COMMUNITY UNDER PRESSURE

The population of Yateley has expanded from 4,469 in 1961 to well over 20,000 in 1981. The District Council estimates the population at the time of the 1981 Census to be 20,242.

We believe the figure (2) will be above 22,000 and could be as high as 24,000. We await the publication of the official figure in the Census.

Using the District Council's figures taken from the Draft District Plan (2), Yateley can be shown as more densely populated than Fleet:

If Yateley and Hawley are taken together, the density reduces to 9.4 persons/hectare. The reduction in density is brought about by the inclusion of a large amount of MOD land. Whereas Fleet, comprising Fleet and Church Crookham, is a natural conurbation, formerly the old Urban District of Fleet, Yateley and Hawley have no natural focal point. Hawley, and the Darby Green/Frogmore ward of Yateley, now form a continuous settlement with Camberley in Surrey, whilst Yateley is an over-grown village pushed against the borders of Berkshire.

The explanation is easily understood in historical terms. Whereas Fleet grew as a planned community at the end of the last century, from time immemorial the parish of Yateley consisted of a number of polyfocal settlements (3) in a poor heathland environment. The parish included present day Hawley, Cove, Minley, Blackwater and parts of Fleet. Even Yateley itself consisted of a number of smaller polyfocal settlements at Yateley Green, Cricket Hill and Darby Green. Today the continuing existance of the ancient heathland comprising commonland and MOD owned land tends to keep these distinct. On the other hand, the pressure of vast new housing estates obliterating the old farming land seeks to coalesce the original polyfocal settlements.

The original medieval encroachments were haphazard and dictated by underlying geology. Subsequent modern development, building on the ancient farms, has been restricted by the presence of commonland and has maintained this haphazard pattern. The modern community of Yateley, deriving from the historical settlements with the superimposition of vast modern housing estates, has no natural focal point.

Yet this haphazardly developing community is expanding at the same rate as carefully planned New Towns. Table I (4) demonstrates that Yateley, without facilities or employment has been growing faster than 6 out of the 9 New Towns of less than 2000 hectares.

Next:

Community under Stress

Community and Amenity

The paper's conclusions

The paper's footnotes

Table I: Comparision of Growth of New Towns with Yateley

Extracts from Annext A of Circular 22/80

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