City of Winchester

Winchester (/ˈwɪntʃɪstər/),[1] commonly known as the City of Winchester, is a non-metropolitan district in Hampshire, England, with city status.

This article is about the district in England. For other uses, see Winchester (disambiguation).

City of Winchester
Non-metropolitan district, Borough, City
Winchester
Winchester Guildhall
Winchester Guildhall
Coat of arms of City of Winchester
Coat of arms
Official logo of City of Winchester
Council logo
Winchester shown within Hampshire
Winchester shown within Hampshire
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryEngland
RegionSouth East England
Non-metropolitan countyHampshire
StatusNon-metropolitan district, Borough, City time immemorial
Admin HQWinchester
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeNon-metropolitan district council
 • BodyWinchester City Council
 • LeadershipLeader & Cabinet (Liberal Democrat)
 • MPsSteve Brine
Flick Drummond
Area
 • Total255.20 sq mi (660.97 km2)
 • Rank51st (of 296)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total127,916
 • Rank184th (of 296)
 • Density500/sq mi (190/km2)
 • Ethnicity
97.8% White
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code24UP (ONS)
E07000094 (GSS)
OS grid referenceSU485295
Websitewww.winchester.gov.uk
The City Council's coat of arms, displayed in Winchester Guildhall

The district covers the city of Winchester, which it is named after, and a large area of central Hampshire including Bishop's Waltham, Denmead, New Alresford, and Kings Worthy (for a full list of these, see the "Settlements and parishes" section below), for a total area of 255.2 square miles (661 km2). The 2011 Census recorded the population of the district as 116,600.[2]

The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by the merger of the borough of Winchester with Droxford rural district and part of Winchester rural district. It borders Basingstoke and Deane to the north, East Hampshire to the east, the borough of Havant and the unitary authority area of Portsmouth to the south-east, the borough of Fareham to the south, the borough of Eastleigh to the south-west, and Test Valley to the west.

The city traces its history to the Roman Era, developing from the town of Venta Belgarum. It saw historic significance from its reconstruction under Alfred the Great in the 9th century, and grew in prominence until London replaced it as capital; Winchester saw a decline after plague swept the country, but began to recover from the 19th century.

Governance

Parliamentary constituencies

The City of Winchester is made up of two parliamentary constituencies. Winchester constituency covers the north-eastern part of the city, as well as Chandler's Ford, which is part of Eastleigh. The remainder constitutes Meon Valley, which also covers part of East Hampshire and Havant. Winchester constituency has been represented by Steve Brine since 2010, whilst Meon Valley has been represented by Flick Drummond since the 2019 general election.

Winchester City Council
Main article: Winchester local elections
See also: Mayor of Winchester

Elections to the council are held in three out of every four years, with one third of the seats on the council being elected at each election. From 1995 to the 2004 election the Liberal Democrats had a majority on the council, but after 2 years when no party held a majority the 2006 election saw the Conservative party gain control.[3] The elections on 6 May 2010 saw the Liberal Democrats re take control of the council, however the council soon switched to NOC a year later in 2011. In 2012, the Conservative Party made their only Council gain of the entire English local elections and won a majority in Winchester once again.[4] Subsequently, two Conservative councillors defected to the Liberal Democrat group, placing the council under No Overall Control.[5] Following local elections on 7 May 2015, the Conservatives re-gained majority control of the council.[6] Since the 2016 council election, in which new boundaries were introduced, no other parties than the Conservative and Liberal Democrats have held seats on the council. After the local elections on 2 May 2019, the Liberal Democrats gained majority control. Three independent councillors were elected as Conservatives. Cllr Weston resigned from the party in late 2019.[7] Cllr Clementson was suspended from the party pending an investigation.[8] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the scheduled 2020 local elections were postponed until 2021, when they took place alongside elections for Hampshire County Council. In November 2020 Alresford & Itchen Valley councillor Lisa Griffiths resigned from the Conservative Party to sit as an independent.[9] In September 2020, Liberal Democrat Councillor Kim Gottlieb (who joined the party after leaving the Conservatives) resigned as a Councillor, leaving one of the three St Michael seats vacant. The vacancy was subsequently won in 2021 City Council election by the Liberal Democrats, who retained an overall majority on the council despite losing a seat to the Conservatives.

The council is currently led by a Liberal Democrat administration. The make up of the council as of August 2023 is:[7]

Ward Party Member Election
Alresford & Itchen Valley Liberal Democrat Russell Gordon-Smith 2023
Liberal Democrat Margot Power 2022
Conservative Fiona Isaacs 2021
Badger Farm & Oliver's Battery Liberal Democrat Adrian Brophy 2023
Liberal Democrat Brian Laming 2022
Conservative Jan Warwick 2021
Bishops Waltham Liberal Democrat Jonathan Williams 2023
Conservative Steve Miller 2022
Conservative Michael Kurn 2021
Central Meon Valley Green Danny Lee 2023
Green Malcolm Wallace 2022
Conservative Frank Pearson 2021
Colden Common and Twyford Liberal Democrat Hannah Greenberg 2023
Independent[10][n 1] Sue Cook 2022
Denmead Conservative Paula Langford-Smith 2023
Conservative Caroline Brook 2022
Conservative Mike Read 2021
Southwick and Wickham Liberal Democrat Chris Chamberlain 2023
Liberal Democrat Neil Cutler 2022
Liberal Democrat Angela Clear 2021
St Barnabas Liberal Democrat Jonny Morris 2023
Liberal Democrat James Batho 2022
Liberal Democrat Kelsie Learney 2021
St Bartholomew Liberal Democrat Nathan Eve 2023
Liberal Democrat Kathleen Becker 2022
Liberal Democrat John Tippett-Cooper 2021
St Luke Liberal Democrat Charlie Wise 2023
Liberal Democrat[11][n 2] Jamie Scott 2021
St Michael Liberal Democrat George Prest 2023
Liberal Democrat Mark Reach 2022
Liberal Democrat Chris Edwards 2021
St Paul Liberal Democrat Martin Tod 2023
Liberal Democrat Lucille Thompson 2022
Liberal Democrat Chris Westwood 2021
The Worthys Liberal Democrat Jane Rutter 2023
Liberal Democrat Jackie Porter 2022
Liberal Democrats Steve Cramoysan 2021
Upper Meon Valley Liberal Democrat Jerry Pett 2023
Conservative Neil Bolton 2022
Whiteley & Shedfield Liberal Democrats Sudhakar Achwal 2023
Liberal Democrats Anne Small 2022
Liberal Democrats Vivian Achwal 2021
Wonston & Micheldever Conservative Caroline Horrill 2023
Conservative Partrick Cunningham 2022
Conservative Stephen Godfrey 2021

County Council

Hampshire County Council holds elections every four years. Several Councillors are members of both the City and County Councils. In the 2021 elections the Winchester City district area elected seven representatives, out of 78:

Ward Party Member[12]
Winchester Eastgate Liberal Democrat Dominic Charles Alan Hiscock
Winchester Downlands Conservative Jan Warwick
Winchester Westgate Liberal Democrat Martin Tod
Winchester Southern Parishes ConservativePatricia Stallard
Itchen Valley Liberal DemocratJackie Porter
Meon Valley ConservativeHugh Lumby
Bishop's Waltham ConservativeRob Humby

Demographics
Population pyramid of the City of Winchester

A Legatum Prosperity Index published by the Legatum Institute in October 2016 showed the City of Winchester as the third most prosperous council area in the United Kingdom, after the Borough of Waverley and Mole Valley.[13]

Ethnicity
Ethnic Group 1991[14] 2001[15] 2011[16]
Number % Number % Number %
White: Total 95,427 99% 104,907 97.8% 111,577 95.7%
White: British – – 101,689 94.8% 107,070 91.8%
White: Irish – – 750 733
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller – – – – 263
White: Other – – 2,468 3,511
Asian or Asian British: Total 563 0.6% 1,063 1% 2,639 2.3%
Asian or Asian British: Indian 144 382 665
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 31 44 92
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 80 180 222
Asian or Asian British: Chinese 142 324 745
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 166 133 915
Black or Black British: Total 147 0.2% 270 0.3% 457 0.4%
Black or Black British: Caribbean 54 118 147
Black or Black British: African 41 126 250
Black or Black British: Other Black 52 26 60
Mixed or British Mixed: Total – – 708 0.7% 1,626 1.4%
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean – – 142 321
Mixed: White and Black African – – 86 180
Mixed: White and Asian – – 283 684
Mixed: Other Mixed – – 197 441
Other: Total 249 0.3% 274 0.3% 296 0.3%
Other: Arab – – – – 110
Other: Any other ethnic group 249 0.3% 274 0.3% 186
Total 96,386 100% 107,222 100% 116,595 100%

Settlements and parishes
🌍
Ward Boundaries in the City of Winchester following the 2016 boundary changes.[17]
1
Wonston and Micheldever
2
The Worthies
3
Alresford and Itchen Valley
4
St Paul (Winchester)
5
St Barnabas (Winchester)
6
St Bartholomew (Winchester)
7
St Luke (Winchester)
8
St Michael (Winchester)
9
Badger Farm and Oliver's Battery
10
Colden Common and Twyford
11
Upper Meon Valley
12
Bishop's Waltham
13
Central Meon Valley
14
Whiteley and Shedfield
15
Southwick and Wickham
16
Denmead

Settlements in the district include:

Parishes
Council Equivalent City Ward
Badger Farm Badger Farm & Olivers Battery
Beauworth Upper Meon Valley
Bighton Alresford & Itchen Valley
Bishop's Waltham Bishop's Waltham
Bishops Sutton Alresford & Itchen Valley
Boarhunt Southwick & Wicham
Bramdean and Hinton Ampner Upper Meon Valley
Cheriton Upper Meon Valley
Chilcomb Upper Meon Valley
Colden Common Colden Common & Twyford
Compton & Shawford Badger Farm & Oliver's Battery
Corhampton & Meonstoke Upper Meon Valley
Crawley Wonston & Micheldever
Curdridge Whiteley & Shedfield
Denmead Denmead
Droxford Central Meon Valley
Durley Bishop's Waltham
Exton Upper Meon Valley
Hambledon Central Meon Valley
Headbourne Worthy The Worthys
Hursley Badger Farm & Oliver's Battery
Itchen Stoke & Ovington Alresford & Itchen Valley
Itchen Valley Alresford & Itchen Valley
Kilmeston Upper Meon Valley
Kings Worthy The Worthys
Littleton and Harestock Wonston & Micheldever
Micheldever Wonston & Micheldever
New Alresford (Town) Alresford & Itchen Valley
Newlands Denmead
Southwick & Wickham
Northington Alresford & Itchen Valley
Old Alresford Alresford & Itchen Valley
Oliver's Battery Badger Farm & Oliver's Battery
Otterbourne Badger Farm & Oliver's Battery
Owslebury Upper Meon Valley
Shedfield Whiteley & Shedfield
Central Meon Valley
Soberton Central Meon Valley
South Wonston Wonston & Micheldever
The Worthys
Southwick & Widley Southwick & Wickham
Sparsholt Wonston & Micheldever
Swanmore Central Meon Valley
Tichborne Upper Meon Valley
Twyford Colden Common & Twyford
Upham Upper Meon Valley
Warnford Upper Meon Valley
West Meon Upper Meon Valley
Whiteley Whiteley & Shedfield
Wickham Southwick & Wickham
Wonston Wonston & Micheldever

Notes
    1. Elected as a Conservative
    2. Elected as a Conservative

    References
    1. "Local Authority Districts, Counties and Unitary Authorities (April 2021) Map in United Kingdom". Office for National Statistics: Open Geography Portal. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
    2. "Population figures". Winchester City Council. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
    3. "Local elections: Winchester". BBC News Online. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
    4. "City Councillors". Winchester City Council. Archived from the original on 18 February 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2010.
    5. Rea, Robin (22 January 2014). "Two Conservative Councillors join the Liberal Democrats". Winchester Liberal Democrats. Archived from the original on 27 January 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
    6. "Your Councillors by Ward". Winchester.gov.uk. Winchester City Council. 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
    7. "Your Councillors". Winchester City Council. 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
    8. "Conservative Denmead councillor suspended from party accused of Islamophobic posts on anonymous Twitter account". portsmouth.co.uk. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
    9. "City councillor resigns from Tories over fears work could embarrass party". Hampshire Chronicle. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
    10. "City councillor resigns from the Conservatives to better represent residents". Hampshire Chronicle. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
    11. "Councillor switches allegiance to rival party". Hampshire Chronicle. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
    12. "County Council Election 2017 - Thursday, 4th May, 2017". Hantsweb. Hampshire County Council. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
    13. Braiden, Gerry (13 October 2016). "Scots authority named amongst UK's top 10 most prosperous – as neighbouring city props up table". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
    14. Data is taken from United Kingdom Casweb Data services of the United Kingdom 1991 Census on Ethnic Data for England, Scotland and Wales (Table 6)
    15. "Office of National Statistics; 2001 Census Key Statistics". webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
    16. "2011 Census: Ethnic Group, local authorities in England and Wales". webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
    17. "Map of Hampshire (Electoral Changes) Order, 2016" (PDF). The Local Government Boundary Commission for England. 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2018.

    51.062°N 1.317°W / 51.062; -1.317

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