Who we are

A short distance from London and surrounded by beautiful countryside, our district enjoys the best of both worlds.

There’s lots to celebrate here, and it’s easy to see why Hart has been rated one of the best places to live in the country. Our green spaces include five Green Flag award-winning countryside sites, King John’s Castle, and the Basingstoke Canal. Everyone can enjoy the great outdoors right on their doorstop while being well connected to the rest of the country by rail and road.

There’s been settlements here for thousands of years but we can be hard to define. In Hampshire and named after the River Hart flowing through the district, we’re made up of towns and villages, each with a strong identity, and a friendly, connected community for all. We’ll welcome those wanting to make a home here and support people who need us already in the area.  

We’re quietly proud of the work we do and would like to celebrate more of the positives of this fantastic district. Our staff are passionate about the communities we serve and aim to be adaptable and responsive when we’re needed.  

Many people may never need to speak to us as we tackle the day-to-day demands of council services. But for those who do need us, we’re friendly, approachable and will always look to achieve the most positive outcome for our residents. 

We’re good at getting on with the job, striving to protect and enhance the district. The landscape of local government will radically change over the next three years and it’s important we establish the building blocks now for a future that serves everyone.  

Put simply, we’re here for Hart. We care about getting our residents the support they need now and into the future. We know that within our prosperous communities are pockets of deprivation and we’re finding ways to ease some of the burdens. If we can’t help, we’ll look for the partners that can.  

We wouldn’t be here without the community we serve, which grows year on year as our district is recognised as a fantastic place to live. We want everyone to be able to find a home they can afford no matter their income, so the next generations can enjoy a future in Hart. We’re determined to protect the difficult balance of building more homes to welcome new people and protecting our green spaces and local character. Our residents sometimes don’t think we get this right.  

We’ve been around for 50 years, and we’re still learning and developing as the community and world around us continues to change. The climate change emergency is one of the biggest issues we all face. Our fantastic green spaces and stunning heathland, rarer globally than rainforest, need us to take action to preserve them.

Proposed changes to local government across Hampshire mean the shape of your local councils will look different in the future. Whatever this looks like, we’re committed to serving our unique communities however we can, no matter what name is over the door.  

So that’s us. Here for Hart, here for you.