Leigh Park is a large
suburbThe word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
(population 27,500) of
HavantHavant is a town in south east Hampshire on the South coast of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area. The town has rapidly grown since the end of the Second World War.It has good railway connections to London,...
, in
HampshireHampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It has four electoral wards:
BattinsBattins is an electoral ward of the borough of Havant in Hampshire, England, and part of the Leigh Park housing estate.The current serving councillors are Katie Ray and Faith Ponsonby; both Liberal Democrat....
,
BondfieldsBondfields is an electoral ward of the borough of Havant in Hampshire, England, and part of the Leigh Park housing estate....
,
BarncroftBarncroft is an electoral ward of the borough of Havant in Hampshire, England, and part of the Leigh Park housing estate. Barncroft can also refer to Barncroft Infant/Junior School....
and Warren Park (generally referred to as 'The Warren').
Staunton Country ParkStaunton Country Park is a listed Regency landscaped parkland and forest encompassing approximately in Hampshire, England.An ornamental farm, ornamental lake, follies, maze, walled garden and glasshouses can be found within it...
lies on the northern edge of Leigh Park, also within the Havant boundary.
History
While known to many as a post-war housing estate, Leigh Park has existed since much earlier. As early as 1750 mention was made of a farm on the site in a will of that year and local historians consider it likely that a farm existed there around 100 years earlier.
Leigh Park Estate may have been formed with the building of Leigh House by the then owner Samuel Harrison some time before 1791. The stables, walled garden and coach house of this somewhat grand residence still survive today as part of
Staunton Country ParkStaunton Country Park is a listed Regency landscaped parkland and forest encompassing approximately in Hampshire, England.An ornamental farm, ornamental lake, follies, maze, walled garden and glasshouses can be found within it...
. The estate emcompassed decorative planting, lakes and follies and was described as
“ one of the most beautiful spots in the county” in 1826.
Leigh Park was re-developed as an overspill suburb for those made homeless in
PortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
by bomb damage which occurred during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The land for the estate was purchased by
PortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
CityCity status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
CouncilA city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
from the
FitzwygramLieutenant-General Sir Frederick Wellington John Fitzwygram, 4th baronet was a British Army cavalry officer, expert on horses and Conservative politician....
family in 1944; work started on building in 1947 and the first residents moved in during 1949. The first shops opened in 1952 (in Stone Square) and Park Parade, Greywell Shopping Centre which is Greywell Road (usually referred to as just
Park Parade), the main shopping area in Leigh Park, opened in 1955.
The majority of homes in Leigh Park were built by Portsmouth City Council, not
HavantHavant is a town in south east Hampshire on the South coast of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area. The town has rapidly grown since the end of the Second World War.It has good railway connections to London,...
Borough Council, despite it being located within Havant's district
boundaryBorders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
. Most Leigh Park tenants living in
Council housingA council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. The term is used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well-built homes on secure tenancies at...
pay rent to Portsmouth City Council and Hermitage Housing, not to Havant Borough Council; nevertheless, residents still pay
council taxCouncil Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
to Havant as the provider of local services.
Construction of the estate was not fully completed until the early 1970s, although most of the houses in the area were built by 1960.
Now Hermitage Housing builds most new housing in Leigh Park. Barratt Homes is currently building on the former
Procter & GambleProcter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
site in the centre of Leigh Park. Leigh Park was one of the largest council estates in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, although many of the properties are now privately owned.
In 2004, Leigh Park made the news when a gang stole more than £100,000 from the
Nationwide Building SocietyNationwide Building Society is a British building society, and is the largest in the world. It has its headquarters in Swindon, England, and maintains significant administration centres in Bournemouth and Northampton...
and a man sleeping on a bench was set on fire, in a separate incident.
Transport
The main shopping precinct is served by
StagecoachStagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
BusA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
Routes 20, 21, 23, 37 and 39, which provide links with central Havant (with some services continuing to Portsmouth and the main area hospital). Local operator Emsworth & District
BusA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
Route 27 which runs through the estate on a service between Rowlands Castle, Havant and Southbourne and First Group
BusA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
routes 63 and 145.
Havant railway stationHavant railway station is a railway station near Portsmouth.It is located on the Portsmouth Direct Line which runs between London and Portsmouth...
is the nearest major train station, smaller stations
BedhamptonBedhampton railway station serves the former village of Bedhampton, now a suburb lying a mile west of the centre of Havant, in Hampshire, England.-History:...
and
Rowlands CastleRowlands Castle railway station is a railway station serving the village of Rowland's Castle, Hampshire, England. It is located on the Portsmouth Direct Line which runs between London and Portsmouth ....
are near parts of Leigh Park. The A3(M) motorway and
A27The A27 is a major road in England. It runs from its junction with the A36 at Whiteparish in the county of Wiltshire. It closely parallels the south coast, where it passes through West Sussex and terminates at Pevensey in East Sussex.Between Portsmouth and Lewes, it is one of the busiest trunk...
Havant bypass are the areas' major links to the rest of the country,
Politics
The suburb is within the
BoroughA borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of
HavantHavant is a town in south east Hampshire on the South coast of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area. The town has rapidly grown since the end of the Second World War.It has good railway connections to London,...
and includes the Battins, Bondfields, Barncroft and Warren Park wards.
Leigh Park is served by the
HavantHavant is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
MP
David WillettsDavid Linsay Willetts is a British Conservative Party politician and the Minister of State for Universities and Science. He is the Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Havant in Hampshire.-Education:...
, a
ConservativeThe Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.
Education
Leigh Park contains several primary schools: Front Lawn, Trosnant, Riders, Sharps Copse, Park House, Warren Park, Barncroft School and St Albans.
Leigh Park contains two secondary schools: Havant Academy (known as Staunton Community Sports College until 2009) and Park Community School (known as Broomfield until 1988).
There is one college, Havant College, located on the periphery of Leigh Park, near to Havant town centre and railway station.
Sport
The suburb's main non-league football side is
Havant & WaterloovilleHavant & Waterlooville Football Club are an English football club based in Havant, Hampshire. The club formed in 1998 after a merger between Havant Town and Waterlooville, and are currently members of the Conference South. Nicknamed The Hawks, they play at West Leigh Park.-History:In 1998 Havant...
who currently play in the
Conference SouthConference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
, two divisions below the Football League. The team's main claim to fame is reaching the
FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
fourth round in the
2007-08 seasonThe 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
when they twice took the lead against Liverpool at
AnfieldAnfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
before finally losing 5-2.
Havant Hockey Club play at Havant College on Barncroft Way (just on the outskirts of Leigh Park). The team were National and European Champions in the 1990s. The street High Lawn Way just beyond the Crown Bingo Hall also offshoots onto a bowls club, two tennis courts and a common playing fields and children's play area.