Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution
Government proposals are expected to replace existing County, Borough and District government with very different models, changing the whole landscape of local government.
The new Hampshire and The Solent Strategic Authority will be one of the first to be created, under the proposed programme of devolution. It will take on some powers from central government, giving a more local focus and some from existing authorities, which may reduce the local focus.
Local Government Reorganisation
At the same time, there is a programme of Local Government Reorganisation, addressing the level below this new Strategic Authority. In our area, we will see Hampshire County Council (HCC) and East Hants District Council (EHDC) replaced by new, and potentially more remote “unitary” authorities. The government’s stated aim is that all will be larger than existing District and Borough Councils, with a target population of 500,000 or more.
These changes will be happening in a very short timescale, with decisions due to be made in time for Strategic Authority elections to be held in May 2026, with the new structure fully in place by April 2027. For the new unitaries, elections would be held in May 2027, with those new structures fully in place by April 2028.
The local authorities in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight area have put forward their recommendations for their replacement. 13 worked together, to establish some “facts”, before each made its own proposal. Hampshire CC, with just one lower tier authority - East Hants - have developed, and put forward, an alternative proposal.
There will be a period of public consultation, during which we would urge the public to get involved – not least because the impact on Horndean of becoming part of a wider rural unitary could be very different to becoming – in effect – north Portsmouth.
Ultimately, the government will decide and - given the lack of unity amongst the existing authorities - may opt for a completely different set of groupings.
Below is just one of the proposals – the one from Hampshire CC and East Hants DC. It is included to demonstrate the sheer scale of the new unitaries, compared to existing arrangements:
As and when clarity emerges on both Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation, HPC will seek to lobby and represent local views.
We must also identify any current EHDC and HCC assets that we feel are important to be preserved by the incoming bodies, or which we might have to consider taking on – to maintain existing services, enhance them, maintain open space and reduce the prospect of opportunistic development, provided that doing so makes financial sense and is within the Parish Council’s capacity and capability.