The different levels of Local Government in East Hampshire
There are three tiers of local government in East Hampshire:
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Hampshire County Council
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East Hampshire District Council
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Town and Parish Councils
Hampshire County Council
County councils are responsible for the more strategic functions and larger services such as Education and Social Services.
Hampshire County Council also represents the interests of Hampshire's residents on the Hampshire Police Authority.
Hampshire County Council has 78 councillors, 7 of whom represent the East Hampshire area.
Services include:
Education, fire, highways - including on-street parking, traffic management, street lighting, libraries, recreation, arts and museums
District councils
There are 11 districts in Hampshire:
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East Hampshire
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Basingstoke and Deane
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Eastleigh
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Fareham
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Gosport
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Havant
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Hart
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New Forest
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Rushmoor
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Test Valley
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Winchester
Our services include:
Collection of council tax and business rates, recycling and waste (collecting bins), planning, environmental health, cutting grass verges, housing, public toilets and car parks.
Town and Parish Councils
The 'third' tier which exists in some (but not all) areas are the town and parish councils.
Services include:
Bus shelters, public benches, litter bins, footpaths, allotments, public toilets, parks and ponds, war memorials, and local halls and community centres
In other areas of Hampshire
Some areas of Hampshire have what are known as 'unitary authorities'. These are all-purpose authorities which now combine the functions of counties and districts and are often (but not always) centred on the larger towns and cities of England.
There are three unitary authorities in Hampshire: Isle of Wight Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council.
These councils are responsible for all local services in their area, including education, social services, fire and rescue services and libraries. Services in the remainder of the county are provided by Hampshire County Council and the 11 district councils.
The third tier of town and parish councils exists regardless of whether an area has a county/district or unitary structure.