Farnborough/Aldershot built-up area

Farnborough/Aldershot built-up area and Aldershot Urban Area are names used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to refer to a conurbation spanning the borders of Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire in England,[1] and covering an area of 81.9 km2. The ONS found a population of 266,358 in 2021[1] (up 4.66% from the 2011 figure of 254,499 residents).[2] This makes it the 29th-largest built-up area in England.[citation needed][clarification needed]

A conurbation consisting of Aldershot and Farnborough, together with Frimley and Camberley was identified as a conurbation since at least the mid 20th century. These four places had a total population of 70,000 in 1931 which grew to 91,700 by 1961.[3]

Most of the conurbation lies alongside the River Blackwater which gives a wider area including Fleet (which is not geographically in the Blackwater Valley) the alternate name of Blackwater Valley.[4]

The area forms part of the London metropolitan area[5] and borders the Metropolitan green belt. It almost adjoins the somewhat lower density Reading/Wokingham Urban Area at Sandhurst.

  1. ^ a b UK Census (2011), "Local Area Report – Farnborough/AldershotBuilt-up Area (E34004885)", Nomis, Office for National Statistics, retrieved 11 April 2021
  2. ^ "United Kingdom: Countries and Major Urban Areas - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information".
  3. ^ Freeman, Thomas (1966), The conurbations of Great Britain, Manchester University Press, p. 278, retrieved 10 April 2021
  4. ^ "Hart, Rushmoor & Surrey Heath Strategic Housing Market AssessmentNovember 2016" (PDF). Hart District Council. 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  5. ^ "British urban pattern: population data" (PDF). ESPON project 1.4.3 Study on Urban Functions. European Spatial Planning Observation Network. March 2007. p. 119. Retrieved 8 March 2019.