The town

Whitehill Bordon, which currently has a population of 14,000, is located in the south east of England, 46 miles from central London. 

The nearest big cities are Guildford to the north and Portsmouth to the south. 

It has grown around the Ministry of Defence’s presence in the town. 

A new national park has just been designated – the South Downs National Park – and Whitehill Bordon will serve as a gateway to it. 

The town is set in rolling countryside and is about a 40 minute drive to the sea. 

The Whitehill Bordon Opportunity project is being run by a multi-agency partnership. 

It includes representatives from East Hampshire District Council, Whitehill Town Council, the MoD, Defence Estates, Hampshire County Council, the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), Natural England, the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) and the Homes and Communities Agency. 

Local community groups are also engaged through Policy Advisory Groups and the Town Partnership, which is also making short-term improvements to the area. 

Local residents and businesses are involved at every stage of the process. The group’s research and consultation work so far has resulted in a series of baseline studies and The Green Town Vision.

 

The town has a young population with a high proportion of children. Residents tend to be less well qualified than in other parts of the district and around 13% of residents rent their homes from a housing association. Lower income earners and first-time buyers are attracted to the town and there is a high rate of out commuting. 

 

There is an imbalance in the social and economic mix of the existing population with fewer professional and managerial residents than elsewhere. 

The natural environment surrounding the town is of outstanding quality and one of the town’s key assets. There are several designated sites for nature conservation in and around the town. These sites range from local to international importance and are highly valued by the community. 

As well as a clear need for better local facilities residents want to protect the natural environment -we need to achieve a balance that achieves both objectives.