Quote Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY View Post
That's a metropolitan conurbation .....they merge

Cardiff and Newport and the valleys and Bridgend don't join ......not yet anyway
"In the 2001 census Portsmouth and Southampton were recorded as being parts of separate urban areas however by the time of the 2011 census they had merged to become the sixth largest built-up area in England with a population of 855,569"

The figure you're quoting as being Southampton's urban area also includes Portsmouth. The total urban population of Southampton in 2001 was 304,000 so either it's trebled in 20 years or they've included Portsmouth since 2011, which seems more likely?

This map: https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/cities/englandua/ shows the urban area, it includes Portsmouth