On 25 March, the Government announced its decision on the arrangements for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Havant Borough Council (HBC) has updated its LGR web page (Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)) Havant Borough Council) in a cursory and rather unhelpful way, so this article draws on the more informative Hampshire County Council website (Local Government Reorganisation | About the Council | Hampshire County Council).
The Government has approved the plan favoured by HBC, previously known as ‘Option 1A’. Under this model there will be four new unitary councils on the Hampshire mainland, with the Isle of Wight remaining a standalone unitary council:
- North Hampshire: Basingstoke, Hart and Rushmoor
- Mid Hampshire: New Forest, Test Valley, Winchester and East Hampshire
- South West Hampshire: Eastleigh and Southampton
- South East Hampshire: Portsmouth, Havant, Gosport and Fareham
- Isle of Wight
The five unitary authorities are shown in the graphic below. Shaded areas are those that will be moved from their current council areas. Of relevance to Havant residents, the parishes of Newlands (currently under Winchester City Council) Clanfield, Horndean and Rowlands Castle (currently under East Hampshire District Council) will move to the South East unitary council area.
Once the Government has formally issued its Structural Changes Order the various councils will be required to establish a Joint Committee, which will start the process of preparing for the new arrangements. The committee will appoint an Implementation Team comprising appropriate officials from each council.
In May 2027, an election will be held to appoint councillors to a Shadow Authority for South East Hampshire and at this point the Joint Committee will cease to exist. The Implementation Team will remain in place, now reporting to the Shadow Authority, until Vesting Day on 1 April 2028. Upon vesting of the new unitary authorities, HCC and the various District and Borough Councils in Hampshire will cease to exist.
Many questions remain for the Joint Committee to wrestle with, not least how to deal equitably with the assets – and debts – that the existing councils will bring to the new one. Another important issue is the number of councillors that the new authority will have. Currently, Havant, Fareham, Gosport and Portsmouth have a total of 134 councillors, which seems somewhat excessive for a new unitary authority. On the other hand, reducing the number of councillors will result in a greater number of residents per councillor than at present, potentially reducing the effectiveness of local representation.
LGR does not change the status of existing town and parish councils but this is of no help to Havant residents, where no such councils exist. It is perfectly possible to create new town or parish councils if residents so wish and both Emsworth and Hayling Island residents have expressed an interest in doing so. Another alternative for ensuring a local focus in large authorities is the creation of Area Committees. There are examples of this approach in unitary authorities created in previous rounds of LGR. HCS would encourage HBC to consult with residents on this issue as the plans for the new unitary authority evolve.
A subject dear to our heart in HCS is traffic. One undoubted benefit of the new arrangement is that HBC will no longer be able to blame HCC for inadequate and inaccurate traffic assessments relating to new housing and commercial developments, as planning and highways will be under the same authority. Other potential benefits from LGR remain to be proven, although a comparison between how HBC and our neighbouring unitary authority operates, suggests that the current two‑tier arrangement has not served the borough well. That said, Portsmouth’s ownership of Dunsbury Park, coupled with the Solent LEP and its successors clinging to a diminishing Freeport opportunity, hasn’t delivered effective outcomes either.
HCS will continue to monitor the progress of LGR in our area and keep residents informed of developments.
Havant Civic Society 