Find answers to frequently asked questions about local government reorganisation and devolution
The Government has launched a programme of Local Government Reorganisation aimed at simplifying and improving local council services.
As part of this, the Government is planning to replace all two-tier systems - where services are split between county and district or borough councils - with new unitary councils. It means the county and district councils will no longer exist and brand-new organisations will be created.
On Monday 7 September the government unexpectedly announced that it has withdrawn the Local Government Reorganisation decision made in March for Hampshire.
They said that this decision follows legal advice and that it will allow it to review the evidence and consider how proposals for local government reorganisation meet the new government’s ambitions and priorities.
Work on local government reorganisation is now paused until further information is received on the future of the decision for Hampshire.
Devolution is the transfer of powers and funding from national to local government. It is a process that enables more decisions to be made closer to the local people, communities and businesses they affect.
A devolution agreement creates a new single body, known as a Strategic Authority. The Strategic Authority for the combined geographic area of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton will be known as Hampshire and the Solent.
The Hampshire and the Solent Strategic Authority will be led by a directly elected Mayor. The first Mayoral election is expected to take place in May 2028.
Unitary authorities are a single tier of local government responsible for all local services in an area. They may cover a whole county, part of a county or a large town or city.
They provide services such as education, waste collection, roads, housing, the countryside, leisure centres, planning, children’s services, adult social care, community funding and elections.
During this process there is no disruption to council services. Hart and Hampshire County Council will continue to deliver services as normal and residents will still be able to access support in the same way
No, town and parish councils are not impacted by Local Government Reorganisation. They have important local responsibilities that will be unchanged.