At least £63.9 million a year could be saved by replacing the existing 14 councils with four new unitary councils for mainland Hampshire. Findings of joint work by councils in Hampshire also show these would deliver improved services that make a difference to people’s lives alongside the significant cost savings.
The proposal to government, entitled Close enough to be local, big enough to stay strong, is published today by 12 of the 15 councils in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
It proposes three different options for the four new unitary councils for mainland Hampshire, based around the centres of Southampton, Portsmouth, Winchester and Basingstoke. The Isle of Wight would remain the same as its own island unitary authority. All options would see Hart joining with neighbouring Basingstoke and Deane and Rushmoor to deliver a north Hampshire unitary council.
Under local government reorganisation, the Government plans to replace the current two-tier system of councils with larger unitary authorities, covering around 500,000 people. These would deliver all the services for their area currently delivered by Hampshire County Council, the 11 district and borough councils or existing unitary councils.
Each existing council was asked to propose how they would shape the new unitary councils for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
These proposals are designed to deliver improved public services tailored to local needs and empower communities by enabling residents to shape local decisions, as well as better drive economic growth. The proposals are also backed as the best way to unlock and maximise devolution arrangements, working with the new Mayor planned for the region.
Leader of Hart District Council, Councillor David Neighbour, said: “Working with our local authority partners across Hampshire we believe our proposals deliver the best of both worlds: councils that are big enough to be financially sustainable but local enough to understand and serve their communities effectively.
“This offers a unique opportunity for us to shape the future of local government in Hampshire which works best for the people we serve and delivers value for money.”
The proposal is the result of joint work of Hart District Council with eleven other councils: Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Eastleigh Borough Council, Fareham Borough Council, Havant Borough Council, Isle of Wight Council, New Forest District Council, Portsmouth City Council, Rushmoor Borough Council, Southampton City Council, Test Valley Borough Council and Winchester City Council.
This proposal will be considered at Hart District Council committee meetings throughout September. The deadline for submission to Government is Friday 26 September.