Local government reorganisation and devolution

Local government reorganisation

The government has said it wants us to explore local government reorganisation in our area. The aim is to simplify the way councils are organised and make them more sustainable.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has written a letter to all councils in Hampshire explaining the process in more detail about how we should develop proposals for reorganisation.

A proposal to create new unitary councils across Hampshire and the Solent was given unanimous support by our cabinet on Thursday 20 March when councillors approved an interim plan, prepared by all 15 councils in Hampshire, for submission to the government on Friday 21 March. 

The interim plan sets out the principles which would guide the next stage when decisions would be made on the new council structures and boundaries, including economic geography and sense of place, identity and local connections.

One option being discussed is the creation of a new north Hampshire council that would cover Rushmoor, Hart and Basingstoke and Deane. The council believes this would support the guiding principles, particularly on sense of place and the area’s economy.

This new unitary council could include the services we currently provide, plus the services provided by Hampshire County Council, such as:

• Transport, roads and highway maintenance
• Education
• Adult social care
• Children’s services

Next steps

We will continue to work with all the other councils in Hampshire on how future unitary councils will work across Hampshire and the Solent.

We will also be asking for the views of residents, partners and businesses on our proposals as part of this process.

This will help us create a business case, which we will send to government later this year.

What this means for Rushmoor Borough Council

At the moment nothing is changing for us. We’ll continue to provide the services you receive from us and it is business as usual.

We will continue to update this page as planning progresses.

Devolution in Hampshire – creation of a Mayoral Combined County Authority

Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils and the Isle of Wight are included in the government’s priority programme for devolution.

The proposed changes would create one large strategic authority for the whole of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, led by an elected mayor.

This would mean a transfer of powers and funding from national to local government. There would be greater control over important areas for our region, such as:

• Economic growth
• Transport planning
• Infrastructure investment
• Skills development

The government has decided that the Hampshire County Council elections scheduled for this May are postponed. Instead, there will be mayoral elections in May 2026.

Our council leader, Councillor Gareth Williams has welcomed the government’s proposals on devolution, and you can read more about this on our February statement on devolution. He is continuing to meet with leaders of other Hampshire councils to discuss devolution and local government reorganisation.

Consultation on the proposal for a Mayoral Combined County Authority

The government has a public consultation on proposals to form a Mayoral Combined Authority for Hampshire, Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight, and Southampton.

For more information and to give your thoughts please visit the Hampshire and the Solent devolution consultation website.

Their consultation runs until 13 April.

You can visit the Local Government Association website for more information about the overall proposals.