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A
Bit of Geography...
Thornhill
lies to the east of Southampton . It rises to a level of 100
metres and is separated from the city centre by the River
Itchen. It is a densely populated area with over 10,500 people
living in approximately 4000 households.
You
can look at an aerial view of Thornhill, or look at a map
of the area
Thornhill
is shaped a bit like a triangle and is split by 3 roads: Kanes
Hill lying to the east, Thornhill Park Road to the north,
and Bursledon Road to the south. Donkey Common separates Thornhill
from Bitterne to the west.
The
Thornhill neighbourhood is made up of three areas known locally
as Hinkler Road/Down the Hill (including a small estate to
the west of Thornhill Primary School ), Hightown/Up the Hill,
and Thornhill Park/The Poets Roads.
Hinkler
Road / Down the Hill
Hinkler
Road winds through the heart of Thornhill linking Bursledon
Road and Thornhill Park Road . The "traffic-calmed"
road provides the main access to Thornhill. Three bus routes
use this road.
Most
of the housing here is owned by local authorities. Less than
2% of the low-rise blocks have been fully refurbished and
modernised - and even these need some work. Only 11% require
no work in the next 5 years. 21% have open fires as their
only source of heating. Where investment has been made (in
the form of new roofs, windows, cladding) the flats are generally
well cared for.
 In
the heart of this area is Hinkler Green. This is the largest
open space in the whole area and is affectionately described
as the "village green". At weekends it becomes a
hive of activity with dog walkers, children playing and various
sports.
Many
of the open spaces in this area require attention. There are
a large number of alleyways, dead spaces and dark corners
created through poor design. These issues are sought to be
addressed by Thornhill Plus You.
Facilities
in Hinkler Road include:
This
area features two of Thornhill's primary schools. Thornhill
Primary is to the west and Kanes Hill, to the east.
Hinkler
Road shops include:
- A
Post Office
- A
small Library
- A
Pharmacy
- The
"Natterbox" community drop-in centre (located
in a converted shop unit)
- Dental
Surgery
- Mental
Health Day Care centre
- Church
of England Church and Church Hall
- A
Doctor's Surgery
- A
Health Clinic
- 2
Public Houses
- Local
Housing Office
- Antelope
House - a Small Industrial Area
Back to top
 Hightown/Up
the Hill
Hightown
is also known as "Up the Hill". Up a steep hill
from Hinkler Road and despite its well-connected bus routes,
some residents have a feeling of being "cut off"
from the rest of Thornhill. As a result, the facilities listed
above are considered generally inaccessible. Thornhill Plus
You hopes to address this.
The
housing is of a very mixed nature. The area boasts some of
the last local authority housing built in Southampton . Its
27 units built in 1989 provide very high quality accommodation.
There are 312 households living in 3 14-storey tower blocks
- Dumbleton Towers , Meredith Towers and Hightown Towers .
All need significant investment. There is also a range of
walk up low rise blocks - all without lifts - either side
of Warburton Road . Small pockets of Housing Association and
private housing lie to the east of this area. On the edge
of Hightown there is a 16-plot gypsies and travellers site
which is owned and managed by the City Council.
"Up
the Hill" manifests a sense of neglect and Thornhill
Plus You are working to make improvements. There are rundown
and vandalised garages. Dumping and fly tipping occurs around
certain blocks - especially in Lydgate Road and Dumbleton
Copse. Maintenance of the public and communal areas inside
and around the base of the tower blocks so far are poor. The
"unsafe" alleyways, dead spaces and dark corners
created through poor design will be worked on.
Facilities
in Hightown include:
- The
Centre (a youth centre)
- The
Eastpoint Centre - an old school converted into a thriving
training and conference centre
- A
small parade of shops on Warburton Road
- A
Catholic Church and Hall
- A
Scout Hut
- The
Warburton Family Centre, located in a converted flat.
Back to top
Thornhill
Park/Poets Roads
This
area comprises Shelley Road , Chaucer Road and Burns Road
- hence its local name. Unlike the rest of Thornhill there
is a low percentage of local authority housing. It is made
up of mainly owner occupied bungalows with a generally mature
population. The neighbourhood itself contains no social facilities.
Residents travel to Hinkler Road or Thornhill Park Road for
buses, shops and similar facilities. Even though this is only
a short distance the community safety issues present notable
barriers to the ease of movement. These issues are being improved
by schemes such as the Neighbourhood Wardens.
Facilities
in nearby Thornhill Park Road include:
- Local
shops
- Thornhill
Park Surgery
- Thornhill
Youth Centre
- A
Petrol Station
Click
here for an ariel view of Thornhill....
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