Local Government Re-organisation
Local Government Re-organisation (LGR)Latest News
Hampshire County Council (HCC), Southampton City Council, Portsmouth City Council, IoW Council + the 11 District Councils within Hampshire are working up options for the number and make-up of the Unitary Authorities (UAs) to replace the aforementioned 15 councils to implement the LGR proposed by Central Government.
HCC is working with EHDC on 4 options but is expected to recommend the current 15 councils across Hampshire & the IoW be replaced with four new unitary authorities as follows:
North: Basingstoke and Deane, East Hampshire, Hart, Rushmoor, Winchester
South-West: Eastleigh, New Forest, Southampton, Test Valley
South-East: Fareham, Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth
Isle of Wight: (unchanged)
This model has been put forward as a preferred option because it: Offers the best balance of simplicity, stability, and savings; Builds on the strengths of existing councils; Avoids unnecessary disruption to services; Protects the identity of local communities; Keeps vital services like education and care running smoothly; Could save nearly £50 million each year. It also avoids the risks of creating brand-new councils from scratch, which would cost more and take longer to get up and running.
The proposal will be considered by the whole County Council on Thursday 17 July, and by Cabinet on Friday 18 July. If approved, a public engagement period will run from 21st July for 2-3 weeks yet to be specified, giving everyone the chance to have their say. Feedback received will help shape the final proposal for our region, which will be submitted to Government by 26 September this year.
Separately, 12 of the other councils have agreed 3 options to put out to public consultation – all see five new unitary authorities created across the two counties. The biggest difference between those 3 options is what happens to the New Forest area – in one it is partnered with rural councils, in another with Southampton and Eastleigh, and in the third it is split.
Option 1. Hampshire is split into four UAs:
Northern Hampshire (Basingstoke & Dean + Hart + Rushmoor); mid-Hampshire (New Forest + Test Valley + Winchester + East Hampshire);
a Portsmouth and surrounds (Gosport + Fareham + Havant) council, and finally a Southampton and Eastleigh council. The Isle of Wight remains on its own.
Option 2. The change is that Southampton & Eastleigh are joined by the New Forest. The other UAs are the same.
Option 3. This is similar to option one, except a number of parishes join with the two city-led UAs, i.e. those in the Waterside and Romsey areas that are currently part of New Forest District Council join with Southampton & Eastleigh and many from the Meon Valley and East Hampshire District Councils join with the Portsmouth grouping. That is proposed to include Clanfield, Horndean and Rowlands Castle.
The New Forest apparently prefers Option 1 and does not want to partner with an urban environment. Option 3 is potentially not suitable for the rural Southern Parishes currently in East Hampshire and Winchester.
It is likely that the solution of 5 UAs is one too many UAs for the Government to accept and will have too few people in each to make them cost-effective. It is also believed that the Government does not want to see District Councils broken up because they want the teams to migrate easily into the new UAs.
The Parish Council will discuss at its meeting on 21st July the 2 consultations, the one concerning the 3 Options discussed immediately above and currently open at:
https://ourplaceourfuture.commonplace.is/
and the consultation due to be opened next week by HCC that looks at 4 options (all with 4 Unitary Councils) with the preferred option as given at the top of this document. As a result of the Parish Council discussion it will then respond to both consultations.
