EHDC will work in partnership with Hampshire County Council to develop a financially sustainable proposal for local government reorganisation which uses robust evidence and sound methodology to ensure residents' needs are prioritised with efficient and effective services.
EHDC has been working with the 14 other local authorities in the area to develop proposals for local government reorganisation – which will see these existing councils replaced with a smaller number of unitary authorities.
These new unitary authorities will provide the same services but as part of a national plan, they aim to be more efficient and effective.
In March this year, the 15 authorities submitted interim plans to central government, and have recently received feedback which empahsises the need for a robust shared evidence base to meet criteria. The feedback also says that each council can submit its own proposal, which must be done by 26th September.
Cllr Richard Millard, Leader of East Hampshire District Council, said: “I have a clear mandate from my council to pursue an evidence-based approach to develop a proposal for local government reorganisation.
“This is absolutely critical because we need to robustly analyse each of the potential options to ensure we can create efficient and effective services for our residents.
“And when I say ‘our residents’ I do not just mean the current residents of East Hampshire, but all the residents in Hampshire who will be relying on services from the new unitary councils.
“It is our duty to get this right, to create financially resilient and sustainable councils that can support our most vulnerable residents – as well as providing the day-to-day services that we all rely on.
"We remain fully committed to collaboration, transparency, and data-sharing with our local authority partners and stakeholders. We will now work in partnership with the County Council to develop a truly evidence-based model for local government reorganisation.
“Our focus is clear: delivering what’s best for residents across all our communities and securing a financially sustainable future for the services we provide.”