the netball courts and football pitches (managed by BDBC). There is also a play area.

Stratton Park in neighbouring Kempshott and Buckskin Ward borders South Ham and is easily accessible from the ward. Within this park there is a big open space with Kempshott Village Hall, which hosts Inspero (an organisation that promotes healthy eating), the Scout Hut, which hosts the Men’s Shed and Railway Club, a play park and a Pavilion with changing rooms. There are regular football and cricket matches played at the park.

Other play areas include:

• Kings Road, RG22 6BG
• Public park and garden off Brackley/Shipton Way, RG22 6JX
• On the corner of Bardwell Close and St Peter's Road, RG22 6UE
• On the corner of Dibley Close, RG22 6SL

Allotments

• Paddock Road, Off Peveral Walk, RG22 6QB
• Elizabeth Road, RG22 6AX
• Kelvin Hill, RG22 6DX
• Stag Hill, RG22 6JE
• Pinkerton Road, RG22 6RU
• St Peter’s Road, RG22 6TL
• St Michael’s Road, RG22 6RX
• West Ham Close, RG22 6PH

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:

• 1 road verge of ecological importance (RVEI)
• 48 areas of lowland mixed deciduous woodland priority habitat

Road Verges of Ecological Importance (RVEI) are identified by the Hampshire Biological Information Centre. The verges support either a notable species and/or a species rich semi-natural habitat.

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

Other local facilities

Shopping parades including convenience stores, charity shops, takeaways, hairdressers, funeral parlour and a café are located at:

• Kings Road includes convenience store, takeaway, charity shop and café
• St Michaels Road has a convenience store
• Buckland Parade includes convenience store, funeral care and hairdressers
• Burnaby Close includes convenience store, takeaway and charity Shop

The Safer Shops Scheme, initiated and supported by the council, was launched in 2015 at the Burnaby Close parade in a bid to keep the area a safe and pleasant place to work and visit.

There are two supermarkets within the ward plus a retail park on Winchester Road.

Future development, planned works or consultations

Sovereign Network Group (SNG) – Shaping the future of South Ham and Buckskin. SNG are looking to invest in the area and work with residents to create a plan for the future. Work is already underway Find out more about Shaping the Future of South Ham and Buckskin.

There is an active residents Facebook group Save Buckskin and South Ham from Redevelopment specifically related to the redevelopment plans.

Political representation

Find details of ward councillors representing the area
Find details of Hampshire County Council Councillors

The ward is within the Basingstoke Parliamentary constituency.

Find details of your local MP

Basingstoke Labour Club is situated within this ward.

Other local information

Hampshire Constabulary Business Objects data shows that over the past five years the number of crimes and incidents of anti-social behaviour reported to the police in South Ham have been mostly steady with an overall 2% reduction in crime levels and a 4% increase in anti-social behaviour since 2021/22.

In South ham, the most common types of:

• Crime recorded over the past five years, have been violence against the person, theft offences and public order.
• Anti-social behaviour reported to the Police over the past year were vehicle nuisance, youth related anti-social behaviour and neighbour related issues.

The Community Safety Partnership (CSP) is working hard to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour 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 and business 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.