| From today (Monday 30 June 2025), residents across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are being invited to give their views on options for how councils in the area could be reorganised, and New Forest District Council (NFDC) is calling on local people to help ensure the district’s identity is protected. |
| As part of major changes planned to councils, the government has said it wants to move away from the current two-tier system in most of the country, where services are split between county councils and local district or borough councils. Instead, it has asked councils to propose new models that bring all services under single unitary councils. This means there’ll be a new council for the New Forest area from April 2028, larger than New Forest District Council but smaller than Hampshire County Council. The new council will provide all local government services, including waste collection, planning, housing, environmental health, highways, and licensing. Twelve councils, including NFDC, have worked together on three potential options for how future councils could be shaped. Each option would replace the current two-tier system with four new unitary councils on the mainland and retain the Isle of Wight Council as its own unitary authority. The three options being explored are: Option 1: A single new council for an aligned rural area, serving residents and businesses of New Forest, Test Valley, Winchester and East Hampshire. NFDC strongly supports this option, as the only natural fit for the area, its residents and businesses. Option 2: A single new urban-dominated council serving residents of New Forest, Southampton and Eastleigh. As a council representing a rural area with needs very different to an urban environment, NFDC are opposed to this option. Option 3: Some current New Forest areas including Hardley, Holbury, Fawley, Calshot, Hythe, Marchwood, Eling and Totton displaced to be part of a new council serving residents of Southampton and Eastleigh. NFDC strongly opposes this option because it ignores the rural identity of the communities of Waterside, subsumes our Waterside foreshore and risks poorer services and decisions for Waterside residents. A survey to seek views from residents and businesses on the three options is now live at www.newforest.gov.uk/lgr Cllr Jill Cleary, Leader of New Forest District Council, said: “We believe that option 1, a rural council for mid-Hampshire, is the best way to protect what makes this area so special and keeps the Forest whole. Our rural character, heritage, and the distinct identity of our communities. “The Forest is not an afterthought or an outlier, it is a unique place with unique needs. We need this reorganisation to deliver a council that allows services to be designed and delivered by people who understand this place, its landscapes, livelihoods, and local values. “The other options would see our district split or absorbed into larger, more urban-focused councils. That risks weakening the voice of our communities and undermining the tailored, local approach our residents deserve.” Public engagement opens today (30 June) and runs until 27 July. Residents, businesses, organisations, and community groups are asked to take part in the survey to share their views on which option they support and what they value most in local services and identity. Cllr Cleary added: “Now is the time to make your voice heard. If you care about how services are delivered locally, and want to protect the district’s future, take part in the survey. This is your chance to help shape what happens next, and to stand up for a future council that keeps the Forest whole.” NFDC will use the results of the engagement, alongside data and evidence, to decide which option to submit to the government in September. |
