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Bitterne Park: people, homes and local pressures

14,827 people were counted here in 2021. The figures below describe this ward; wider-area projects and proposals are labelled separately.

Electoral ward · May 2026 · E05015494

Banister & PolygonBargateBassettBevoisBitterne ParkCoxfordFreemantleHarefieldMillbrookPeartreePortswoodRedbridgeShirleySholingSwaythlingThornhillWoolston
Electoral wards · May 2026. Police neighbourhoods and parishes are different boundaries.

Homes rented privately

25.9%

21 March 2021 · All households

People aged 65 or over

16.4%

21 March 2021 · All usual residents

People reporting bad or very bad health

4.2%

21 March 2021 · All usual residents; self-reported, not age-standardised

Households facing two or more deprivation measures

16.2%

21 March 2021 · All households

All Census figures and how they were calculated
Bitterne Park · 2021 Census
MeasureFigureWho or what is counted
People14,827All usual residents. Sum of Census 2021 output areas assigned by the official 2026 ONS best-fit lookup
Homes rented privately25.9%All households. Sum of Census 2021 output areas assigned by the official 2026 ONS best-fit lookup
Homes rented from a council or housing association11.4%All households. Sum of Census 2021 output areas assigned by the official 2026 ONS best-fit lookup
People aged 65 or over16.4%All usual residents. Sum of Census 2021 output areas assigned by the official 2026 ONS best-fit lookup
People reporting bad or very bad health4.2%All usual residents; self-reported, not age-standardised. Sum of Census 2021 output areas assigned by the official 2026 ONS best-fit lookup
People with no qualifications15.5%Residents aged 16 and over. Sum of Census 2021 output areas assigned by the official 2026 ONS best-fit lookup
People with a degree or equivalent33.2%Residents aged 16 and over. Sum of Census 2021 output areas assigned by the official 2026 ONS best-fit lookup
Households facing at least one deprivation measure50.4%All households. Sum of Census 2021 output areas assigned by the official 2026 ONS best-fit lookup
Households facing two or more deprivation measures16.2%All households. Sum of Census 2021 output areas assigned by the official 2026 ONS best-fit lookup

Household deprivation covers education, employment, health and housing. One or more and two or more are different measures. Census answers and boundary aggregation carry uncertainty.

Sources and methods →

What stands out in this ward?

Two of the largest differences from southampton unitary authority among the Census measures shown here. These describe the population in 2021, not why the differences exist.

Homes rented from a council or housing association

11.4%

Bitterne Park, compared with 21.9% across southampton unitary authority.

10.5 percentage points lower · 2021 · all households.

Households facing two or more deprivation measures

16.2%

Bitterne Park, compared with 20.3% across southampton unitary authority.

4.2 percentage points lower · 2021 · all households.

Crime and safety in Bitterne Park

These are crimes with a published approximate location inside the ward. They do not measure every crime or your personal risk.

1,048

Mapped crimes, excluding anti-social behaviour · latest 12 months ending Aug 2026

-11.3%

Change against the previous 12 months

95

Anti-social behaviour reports · counted separately

068135Sept 2024Aug 2026
See the figures
Monthly mapped crimes in Bitterne Park, excluding anti-social behaviour
PeriodValue
Sept 202489
Oct 2024102
Nov 2024120
Dec 2024101
Jan 2025103
Feb 202598
Mar 202595
Apr 202583
May 202583
Jun 202583
Jul 202599
Aug 2025125
Sept 202596
Oct 202595
Nov 2025113
Dec 202571
Jan 202694
Feb 202685
Mar 2026107
Apr 202669
May 202675
Jun 202670
Jul 202687
Aug 202686
Categories and how to read these figures

Mapped police records only; approximate locations; excludes BTP and unmapped offences. ASB is separate. Rates use Census 2021 residents, not current residents, commuters or visitors. Not a measure of personal risk.

70.7 mapped crimes per 1,000 people, using a 21 March 2021 population of 14,827. The population is a dated denominator, not an estimate of the number of people exposed to crime today.

Latest 12 months · categories
CategoryMapped crimes
Violent crime451
Shoplifting133
Vehicle crime111
Public order74
Criminal damage arson69
Other theft67
Burglary51
Drugs40
Other crime17
Robbery13
Bicycle theft9
Possession of weapons9
Theft from the person4
Source, boundary method and downloads →

What could change here?

These are southampton unitary authority responses. They are relevant context, not a claim that each service or project operates in this ward.

Weakness · Southampton

Too few homes are reaching residents

Housing delivery was 30% of the assessed requirement; 414 households were in temporary accommodation.

The figures cover different periods, but both point to housing pressure. Planning permission, construction and a home being occupied are separate steps.

Evidence and related projects

Housing Delivery Test result: 30% · HDT 2025 (2022/23–2024/25) · Southampton. Housing Delivery Test result. Published measurement; homes include communal-accommodation equivalents, displayed rounded as in the official table. Consequence: Presumption.

Households in temporary accommodation: 414 · 31 March 2026 · Southampton. Households in temporary accommodation. Statutory homelessness administrative data. Quarterly assessment flows and point-in-time temporary accommodation are different measures. The denominator is the published household estimate, not population. National counts are rounded; suppressed cells are not zero.

Average monthly private rent: £1,257 · August 2026 · Southampton. Average monthly private rent. ONS Price Index of Private Rents; existing and new tenancies, not asking rents.

Median house price / median resident annual earnings: 7 · 2025 · Southampton. Median house price / median resident annual earnings. Median price paid for properties divided by median gross annual full-time employee earnings of residents. This is not a household mortgage multiple, workplace earnings ratio or ratio computed from the monthly house-price index.

Townhill Park housing redevelopment →Bargate Quarter redevelopment →

Weakness · Southampton

Neighbourhoods do not share the same starting point

Child poverty after housing costs was 45.2% in Bevois and 19.3% in Bassett in the financial year ending 2025.

City averages hide a large gap. Local support and affordable housing should be judged by who benefits, not only by totals across Southampton.

Evidence and related projects

Children in relative low income after housing costs (%): 31% · FYE 2025 · Southampton. Children in relative low income after housing costs (%). Children aged under 16 in relative low-income families; income below 60% of the contemporary median. DWP calibrates to HBAI. Disclosure control means ward totals may not equal city totals. FYE 2025 rates use mid-2024 population denominators; the tables use May 2024 ward boundaries. BHC and AHC are distinct measures. Historical values in this release have been revised.

Children in low-income families after housing costs: 45.2% · Financial year ending 2025 · Bevois electoral ward. Share of children under 16 living in families below the published relative low-income threshold after housing costs. DWP May 2024 and ONS May 2025 ward codes match the mapped boundaries. Counts are disclosure-controlled; ward totals may differ from city totals. Population is an estimate, not an exact headcount. Ward population uses the November 2025 release; city trends use the July 2026 revision. Same-year totals may differ between those vintages.

Children in low-income families after housing costs: 19.3% · Financial year ending 2025 · Bassett electoral ward. Share of children under 16 living in families below the published relative low-income threshold after housing costs. DWP May 2024 and ONS May 2025 ward codes match the mapped boundaries. Counts are disclosure-controlled; ward totals may differ from city totals. Population is an estimate, not an exact headcount. Ward population uses the November 2025 release; city trends use the July 2026 revision. Same-year totals may differ between those vintages.

Townhill Park housing redevelopment →Outdoor Sports Centre regeneration →

Threat · Southampton

Ageing infrastructure can disrupt everyday journeys

Northam Rail Bridge is reaching the end of its operational life; replacement still needed funding approval in the March 2026 update.

The proposed bridges would improve walking, cycling and bus connections. They should not be presented as funded construction until that decision is evidenced.

Evidence and related projects

Local bus passenger journeys: 22,200,000 · 2024/25 · Southampton. Local bus passenger journeys. Journeys on services in the city; includes repeat trips and visitors, not unique residents.

Northam Rail Bridge replacement →Winchester Road access improvements →

Projects affecting this area

No project has yet been verified against this ward’s boundary. See the wider-area project register; each project states its location.

Practical help and responsible organisations →