Cllr Millard: Local government reorganisation a 'costly, chaotic car crash'
EHDC Leader Cllr Richard Millard accused the Government of wasting millions of pounds of public money after it pulled plans for local government reorganisation.
He said the Government's restructure of local government was doomed from the outset and that councils should be recompensed for resources spent on a 'pie-in-the-sky idea'.
In March, the Government decided to dissolve the 14 councils in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and re-form them into five unitary authorities, to be started in 2028.
The decision was intended to make local government in the county simpler and more efficient.
However, on Monday, all councils received a letter to say that the process was being paused and the decision withdrawn.
Cllr Richard Millard, Leader of EHDC, said: "What a colossal waste of tax payers' money. The Government's approach to LGR has been one costly, chaotic car crash.
"It makes me sick to see how much has been squandered on this opaque, flip-flopping idea.
"Angela Rayner is back, and she’s clearly used to having to make excuses. After this costly U-turn, perhaps it’s time she stopped making excuses and started making apologies to the taxpayers left footing the bill.
"The amount of work and resources involved in unifying the services of councils across Hampshire has been absolutely astronomical. It is difficult to overstate the volume of resources it has soaked up.
"And now, out of the blue, they call it all to a halt.
"I said on the day the decision was made that the option chosen by the Government was not right for Hampshire, that it did not follow the Government's own criteria and that it was the worst option for Hampshire.
"They didn't listen to any of the Hampshire politicians who said from the outset that it wouldn't work.
"Instead, they arrogantly pressed on, completely disregarding dissenting voices.
"They have ploughed their own furrow, but it is the people of Hampshire that will reap the bitter harvest of this costly fiasco.
"What a tragedy it is that it has taken them five months and millions of pounds to reach this conclusion.
“This whole episode has been deeply unedifying - a costly political exercise that has left councils carrying the can for the Government’s mistakes.
"I will be pushing for compensation for the resources that have been lost to this misguided pie-in-the-sky idea which could have been spent on the people of East Hampshire."
In March the Government chose a new structure for local government in Hampshire that would see four new unitary authorities on the mainland.
Most of East Hampshire was to join forces with the areas covered by Winchester City Council, Test Valley Borough Council, and New Forest District Council. Horndean, Rowlands Castle and Clanfield would be incorporated in the new South East Unitary Authority.