East Hampshire District Council Leader, Cllr Richard Millard, has criticised the Government’s plan for the future of Local Government in Hampshire and the Solent, saying it will not achieve ‘financial sustainability or growth’.
The Government announced today that local government will move from a two-tier system of 15 councils to a structure of four new mainland unitary authorities, with the Isle of Wight remaining as a separate authority.
From April 2028 all the councils in Hampshire will be dissolved and the following new unitary councils established:
- North Hampshire (current local government areas of Basingstoke and Deane, Hart and Rushmoor)
- Mid Hampshire (current local government areas of East Hampshire, New Forest, Test Valley and Winchester, less 11 parishes from all 4 areas)
- South West Hampshire (current local government areas of Eastleigh, 4 parishes from New Forest, Southampton and 3 parishes from Test Valley)
- South East Hampshire (current local government areas from East Hampshire, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, 3 parishes from East Hampshire and 1 parish from Winchester)
- Isle of Wight
The parishes of Clanfield, Horndean and Rowlands Castle (currently under East Hampshire District Council) will move to the South East unitary.
Cllr Millard said that while the council is committed to working with its new partners to establish the new unitary, he said that the Government's decision had been born of ‘political expediency’.
He said: “Today’s announcement is not what we had been expecting to hear, but we will collaborate with partners to make sure the new council has every chance of success.
“I felt the model we put forward had proven merit. We submitted a well-crafted, evidenced and detailed proposal that has been categorically ignored by this Government in favour of short-term political expediency to appease local Labour MPs. Our evidence shows financial sustainability and growth will not be achieved through this imposed Government decision.
“This decision does not reflect the criteria set by former Minister Jim McMahon, it is another U-turn by the current Minister Steve Reed and the Government away from their previously published criteria. This proposal does not benefit the whole of Hampshire, it favours urban centres over economic growth in rural areas.
“Our careful multi-faceted financial analysis has been disregarded and instead we have the most complex, high risk, expensive and financially unsustainable model that has been proposed. This is the worst outcome for the residents of Hampshire.
“The Government talks of meeting local needs and identity, but this cannot be more fundamentally incorrect. They have simply failed to address the needs, requirements and challenges of rural economies and the hard-working people that live within them.
“The original ministerial criteria focused on meeting the needs of all Hampshire residents to promote growth and economic prosperity, instead we have the next 50 years of local government seemingly being based on the Prime Minister’s need to appease Labour MPs.
“Issuing this decision on the first day of the pre-election period, when they know the constraints on council publicity will throw a fire-blanket over the comments and complaints of elected members is a cynical suppression of democratic accountability.
“Nonetheless, in the interest of our communities, we will work closely with all councils and partners across Hampshire and the Solent to make sure the transition to new unitary councils is smooth, effective and focused on protecting what they value most.”
Local Government Reorganisation means the current two-tier system, where county and district councils like EHDC share responsiblities, will be replaced by a simpler unitary structure. In a unitary model one council is responsible for all services in an area.
The Government said that it chose the five unitary model because it most reflected the distinctive nature of the local communities and was the option that would best deliver the government’s priorities.
You can read the Government's decision here
What happens next:
All 15 councils will continue to operate as normal while transition plans are developed. This means that you will continue to receive services from the councils you are currently receiving them from.
Elections and next steps:
EHDC does not have any elections this year, but there are elections to Hampshire County Council and other local authorities in Hampshire and the Solent.
Elections to the new shadow unitary authorities will take place in May 2027.
These elected members will help set up new councils and operate in a shadow capacity until 31 March, 2028 when the existing councils, like EHDC, will be dissolved.
On vesting day, 1 April, 2028, the new unitary councils will officially take over. Vesting day is the ‘go live’ date when the new unitary authorities formally come into existence, assuming all legal powers, responsibilities, staff and assets.