Medstead saw a much higher proportional growth than the district average — nearly 5.5 times higher than EHDC’s overall rate

📍 East Hampshire District (EHDC)

  • 2011 population: 115,608
  • 2021 population: 125,700
  • Growth:
    • Absolute increase: 10,092 people
    • Percentage increase: ~8.73%

📎 Source (2021): https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censuspopulationchange/E07000085/
📎 Source (2011): https://cdn.easthants.gov.uk/public/documents/Census%20infographic%20EHDC.pdf

📍 Medstead (Civil Parish)

  • 2011 population: 2,036
  • 2021 population: 3,016
  • Growth:
    • Absolute increase: 980 people
    • Percentage increase: ~48.14%

📎 Source: https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/southeastengland/admin/east_hampshire/E04004515__medstead/

📊 Proportionality of Development in Medstead (2011–2021)

  • Dwelling completions in Medstead (net gain): 410
  • Dwelling completions across East Hampshire District (EHDC): 4,906
  • ➤ Medstead accounted for ~8.36% of all new dwellings in EHDC

👥 Population Context (2011 Census)

  • Medstead population (2011): 2,036
  • EHDC population (2011): 115,608
  • ➤ Medstead represented just ~1.76% of EHDC’s total population

⚖️ Conclusion: Disproportionate Development

Despite making up only 1.76% of the district’s population, Medstead absorbed 8.36% of all new housing in the 2011–2021 period.

This shows a development burden over four times higher than what would be expected if housing were distributed in proportion to population size.

📌 This is strong, quantitative evidence that development in Medstead was not proportionate. It supports arguments about infrastructure strain, planning fairness, and unsustainable growth at the local level.