Whiteley

infobox UK place
country = England
static_

static_image_caption =
latitude = 50.88144
longitude = -1.26559
official_name = Whiteley
population =
shire_district= borough of Fareham
shire_county = Hampshire
region = South East England
constituency_westminster =
post_town =
postcode_district =
postcode_area =
dial_code =
os_grid_reference = SU517093

Whiteley is a community in the county of Hampshire, England, near Fareham. The development straddles the boundary between two council districts: the borough of Fareham to the south and west, and the city of Winchester to the north and east.

Location

Whiteley is located in southern Hampshire between the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton and close to the market town of Fareham. The small development of 3,000 homes is situated close to Junction 9 of the M27 motorway, while rail services are provided nearby at Swanwick railway station.

History

Whiteley contains a residential community, retail and a business park. Construction of the 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.

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.

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

Whiteley today

Apart from the residential areas, which house around 6,000 residents, the main focus is the Whiteley Village outlet centre (a retail centre not to be confused with 'Whiteley Village' in Walton-on-Thames). This pedestrianised shopping centre consists 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. [cite web |url=http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/fareham-and-meon/100m-cash--to-give.3192670.jp |title=£100m cash to give town a new heart |accessdate=2008-07-11 |format=HTML |publisher=The News]

Whiteley also contains the sizable Solent Business Park which consists of a number of large offices, including Zurich Financial Services. The most recent and high profile additions to the park are the new headquarters for NATS (formerly National Air Traffic Services) and the offices 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 boasts 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 sizable recreation ground having football, cricket and tennis provision; numerous children's playparks; a retail outlet including a supermarket, petrol station, a restaurant and cafes; a skate park; a three form entry primary school; and maintained wooded areas.

Some problems persist, including oversubscription of the primary school - proposals for the resolution of which have led to controversy and a severe lack of adequate public transport.Fact|date=September 2008

Further problems exist with regard to transport infrastructure. The community enjoys only one primary route in and out (via the M27 Junction 9 roundabout), although a controversial secondary route through a residential area is often used by local traffic, as well as commuter traffic travelling to the business park. The construction of further transport links to surrounding major routes is restricted by issues relating to land acquisition (anticipated by compulsory purchase) and associated costs, as well as discussions between local councils and developers over a proposed bus link. As a result of the transport infrastructure the volume of traffic using the M27 Junction 9 roundabout is elevated, although this was partially alleviated by the introduction of traffic controls.Fact|date=September 2008

This year, Whiteley Parish 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. [cite web |url=http://www.whiteleypc.info/Parish%20Plan%20survey%20results%20September%202008.htm |title=Full Survey Results|accessdate=2008-09-15 |format=HTML |publisher=Whiteley Parish Council] Following a recent traffic census, Hampshire County Council may be carrying out a survey within Whiteley and affected surrounding villages asking similar questions, but accompanied with information about the consequences of various road openings. [cite web |url=http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/fareham-and-meon/Open-these-roads-up-now.4491934.jp |title=Open these roads up now|accessdate=2008-09-15 |format=HTML |publisher=The News]

Whiteley also has a successful men's adult football club, [http://www.whiteleyfootballclub.co.uk Whiteley Football Club] , which fields two teams in the Gosport and Fareham Sunday Football League. The club plays it's home matches on the grass pitches at Whiteley's Meadowside Centre.

Demographics

The development has an overwhelmingly young population (79% under 44 years cite web |url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=5945639&c=PO15+7LD&d=14&e=16&g=453318&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&enc=1 |title=Key Figures for 2001 Census (Whiteley) |accessdate=2008-07-11 |format=HTML |publisher=Office for National Statistics] ), white (96.95%), home-owning (87.23%) population of professionals and aspirational skilled workers (80% in social grade AB and C1 [cite web |url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=5945639&c=PO15+7LD&d=14&e=16&g=453318&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=141 |title=Approximated Social Grade (Whiteley) |accessdate=2008-07-11 |format=HTML |publisher=Office for National Statistics] ). Whiteley is reported by the local health authority to have a higher than average rate of divorce and separation (11% versus 6% nationally [cite web |url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=5945639&c=PO15+7LD&d=14&e=16&g=453318&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=83 |title=Marital Status (Whiteley) |accessdate=2008-07-11 |format=HTML |publisher=Office for National Statistics] ).

The future

The area north of Whiteley is included in the South East Plan as a possible urban extension and if the community were to be expanded northwards it would include further residential developments of up to 3,000 houses and associated infrastructure including transport, educational and community facilities.Fact|date=May 2007

References

External links

* [http://whiteleyforum.net/ Whiteley Community Forum]
* [http://whiteleymatters.com/ Whiteley Community Portal]
* [http://www.whiteley-community.co.uk/ Whiteley Community Association]
* [http://www.whiteleyprimary.co.uk/ Whiteley Primary School]
* [http://www.whiteleyvillage.com/ Whiteley Village Outlet Centre]
* [http://www.whiteleypc.info/ Whiteley Parish Council]
* [http://www.whiteleychurch.org.uk/ Whiteley Church]
* [http://www.whiteleyfootballclub.co.uk/ Whiteley's Local Sunday Football Team]