Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution

3 September 2025

Alongside 11 other councils, we have published our joint proposal to government. The proposal is the result of joint work by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Eastleigh Borough Council, Fareham Borough Council, Hart District 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, and proposes the creation of four new unitary councils, with the Isle of Wight remaining an independent unitary council.

You can read the proposal and the appendices on our website.

LGR full proposal

LGR Appendices

Read the joint statement from the 12 councils.

Read the statement from the Leader of Winchester City Council

July 2025

Our Place, Our Future - Our survey has now closed - the survey was live between 30 June 2025 and 27 July 2025. The results have helped inform the proposals which you can view at the top of this page.

The UK Government has asked all councils across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to put forward proposals for new, larger, councils to cover the area (replacing the current 15 councils, including Winchester City Council.)

The new unitary councils would deliver all the services which are currently split between the city (or borough / district) council and Hampshire County Council.

A group of 12 of the 15 councils in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, including Winchester City Council, are working together to develop proposals for new councils that will provide all services in the future.

During the engagement, we held drop-in information events across the district, thank you to everyone who attended.

Monday 7 July – Meadowside Leisure Centre, Whiteley 4pm – 7pm
Thursday 10 July – Alresford Market, SO24 9AG 9-1pm
Monday 14 July – Wickham Square (next to the Village Bakery) 3-6pm
Tuesday 15 July – South Wonston Sports and Recreation Pavilion 3-6PM  
Monday 21 July – Colden Common Community Centre next to the Co-op 3-6pm
Wednesday 23 July – All Saint’s Church Hall, Denmead 4-7pm
Thursday 24 July – Winchester High Street, nr St Maurice’s Covert 9am-2pm

The background

In December, the Government announced a major programme of reform for local government, including two related but separate initiatives:

Devolving powers and funding from Whitehall to local areas by establishing regional Mayoral Strategic Authorities with populations of 1.5 million or more in all areas of England which don’t already have them.
Creating new unitary local authorities with populations of at least 500,000 that will replace the current two-tier structure of a County Council working with Districts and Borough Councils.

The County Council and the three existing unitary Councils in Hampshire (Hampshire County Council, Southampton City Council, Portsmouth City Council and Isle of Wight Council) asked to be included in the Government's priority programme for Devolution (DPP) and, on 5 February 2025, the Government confirmed that the Hampshire/Solent bid would be included in the priority programme.

The Government has asked for work to begin on creating a combined strategic authority for the Hampshire and Solent region, which would be led by an elected Mayor. At the same time, the Government has written to all the councils in the Hampshire and Solent region (including Winchester City Council) asking them to submit proposals to form new unitary councils (instead of the current two-tier structure of a county council and district and borough councils). An interim plan was submitted to government on behalf of all council on 21 March, you can view this on our website.

On 7 May, the government wrote to all councils ^{(pdf, 197kb)} in the Hampshire and Solent region with feedback on our interim plan.

Government's Devolution Consultation and our response
The Government ran a public consultation on Devolution from 17 February to 13 April 2025 asking for the people's views on proposals to establish a new Mayoral Strategic Authority for Southampton, Portsmouth, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

As a council, we also submitted a response to this consultation. Download and view our response ^{(pdf, 746kb)}.

Please keep checking back at this page, as we will add to it as we learn more from the Government.

Devolution

What is Devolution?

Devolution is where powers that currently sit with the national government are given to a local area so local decision makers can have more of a say in what happens in their area. It is important because it ensures that decisions are made closer to the local people, communities and businesses they affect. The Government is keen to do this through something called Strategic Authorities.
What does this mean for Hampshire?

Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council and Isle of Wight Council jointly requested to be part of the government’s priority programme for devolution. The Government confirmed that the Hampshire/Solent bid was accepted on 5 February 2025.

This means work to create a new Strategic Combined Authority led by an elected mayor across the Hampshire and Solent region will begin. Therefore, this year’s Hampshire County Council elections will be postponed and an election for the Mayor will take place in 2026.
What is a Mayoral Strategic Authority?
A Strategic Authority is where two or more authorites collaborate to take collective decisions across council boundaries.

The strategic authority will have an elected Mayor who will have responsibility for driving local economic growth, strategic planning and infrastructure, strategic transport and other areas, with powers and funding passed down from government departments to the Mayor.

The Mayoral Strategic Authority will work closely with local authorities in the Hampshire Solent region to develop and deliver their plans with most of their focus on responsibilities that are currently held by Whitehall.

The following list shows areas where strategic authorities should have strategic level coordination
- Transport and local infrastructure
- Skills and employment support
- Housing and strategic planning
- Economic development and regeneration
- Environment and climate change
- Health, wellbeing and public service reform
- Public safety