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.[5] However this was resisted by local authorities who occupied the proposed development sites, and Buchanan's plans were never put into effect.[1]
Instead, as a result of high-tech industry and services, the area was able to grow largely without overall planning to become perhaps the most densely populated region of the UK.[1] 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, connected by new road networks, for commercial and residential use by Hampshire County Council's architects, led by Colin Stansfield Smith. Otherwise development has tended to be on a case-by-case basis for retail parks, business parks and housing.[1]
The Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is a collaboration between local authorities, universities and businesses set up in 2011 by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.[6][7] Different departments of the Solent LEP are distributed across the area, with its 'Growth Hub' being based in Southampton.[8] 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.[9]
Various attempts at a South Hampshire or Solent City devolution deal have been made, but saw minor local resistance, stemming from the Southampton-Portsmouth rivalry, as well as from the more rural Isle of Wight.[10][11] Whilst the proposal did otherwise see continued support, particularly from councillors,[12] by 2018 talks with the government had stalled.[10][13] More recent proposals have included southeast Dorset, that is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP). After another bid was submitted in 2021, Gerald Vernon-Jackson claimed the government were "keen" on including BCP in a potential deal.[14] A November 2022 report by BCP Council suggested a Central South deal as an alternative to a Pan-Hampshire deal with BCP tacked on.[15]
The following Built-up areas fall inside the South Hampshire metropolitan area have a combined population of 1,086,786.
By council boundaries
This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (November 2018)
Map of the districts making up Portsmouth urban area (blue) and Southampton urban area (red)
The following populations is those of council boundaries that are considered part of the South Hampshire conurbation.
South Hampshire built-up area
In the 2001 census Portsmouth and Southampton were recorded as being parts of separate urban areas; but by the 2011 census they had merged to become the sixth largest built-up area in England, with a population of 855,569.[20] The new built-up area also merged with smaller urban areas called Locks Heath, Bursledon, Whiteley and Hedge End/Botley in the 2001 census.
Horton Heath forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area in the 2011 census rather than being a separate area.
In the 2011 census the Fawley urban area was renamed the Blackfield built-up area.
In the 2011 census the Kings Worthy urban area was renamed the Springvale built-up area.
In the 2011 census the Hayling Island urban area was renamed the South Hayling built-up area.
Other towns in the area
Slightly further out there are many surrounding towns and villages as well as the city of Chichester which are not directly close to Southampton or Portsmouth, or necessarily in their travel to work areas.[25] Some of these settlements rely on the latter cities for employment or retail due to close proximity but are not limited to these alone.
Places within the wider Portsmouth-Southampton Metropolitan area include:
^Phelps, Nicholas (2012). An Anatomy of Sprawl: Planning and Politics in Britain. Routledge. The term Solent City is nowhere to be found in the South Hampshire Study and instead emerged as shorthand for the sheer horror felt by inhabitants and their political representatives over the emergence of a single functional urban region
![[icon]](File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small}
