Merley
Merley is a village in Dorset, England, with a population of around 10,000. It has 32 bus stops, and the nearest railway station is Parkstone, 6.7 km away. There were around 9 recorded street crimes in June 2026, most commonly anti-social behaviour. This page gathers weather, crime, food hygiene, transport, flood risk, house prices, population, deprivation and your local MP for the Merley area — all from official UK open data.
On deprivation, the Bournemouth, Christchurch an area is around the average in England (IoD2025). The wider council area has around 400,198 residents at roughly 2,469 people per km².
- Council
- Bournemouth, Christchurch an
- County
- Dorset
- Constituency
- Mid Dorset and North Poole
- Police force
- Dorset
My Area Score
Good
Ranked 118th of 294 English council areas — better than 60% of them.
A percentile blend of eight open measures (100 = best in England); bars show this area’s England-wide percentile on each. See the rankings · methodology
Weather
12°CSunny
- Today: 12° / 7° · 17% rain
- Tomorrow: 11° / 6° · Patchy rain nearby
Source: WeatherAPI
Daylight
Sunrise 07:03Sunset 16:39
9h 37m of daylight today
Next bank holiday: Christmas Day, Fri 25 Dec
Source: sunrise-sunset.org · gov.uk
Air quality
25US AQI · Good
Main pollutant: fine particles (PM2.5)
Source: WAQI · Bournemouth, United Kingdom
Air pollution (PM2.5)
- 5.9 µg/m³ average fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration
- 4.4% of adult (30+) deaths estimated attributable to fine-particle pollution
Lower is better for both figures.
Source: OHID Fingertips · 2024
Crime
26 reported · August 2026▲ 63% YoY
- Anti-social behaviour14
- Violence & sexual offences6
- Burglary2
- Public order2
Neighbourhood team: Poole North · Dorset
Local policing priorities
- Shoplifting Location: Redlands Issue: We have received complaints of shoplifting at Redlands, Poole. Planned action to tackle this issue:…
- ASB and Drug Dealing Location: Newtown Issue: We have received reports from the community of anti-social use of illegal electric scooters…
Source: data.police.uk (within ~1 mile)
Road safety
677 reported road collisions (2025)
164 killed or seriously injured · 764 casualties · 16.9 collisions per 10,000 residents
Source: DfT reported road collisions (STATS19)
Food hygiene
203 food businesses within 2 miles
- 177 rated 4–5 ★ (164 top)
- 0 rated 0–2 (poor)
Source: Food Standards Agency
Flood risk
Buses & trains
- Nearest station: Parkstone (6.5 km)
- 25 bus stops within ~½ mile
Live trains from Parkstone (Dorset) (6.5 km):
Loading live departures…
Source: OpenStreetMap, National Rail
House prices
Private rents
£1,398 average monthly rent▲ 2.8% YoY
- 1 bed £918
- 2 bed £1,169
- 3 bed £1,456
Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents · to 2026-08
Affordability
9.1× house price to earnings
A typical home costs 9.1 times median annual pay (8.6× for cheaper homes vs lower pay).
Source: ONS house price to workplace earnings ratio · 2025
Property sales
5,298 property sales in the last 12 months
12 months to May 2026
A busier or quieter market is not by itself good or bad. Monthly counts are small and volatile, so only the annual total is shown.
Source: HM Land Registry UK HPI, 12 months to 2026-05
Fuel prices
- Cheapest petrol: 169.9p · Asda (9.8 km)
- Cheapest diesel: 197.9p · Asda (9.8 km)
10 stations within ~8 miles
Source: CMA fuel price scheme
EV charging
49 charging locations within ~8 km
- 26 with rapid charging (50 kW+)
- Fastest nearby: 150 kW
- Nearest: Merley Court Holiday Park (1 km)
Source: Open Charge Map
Sport & leisure
- Sports centres1
- Swimming pools3
- Sports pitches9
- Golf courses2
- Playgrounds7
Source: OpenStreetMap (within ~1 mile)
Population
400,198 residents in Bournemouth, Christchurch an · 2,469/km²
- Under 16: 16%
- 16–64: 62%
- 65+: 22%
Source: ONS Census 2021 (local authority)
Internal migration
- Moves in from elsewhere in the UK22,521
- Moves out to elsewhere in the UK24,630
- Net moves−2,109
Residential moves between local authorities (counts of moves, not people) · ONS Internal migration, YE Jun 2025
Deprivation
Around the average in England
Ranked 169 of 296 English local authorities (1 = most deprived)
5% of neighbourhoods are in England’s most deprived 10%
Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2025
Council tax
£2,436 a year · Band D, 2026-27
Most homes here are Band C (29% of 190,200)
Source: VOA council-tax stock · MHCLG band levels 2026-27
Schools
117 schools · 54,556 pupils
66 primary · 21 secondary · 30 other
Ofsted: 38 of 41 graded schools rated Good or Outstanding (93%)
100 inspected under Ofsted’s 2024+ framework (graded by area, no single overall grade)
Secondary schools:
- Avonbourne Boys' AcademyOutstanding
- Bournemouth SchoolOutstanding
- Bournemouth School for GirlsOutstanding
- Corfe Hills SchoolGood
- Magna AcademyGood
- The Bishop of Winchester AcademyGood
- The Bourne AcademyGood
- The Grange SchoolGood
- Twynham SchoolGood
- Avonbourne Girls Academy
- Glenmoor Academy
- Highcliffe School
- LeAF Studio
- Oak Academy
- Parkstone Grammar School
- Poole Grammar School
- Poole High School
- St Aldhelm's Academy
- St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole
- The Cornerstone Academy
- Winton Academy
Source: DfE Get Information about Schools · Ofsted · Bournemouth, Christchurch an
Care & health services
388 CQC-registered services
- Care homes120
- GP practices61
- Dentists85
- Homecare agencies87
- Hospitals & hospices14
CQC ratings: 97% of rated services Good or Outstanding
Source: Care Quality Commission · Dorset
Heritage & planning
- Not in the Green Belt
- 33 listed buildings within ~1.5 km
Source: planning.data.gov.uk (England)
Planning decisions
561 applications decided
82.9% granted · 465 granted, 96 refused
Source: MHCLG planning statistics (PS2) · 2026 Q2
Your MP
Vikki Slade
Liberal Democrat
Mid Dorset and North Poole
Recent votes:
- NoNorthern Ireland Troubles Bill: Third Reading
- AyeNorthern Ireland Troubles Bill Committee: New Clause 12
- AyeNorthern Ireland Troubles Bill Committee: New Clause 7
- AyeNorthern Ireland Troubles Bill Committee: Amendment 51
Source: UK Parliament
Council control
Liberal Democrat / Independent coalition
- Lab 8
- Con 9
- LD 27
- Grn 5
- Ref 3
- Oth 23
Source: Open Council Data UK (CC BY-SA)
Amenities nearby
- Schools2
- GPs & clinics2
- Pharmacies1
- Parks & greens11
- Restaurants & cafés1
Source: OpenStreetMap (within ~1 mile)
Local businesses
18,475 active business enterprises in the area
Source: ONS UK Business Counts (2026)
Local economy
£729 median full-time weekly pay
3.3% of residents aged 16–64 claim unemployment-related benefits
£26,164 disposable income per head (2024)
Source: ONS / Nomis (claimant count · ASHE) · ONS regional GDHI
Energy efficiency
46% of homes rated EPC C or above
Most common band: D · 215,334 certificates
9.2% of households were in fuel poverty (2023)
Source: MHCLG EPC statistics · DESNZ sub-regional fuel poverty
Grid electricity
34% low-carbon electricity
Gas 55% · Solar 17% · Imports 12% · Wind 8%
228 gCO₂/kWh · high intensity
Latest estimate for South England · National Grid ESO
Health
Life expectancy: 85 yrs women · 81 yrs men
Healthy life expectancy: 61.5 women · 61.4 men
65% of adults overweight or obese
Source: OHID Fingertips · 2025
Wellbeing
- Life satisfaction7.6
- Feeling worthwhile7.7
- Happiness yesterday7.4
- Anxiety yesterday (lower is better)3.1
Average rating out of 10 · ONS personal well-being 2022-23
Health services
3 GP surgeries · 6 pharmacies in BH21
- The Quarter Jack Surgery
- The Cranborne Practice
- Walford Mill Medical Centre
Source: NHS Organisation Data Service
Local petitions
Open UK Parliament petitions most signed in Mid Dorset and North Poole:
- Cap Academy Trust CEO Pay and Protect School Funding for Children646 local signatures · 3,666 nationwide
- Hold a UK-wide briefing on climate and nature risks315 local signatures · 127,144 nationwide
- Protect legal right to support for children with SEND201 local signatures · 111,357 nationwide
- Fund second stem cell transplants on NHS for relapse within 12 months194 local signatures · 30,826 nationwide
- Change surrogacy law to recognise intended parents from birth192 local signatures · 113,305 nationwide
Source: petition.parliament.uk · as of 2026-10-05
Notable places nearby
Oakley, Dorset · 0.5 kmOakley is a village community in Dorset, England. Sitting just south of the River Stour it borders the suburb of Merley and the village of Canford Magna to the East and South and the Town of Wimborne 2 km to the North…
Merley · 0.6 kmMerley is a large housing estate in Poole, a mile (2 km) south of Wimborne Minster. Originally called Myrle, Merley was a manor in the tithing of Great Canford. The village merges with that of Oakley, and the housing…
Merley House, Wimborne · 1.2 kmMerley House in Ashington, Wimborne, Dorset, England, is a building of historical significance and is Grade I listed on the English Heritage Register. It was built in 1752 by the bibliophile Ralph Willett and remained…
Lady Wimborne Bridge · 1.3 kmThe Lady Wimborne Bridge is a former railway bridge built in 1853, and now a listed building. Its highly ornate design reflects the power of landowners over British railway companies in the mid-nineteenth century. Bu…
River Allen, Dorset · 1.5 kmThe River Allen is a river in Dorset in South West England. It flows for 14 miles (23 km) to its confluence with the River Stour at Wimborne Minster. It has two main tributaries, the Gussage Stream and the Crichel Str…
Corfe & Barrow Hills · 1.5 kmCorfe & Barrow Hills is a 102.8 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest located in Ashington, Dorset, notified in 1986. One part of it is a Local Nature Reserve also called Corfe & Barrow Hills, while a…
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA)
Nearby towns
Compare Bournemouth, Christchurch an with nearby areas
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Merley?
- Merley is a town in Dorset, England, in the Bournemouth, Christchurch an local authority.
- How deprived is Merley?
- The Bournemouth, Christchurch an local authority, which includes Merley, is around the average in England on the IoD2025.