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Nelson: people, homes and local pressures

15,132 people were counted here in 2021. The figures below describe this ward; wider-area projects and proposals are labelled separately.

Electoral ward · May 2026 · E05002451

BaffinsCentral SouthseaCharles DickensCopnorCoshamDrayton and FarlingtonEastney and CraneswaterFrattonHilseaMiltonNelsonPaulsgroveSt JudeSt Thomas
Electoral wards · May 2026. Police neighbourhoods and parishes are different boundaries.

Homes rented privately

32.3%

21 March 2021 · All households

People aged 65 or over

12.9%

21 March 2021 · All usual residents

People reporting bad or very bad health

5.6%

21 March 2021 · All usual residents; self-reported, not age-standardised

Households facing two or more deprivation measures

24.7%

21 March 2021 · All households

All Census figures and how they were calculated
Nelson · 2021 Census
MeasureFigureWho or what is counted
People15,132All usual residents. Published Census 2021 ward observation
Homes rented privately32.3%All households. Published Census 2021 ward observation
Homes rented from a council or housing association20.5%All households. Published Census 2021 ward observation
People aged 65 or over12.9%All usual residents. Published Census 2021 ward observation
People reporting bad or very bad health5.6%All usual residents; self-reported, not age-standardised. Published Census 2021 ward observation
People with no qualifications24.3%Residents aged 16 and over. Published Census 2021 ward observation
People with a degree or equivalent22.9%Residents aged 16 and over. Published Census 2021 ward observation
Households facing at least one deprivation measure59%All households. Published Census 2021 ward observation
Households facing two or more deprivation measures24.7%All households. Published Census 2021 ward observation

Household deprivation covers education, employment, health and housing. One or more and two or more are different measures. Census answers and boundary aggregation carry uncertainty.

Sources and methods →

What stands out in this ward?

Two of the largest differences from portsmouth unitary authority among the Census measures shown here. These describe the population in 2021, not why the differences exist.

People with a degree or equivalent

22.9%

Nelson, compared with 30% across portsmouth unitary authority.

7.1 percentage points lower · 2021 · residents aged 16 and over.

People with no qualifications

24.3%

Nelson, compared with 17.4% across portsmouth unitary authority.

6.8 percentage points higher · 2021 · residents aged 16 and over.

Crime and safety in Nelson

These are crimes with a published approximate location inside the ward. They do not measure every crime or your personal risk.

1,974

Mapped crimes, excluding anti-social behaviour · latest 12 months ending Aug 2026

+1.4%

Change against the previous 12 months

255

Anti-social behaviour reports · counted separately

0112224Sept 2024Aug 2026
See the figures
Monthly mapped crimes in Nelson, excluding anti-social behaviour
PeriodValue
Sept 2024163
Oct 2024175
Nov 2024161
Dec 2024110
Jan 2025144
Feb 2025121
Mar 2025161
Apr 2025178
May 2025163
Jun 2025166
Jul 2025197
Aug 2025207
Sept 2025167
Oct 2025162
Nov 2025198
Dec 2025133
Jan 2026155
Feb 2026127
Mar 2026153
Apr 2026175
May 2026190
Jun 2026168
Jul 2026192
Aug 2026154
Categories and how to read these figures

Mapped police records only; approximate locations; excludes BTP and unmapped offences. ASB is separate. Rates use Census 2021 residents, not current residents, commuters or visitors. Not a measure of personal risk.

130.5 mapped crimes per 1,000 people, using a 21 March 2021 population of 15,132. The population is a dated denominator, not an estimate of the number of people exposed to crime today.

Latest 12 months · categories
CategoryMapped crimes
Violent crime864
Shoplifting252
Public order189
Vehicle crime143
Other theft136
Criminal damage arson130
Drugs69
Burglary51
Other crime42
Robbery34
Bicycle theft29
Possession of weapons23
Theft from the person12
Source, boundary method and downloads →

What could change here?

These are portsmouth unitary authority responses. They are relevant context, not a claim that each service or project operates in this ward.

Weakness · Portsmouth local authority

Too few homes are reaching completion

Portsmouth delivered 308 homes against a requirement of 2,702 in the three-year housing test.

The council’s newer monitoring table reports 316 net homes in 2025/26. Its annual figures differ from the government test and have not been reconciled here. An allocation or masterplan does not by itself create homes.

Evidence and related projects

Homes delivered as a share of the requirement: 11% · HDT 2025 (2022/23–2024/25) · Portsmouth. Delivery fell well short of the government’s three-year requirement. Published measurement; homes include communal-accommodation equivalents, displayed rounded as in the official table. Consequence: Presumption.

Homes delivered over three years: 308 · HDT 2025 (2022/23–2024/25) · Portsmouth. The published delivery test counts 308 homes against a requirement of 2,702. Published measurement; homes include communal-accommodation equivalents, displayed rounded as in the official table. Consequence: Presumption.

Net homes added in council monitoring: 316 · 2025/26 · Portsmouth local authority. The latest council monitoring year is newer than the government’s three-year test. Council monitoring series, not the government Housing Delivery Test. Published annual components differ; no reconciliation is inferred.

Households in temporary accommodation: 608 · 31 March 2026 · Portsmouth. These households did not have settled housing at the end of March. Statutory homelessness administrative data. Quarterly assessment flows and point-in-time temporary accommodation are different measures. The denominator is the published household estimate, not population. National counts are rounded; suppressed cells are not zero.

Children in temporary accommodation: 612 · 31 March 2026 · Portsmouth. Children are affected as well as adults; this is a point-in-time count. Statutory homelessness administrative data. Quarterly assessment flows and point-in-time temporary accommodation are different measures. The denominator is the published household estimate, not population. National counts are rounded; suppressed cells are not zero.

City Centre North — former Tricorn and Sainsbury’s sites →Tipner West →

Threat · Portsmouth local authority

Housing costs leave less for daily life

Average private rent was £1,368 a month in August 2026; the 2025 middle sale price was 7.22 times residents’ full-time annual pay.

The pay comparison concerns individuals, not household mortgage eligibility. It differs from the 6.70 ratio for jobs based here. High costs and low incomes need separate responses.

Evidence and related projects

Average monthly private rent: 1,368 · August 2026 · Portsmouth. Rent is an ongoing household cost, before bills. Average monthly private rent, all property types, ONS Price Index of Private Rents.

House price compared with residents’ annual pay: 7.2 · 2025 · Portsmouth. The middle sale price was 7.22 times the middle full-time resident salary. Median price paid for properties divided by median gross annual full-time employee earnings of residents. This is not a household mortgage multiple, workplace earnings ratio or ratio computed from the monthly house-price index.

House price compared with pay for jobs in the city: 6.7 · 2025 · Portsmouth. This measures jobs located here, including people who commute in. Published ONS median affordability ratio. Median house sale price divided by median gross annual full-time employee earnings of people working in the area. This differs from residence-based earnings and is not a household mortgage multiple. Use the annual published ratio, not a mix of differently dated house prices and earnings.

Children in low-income families after housing costs: 31% · FYE 2025 · Portsmouth. About three in ten children were below the relative low-income threshold. Children aged under 16 in relative low-income families; income below 60% of the contemporary median. DWP calibrates to HBAI. Disclosure control means ward totals may not equal city totals. FYE 2025 rates use mid-2024 population denominators; the tables use May 2024 ward boundaries. BHC and AHC are distinct measures. Historical values in this release have been revised.

Households in fuel poverty: 10.9% · 2024 · Portsmouth. These households meet the official low-income and poor-energy-efficiency definition. Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) measure. Modelled official statistics in development; suitable for broad comparisons, not detailed year-to-year trends. Local figures are 2024 estimates, not national 2025 projections.

City Centre North — former Tricorn and Sainsbury’s sites →

Weakness · Portsmouth local authority

Shared housing needs clearer quality measures

The combined register has 3,125 records; 3,107 are in licensed categories.

Rooms can help people find somewhere to live. Register size alone cannot tell us whether homes are safe or complaints are resolved. Repeated addresses also prevent treating every record as a different home.

Evidence and related projects

Records on the combined shared-housing register: 3,125 · council combined HMO register, September 2026 · Portsmouth. The 3,125 records include 3,107 in licensed categories. Repeated addresses mean records are not unique homes. Records on the council's combined HMO register (3,107 in licensed categories). Portsmouth local authority.

Projects affecting this area

Completed · evidence dated 2026-10-17

Portsmouth International Port — cruise and ferry terminal

The council-owned port’s terminal extension is complete. Its own website identifies £11.25m of Levelling Up funding.

City-wide · Portsmouth City Council (port is council-owned)

Latest evidence: The port’s current recent-projects page describes the completed terminal extension and its funding.

Next thing to check: None outstanding — operational

Funding, expected benefit and evidence

Budget: £11.25m. Evidence: Published. Funder: Levelling Up Fund Round 1.

What success would mean: Building delivered; passenger activity is reported separately and cannot all be attributed to the extension.

A stated aim is not proof that the benefit has happened.

Local area connection

The council bid explicitly identifies Nelson ward and grid reference SU6450101817. That point also intersects Nelson in the May2026 ONS boundary service.

Site association. Neighbouring wards and people beyond the city may also benefit; this is not an estimate of ward-level impact.

Nelson →

Council Levelling Up application: A3/A4 port and B3/B4 Linear Park locations ↗ · checked 2026-10-17

ONS May 2026 wards: point intersection ↗ · checked 2026-10-17

Proposed · evidence dated 2026-10-17

Tipner West

Tipner West is a proposed housing and marine-employment location in the plan under examination. Delivery must address environmental and infrastructure constraints.

Portsmouth North · Portsmouth City Council

Latest evidence: The current examination library includes September bridge feasibility and habitat-risk material; the October hearing programme remains part of plan examination.

Next thing to check: Examination conclusions and project-specific planning, environmental and funding decisions.

Funding, expected benefit and evidence

Budget: No public funding committed. Evidence: Published. Funder: To be determined.

What success would mean: An allocation is not consent, funding or completed homes/jobs.

A stated aim is not proof that the benefit has happened.

Local area connection

Council site assessment NE19 explicitly names Nelson ward for Tipner West and Horsea Island East.

The council assessment is dated December2023. Subsequent boundary/design refinements must be checked before treating this as an exact footprint.

Nelson →

Portsmouth Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment: CD17 and NE19 ward fields ↗ · checked 2026-10-17

Completed · evidence dated 2026-10-17

Sea Change shore power

Ships at the three busiest berths can connect to shore electricity and turn off engines while berthed.

Portsmouth International Port · Portsmouth International Port and its project partners

Latest evidence: The council-owned port describes the project as live and working and publishes a September 2026 white paper.

Next thing to check: Publish actual connected calls, electricity use and emissions results.

Funding, expected benefit and evidence

Budget: Government-funded demonstration project; no project-specific total reverified in this review.

What success would mean: Operational system evidenced. The forecast of over 20,000 tonnes of carbon savings annually from 2027 remains a forecast.

A stated aim is not proof that the benefit has happened.

  • Council-owned port: Sea Change shore power ↗ · checked 2026-10-17

    Primary source: council-owned Portsmouth International Port, the project operator. Page says the project is live. More than 20,000 tonnes CO2e saved annually from 2027 remains a forecast, not measured benefit.

Local area connection

The project operator locates Sea Change at Portsmouth International Port; the council port site point is independently matched to Nelson ward.

Port-site association; individual berths have not been separately overlaid. Project effects extend beyond this ward.

Nelson →

Council-owned port: Sea Change project location ↗ · checked 2026-10-17

Council Levelling Up application: A3/A4 port and B3/B4 Linear Park locations ↗ · checked 2026-10-17

ONS May 2026 wards: point intersection ↗ · checked 2026-10-17

Practical help and responsible organisations →