Government chooses five council model
Thank you to everyone who took part in our summer engagement last year and the recent government consultation on Local Government Reorganisation. Today, the Government has announced its decision on the structure of new councils across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and has opted for Option 1a.
There will be four new mainland councils, keeping the Isle of Wight as a separate unitary council. It means there will be a new mid-Hampshire council created from the footprint of the districts of Winchester, East Hampshire, Test Valley and the New Forest, including the relevant services from Hampshire County Council. This is the option that has boundary changes.
The new councils
The five new councils in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are:
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North Hampshire: Basingstoke, Hart and Rushmoor
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Mid Hampshire: New Forest, Test Valley, Winchester and East Hampshire
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South West Hampshire: Eastleigh and Southampton
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South East Hampshire: Portsmouth, Havant, Gosport and Fareham
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Isle of Wight
Option 1A includes the following boundary changes:
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Move the parishes of Totton and Eling, Marchwood, Hythe and Dibden, Fawley (currently under New Forest District Council) and Chilworth, Nursling, Rownhams and Valley Park (currently under Test Valley Borough Council) to the South West unitary council.
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Move the parishes of Newlands (currently under Winchester City Council) Clanfield, Horndean and Rowlands Castle (currently under East Hampshire District Council) to the South East unitary council.
What this means for residents
At the moment, everything remains the same for you. We, as Winchester City Council, will continue to deliver your services, and while we’re doing this, we’ll be working closely with our confirmed partner councils to create a new unitary council, responsible for all your services in one place.
The new council is planned to be up and running on 1 April 2028. We’ll keep you up-to-date as things progress. In the meantime, you can find some more information and frequently asked questions on our website.