A practical sequence of proposed steps for Eastleigh.
Short, medium and longer-term stages describe what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Costs, funding and powers must be established before adopting a proposal.
Proposal
Use completed town-centre space well
Postmark Place has delivered homes and commercial premises.
Putting existing space to use is a different task from announcing the next development.
Who could lead: Eastleigh Borough Council.
- Start now — proposed
Verify occupancy and resident access to services.
- Next steps — proposed
Help secure suitable long-term uses for remaining commercial space.
- Longer term — proposed
Report occupancy, maintenance and affordability alongside construction outputs.
How to judge progress
Starting point: June 2025 council asset review.
Measure: Occupied homes and shops, repairs and rental affordability.
Trade-off: Council ownership brings control but also financial and maintenance responsibilities.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Eastleigh town centre: former Post Office redevelopment →
Proposal
Keep the new school in step with housing
One Horton Heath homes were nearing completion while the school was at application stage.
Families need a clear plan for places and safe journeys during the transition.
Who could lead: Eastleigh Borough Council and Hampshire County Council.
- Start now — proposed
Publish confirmed school arrangements for each occupation phase.
- Next steps — proposed
Coordinate safe routes and school delivery with the housing programme.
- Longer term — proposed
Review places, journey times and access once the neighbourhood grows.
How to judge progress
Starting point: August–September 2026 project timeline.
Measure: Homes occupied, staffed school places available and safe routes open.
Trade-off: A planned school has design, staffing and admissions dependencies beyond housing construction.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
One Horton Heath: first homes and later phases →
One Horton Heath: new primary school →
Proposal
Bring useful everyday services into local centres
Hedge End has a foodstore redevelopment objective, while One Horton Heath is building a new community.
Shops and services within reach can reduce unnecessary journeys.
Who could lead: Eastleigh Borough Council with operators and transport partners.
- Start now — proposed
Test local needs and the commercial viability of each proposed service.
- Next steps — proposed
Publish planning and operator decisions before implying that an opening is secured.
- Longer term — proposed
Measure occupied services and access on foot, by cycle and by bus.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Council strategy and separate project timeline.
Measure: Confirmed operators, premises open and accessible journeys.
Trade-off: Commercial demand can change; land and building investment carries continuing cost.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
One Horton Heath: first homes and later phases →
Hedge End: former Budgens site →
Proposal
Keep property-led delivery financially visible
The council acts as landowner and developer across several projects.
Public benefit and financial exposure should be assessed together.
Who could lead: Eastleigh Borough Council.
- Start now — proposed
Publish project costs, income assumptions and remaining funding risks.
- Next steps — proposed
Review affordable housing and community outcomes alongside financial returns.
- Longer term — proposed
Test long-term maintenance and debt costs against actual income.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Asset strategy separates completed assets from future development and letting goals.
Measure: Cost changes, actual net income, affordable homes and ongoing liabilities.
Trade-off: A council-led scheme can shape quality, but slow sales or letting can put pressure on finances.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
One Horton Heath: first homes and later phases →
Eastleigh town centre: former Post Office redevelopment →
Hedge End: former Budgens site →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £1,214 a month (August 2026) in Eastleigh council area. This is £245 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 9.6% in Bishopstoke to 25.7% in Eastleigh Central — a gap of 16 percentage points.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together. Start by checking the different needs in Eastleigh Central and Bishopstoke; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Average private rent is £1,214 a month (August 2026) in Eastleigh council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 9.6% in Bishopstoke to 25.7% in Eastleigh Central — a gap of 16 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average monthly rent →
Evidence: Average home price →
One Horton Heath: first homes and later phases →
Eastleigh town centre: former Post Office redevelopment →
Proposal
Plan homes and care around an older population
19.5% of people in Eastleigh council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 10.5% in Hedge End North to 25.9% in Hiltingbury — a gap of 15.4 percentage points.
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
Who could lead: Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities.
- Start now
Compare the location of older residents with access to care, shops and transport. Start by checking the different needs in Hiltingbury and Hedge End North; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Prioritise home adaptations and care capacity in places with the clearest unmet need.
- Over the longer term
Build accessible homes and joined-up care into local development plans.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 19.5% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 10.5% in Hedge End North to 25.9% in Hiltingbury — a gap of 15.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Waits for home adaptations and care, avoidable hospital stays, and accessible homes delivered.
Trade-off: Services need skilled staff and ongoing funding. Age profiles alone cannot measure unmet care need.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 65 or over →
Proposal
Bring support closer to people in poor health
3.8% of people reported bad or very bad health in Eastleigh council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.3% in Hedge End North to 4.7% in Hamble & Netley — a gap of 2.4 percentage points.
This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.
Who could lead: Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations.
- Start now
Use neighbourhood evidence to find where poor health and barriers to services overlap. Start by checking the different needs in Hamble & Netley and Hedge End North; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test accessible local support and publish who is reached and who is missed.
- Over the longer term
Review whether health gaps narrow, alongside housing and employment improvements.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 3.8% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.3% in Hedge End North to 4.7% in Hamble & Netley — a gap of 2.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Access to services and the health gap between neighbourhoods, using comparable age-adjusted measures when available.
Trade-off: A census snapshot is dated. New service decisions also need current needs assessments and residents’ experience.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People reporting bad or very bad health →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
33.1% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Eastleigh council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9% in Hiltingbury to 17.4% in West End North — a gap of 8.5 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents. Start by checking the different needs in West End North and Hiltingbury; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 33.1% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9% in Hiltingbury to 17.4% in West End North — a gap of 8.5 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or equivalent →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
Eastleigh town centre: former Post Office redevelopment →
Hedge End: former Budgens site →
Proposal
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Eastleigh council area.
Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.
Who could lead: The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services.
- Start now
Check recurring places and categories alongside local police priorities and residents’ reports.
- Over the next few years
Test focused prevention and support, with a comparison period agreed before the work starts.
- Over the longer term
Publish whether problems fall, move elsewhere or return, and adjust the response.
How to judge progress
Crime evidence and coverage →
Starting point: Use the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate.
Measure: Comparable recorded incidents, repeat victimisation and residents’ reported experience; never a single crude league table.
Trade-off: More reporting can increase recorded crime. Enforcement and support may work differently for different problems.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Proposal
Turn published plans into visible progress
4 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
One Horton Heath: first homes and later phases →
One Horton Heath: new primary school →
Eastleigh town centre: former Post Office redevelopment →
Hedge End: former Budgens site →
Proposal
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 7.9% in Hiltingbury to 18.5% in Eastleigh South — a gap of 10.7 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
Who could lead: The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services.
- Start now
Check current advice and support access in Eastleigh South, using the census pattern as a starting point and asking residents what is missing.
- Over the next few years
Test joined-up housing, work and health support, and publish who takes part, who cannot reach it and what changes.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained outcomes and whether gaps between neighbourhoods narrow, using comparable dates and measures.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 7.9% in Hiltingbury to 18.5% in Eastleigh South — a gap of 10.7 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 wards.
Measure: Access to support, unresolved housing problems and sustained work or health outcomes. Census percentages alone cannot measure a new programme's success.
Trade-off: Targeting neighbourhoods can miss people in need elsewhere. Avoid labelling every resident by the average for their ward.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages →
One Horton Heath: first homes and later phases →
One Horton Heath: new primary school →
Eastleigh town centre: former Post Office redevelopment →
Hedge End: former Budgens site →
