Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution
Our Place, Our Future – have your say on the future of local councils across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
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.
We want to hear from you. What matters most to you and your area? Your views will help us shape how local councils work in future and do our best to ensure they reflect real places, priorities, and people: www.ourplaceourfuture.commonplace.is
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
We're working with Thinks Insight and Strategy and plusfour market research to gather views of residents across the district in the form of an online workshop - You may be contacted or see adverts to take part alongside this letter of authority (pdf, 124kb). Please do register your interest if you would like to be involved
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
Local Government Reorganisation
On 5 February 2025, the Secretary of State wrote to all councils in Hampshire to formally invite proposals for forming new, larger unitary councils within the Hampshire and Solent region instead of the current structure of a County Council and Districts and Borough Councils. The Government would like councils to have populations of around 500,000 - and each new unitary council would offer all services that are currently provided across the district council and the county council.