Crap Towns / Merley / Parks
How many parks and playgrounds has Merley got?
OS maps 2 public parks and gardens in Merley (April 2026): 3.6 per 10,000 people, 44% higher than the typical town's 2.5. There are 2 play spaces, 3.6 per 10,000 people, 40% lower than the typical town's 6.0. 29.9% of its people live more than 400 metres from a park or play space, as the crow flies, 1.9 times the typical town's 15.5%.
| Measure | Here | Typical town |
|---|---|---|
| Public parks and gardens per 10,000 people | 3.6 | 2.5 |
| Play spaces per 10,000 people | 3.6 | 6.0 |
| Square metres of public park per person | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| People more than 400 metres from a park or play space | 29.9% | 15.5% |
| Town | Distance | % more than 400 metres from a park |
|---|---|---|
| Ferndown | 5.5 km | 71.8 |
| Verwood | 12.6 km | 60.2 |
| Wimborne Minster | 2.7 km | 52.7 |
| Ashley Heath | 11.2 km | 49.1 |
| West Moors | 7.9 km | 44.7 |
| Corfe Mullen | 4.2 km | 37.4 |
| Wareham | 14.3 km | 33.5 |
| Merley | – | 29.9 |
| Upton | 6.4 km | 25.5 |
| Bournemouth | 7.9 km | 20.2 |
| Poole | 6.2 km | 19.8 |
| The typical town | – | 15.5 |