We’re looking at options that could include introducing parish or town councils locally following wider proposals to reorganise local government in Hampshire.
Background to the potential changes
The government is proposing to make changes to the way that local government is organised with plans to replace the current system of councils with new bigger unitary councils.
In Rushmoor, we have supported a proposal that would see a new north Hampshire unitary council that would provide all the services run by Hampshire County Council locally, as well as those of Rushmoor, Hart and Basingstoke and Deane councils. The government will make a decision about our proposals in the spring.
Because any new unitary council would be much bigger than we are now, we are also considering what, if any, local arrangements could be put in place to make sure that residents' voices are heard on local decisions. Assets such as parks and community facilities could also be managed very locally in the future.
Latest update
In the first part of our public consultation in the summer, we found that there was some support for having parish councils or neighbourhood area committees. Please see our community governance review update and next steps report for the full results and recommendations.
At the extraordinary meeting of the council on Thursday 25 September, councillors voted in favour of a second phase of more detailed consultation on what residents would like to see locally.
We would now like to ask you more detailed questions about how it could work, what you would prefer, which services could be included, how much it might cost or whether you would just be happy with the idea of a larger council.
Throughout the survey we talk about parish councils rather than town councils. This is because the law requires us to set them up as parish councils, and then they can change to town councils.
If we go ahead, parish council elections could take place in May 2026.
Have your say
We are inviting you to give us your views on how parish councils or neighbourhood area committees could be organised. Our survey looks into:
- If we should have Aldershot and Farnborough parish councils, smaller parishes like North Camp or North Town, or neighbourhood committees for both towns
- The types of services that should be included under a parish council and number of councillors needed
The deadline for your comments is Friday 28 November.
Drop in events
We are also holding four drop in events where you can talk to us about this consultation:
- Princes Mead, Farnborough, between 11am and 2pm on Tuesday 4 November
- Princes Gardens, Aldershot, between 12.30pm and 3.30pm on Saturday 15 November
- The Wellington shopping centre, Aldershot, between 11am and 2pm on Thursday 20 November
- Queensmead/The Landing, Farnborough, between 11.30am and 2.30pm on Saturday 22 November
Differences between parish councils and neighbourhood area committees
|
|
Parish council | Neighbourhood area committee |
|---|---|---|
| How they are created |
Set up by law as the lowest tier of government. Their powers and duties are given in acts of parliament. Councillors are elected to the parish council and are directly accountable to the electorate. |
Created by a council, they are committees of the council. Councillors are elected to the council, not to the neighbourhood area committee. |
| Powers |
They have legal powers, duties and discretionary powers. They can deliver services, own and manage assets. |
Powers depend on what the council decides the committee can do. They are advisory bodies to the council and can set local priorities. |
| Representation |
Councillors are directly elected to represent the local community, and they focus on local issues. They can serve as the focal point for community identity. |
They are a forum for local issues, they bring stakeholders together, provide local insight to the council and feed into decision making. |
| Funding |
They have staff, run services, and own and maintain assets, so they do need money to run. That comes from a council tax precept, plus money they raise through grants and the income they receive from things like allotment rent and community activities. |
They are not usually given assets and services to run, so the cost is covered by the council tax set by the council which creates them. |
| Duties |
They have legal duties (for instance consultations on planning), plus discretionary duties. Their meetings have legal obligations, and there are legal obligations around their financial management. |
Their duties depend on what the council sets them as. Their role is more about influencing the decisions of the council rather than having a legal mandate. |
| Area covered |
The area covered is what the electorate decides. For example, large parish council could cover all of Farnborough, with another for Aldershot, or it could cover a ward or a couple of neighbouring wards. |
They can cover a ward or several wards. |
| Responsibilities on planning |
Parishes have to be consulted on planning applications. They can also produce neighbourhood plans for development. |
They may have advisory input into planning applications and can be delegated small planning matters, but they do not have legal powers. |
This is a short summary of the differences. Please see our parish councils and neighbourhood committees page for more information.
Please visit our example council tax precepts page for more information about potential council tax precept charges and the types of services run by parish councils in our local area.
Terms of reference and public notice
Please see our community governance review terms of reference for further information.
We have also produced a public notice for the community governance review.
Contact us