Basingstoke population rises amid house planning crisis

Office for National Statistics estimates put the borough’s mid-2025 population at 194,037, up from 192,965 a year earlier — a 0.56 per cent rise, as part of new mid-year estimates showing population growth and decline across every council area in England and Wales.

Neighbouring areas also saw small population rises: Test Valley rose by 0.39 per cent to 135,698, Hart grew 0.30 per cent to 103,335, and Winchester grew 0.72 per cent, from 135,444 to 136,856 — slightly faster than Basingstoke and Deane.

The estimate continues a gradual rise in the borough’s population from about 185,200 at the 2021 Census, and its 0.56 per cent annual rise puts it in the middle of the national table.

The figures come as the borough’s housing and planning row drags on, with the current Local Plan, covering 2011 to 2029, remaining in force and earmarking sites for housing while work on a new Local Plan, which would guide development to about 2042, has been delayed as the council reviews infrastructure and national planning rule changes.

The council says it needs more work on infrastructure, including water supply and utilities, before its plan for thousands of homes can go to consultation and examination, while campaigners and local groups say the draft Local Plan is “on hold” over infrastructure, though the council has not abandoned it.

Residents and councillors have warned that new development is putting pressure on roads, schools, health services and green spaces, with some calling it “overdevelopment”, and the disputes cover individual schemes and the housing numbers in the Local Plan review.

The ONS estimates do not set housing targets, but government and councils use them to assess future housing need and planning policy, and they are produced every year using birth, death and migration data and can change when new figures emerge.

Leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Cllr Paul Harvey, said: "The population estimates recently published by the Office for National Statistics show that Basingstoke and Deane’s population has increased by a small percentage, less than one per cent.

 “We continue to have one of the strongest local economies in the South East and we are a popular place to live and work. That strength really matters to people’s standard of living. We remain committed to providing high-quality services that help our communities thrive.

“We all know that we need major investment in key infrastructure such as water, GPs and schools. The pressure on our existing population must be recognised by the government. What these figures underline is how important it is that we fight for that investment so that decisions made on housing and facilities put infrastructure first."