Bordon
| Bordon | |
| Hampshire | |
|---|---|
 Looking over Chalet Hill, centre of Bordon. | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SU796354 |
| Location: | 51°6’45"N, 0°51’51"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 16,035 (2011) |
| Post town: | Bordon |
| Postcode: | GU35 |
| Dialling code: | 01420 |
| Local Government | |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
East Hampshire |
Bordon is a town in Hampshire, sitting deep within the royal Woolmer Forest in the east of the county about five and a half miles south-east of Alton. It stands beside the A325, near the A3 trunk road between London and Portsmouth, from which it is buffered by the rise of the wooded Woolmer Ranges. Just a mile and a half away, across the Woolmer Forest, is the border of Sussex, while that of Surrey is four miles to the east.
Bordon has never been a market town. Instead, it developed as a military area. Many of the facilities are on or near the A325, a former toll road (turnpike) that connects Farnham to the A3 to its south. Local facilities include The Phoenix Theatre and Whitehill and Bordon Leisure Centre.
History
The town has been an army base with a defunct railway station. Bordon camp was first laid out in 1899 by the Highland Light Infantry, directed by Royal Engineers, and following interruption by the Second Boer War, was occupied by the army from 1903. The first occupants of Quebec barracks were the Somersetshire Light Infantry, returning from South Africa in April, and the 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment arrived at St. Lucia Barracks from South Africa in June.[1] Bordon Camp was home to the Canadian Army during both of the world wars and the town is dotted with concrete slabs on which tanks and armoured cars were parked. Bordon is home to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), providing trade training, both basic and supplementary, to its soldiers, supported by the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (SEME).[2] The Longmoor Army Ranges, a forest firing range, is south of the town. Bordon railway station was linked to both the main railway network, and by light railway to the Longmoor Military Railway.
Eco-town proposal
In 2009 the government announced Bordon as one of its tentative 'Eco-towns' in consultative, outline plans. The idea was to see the development of Whitehill-Bordon as a carbon-neutral town with sustainable housing and business facilities. The existing Green Town Vision aimed to ensure that all new development of the town would by beneficial to the local environment, and the Eco-town would provide support and funding felt necessary to regenerate the few low standard homes and streets. The proposal initially earmarked 5000 new homes, along with supporting infrastructure, which would require extensive use of greenfield land and reallocation of ex-military land following discontinuance of local military bases.[3]
A change of government meant a more cynical view of the idea and it did not proceed.
Even so, the raft of project proposals continues and those awarded funding, such as free public-amenity internet, have been implemented. The Whitehill & Bordon Masterplan was finalised in 2012.
Churches
- Church of England: St Mark's Shared Church, Pinehill Road.
- Roman Catholic: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, High Street.
