Consultation on Proposals for Local Government Reorganisation in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton

Closes 11 Jan 2026

Contact

Local Government Reorganisation

LGRconsultationresponse@communities.gov.uk

Overview

This statutory consultation seeks views on the proposals that the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has received following the Secretary of State’s invitation to councils in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth & Southampton to submit proposals for unitary local government for their areas. You can find full details of the consultation, including a privacy statement, at: Local government reorganisation in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton - GOV.UK

The 4 proposals in this consultation were made by the following councils on 26 September 2025: 

Hampshire County Council & East Hampshire District Council proposed 4 unitary councils across the whole of the area of Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton comprising the current areas of:

  • Mid North: Basingstoke and Deane, East Hampshire, Hart, Rushmoor, Winchester.
  • West: Eastleigh, New Forest, Southampton, Test Valley.
  • South East: Fareham, Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth.
  • Isle of Wight: Isle of Wight to remain unchanged.

You can find the proposal at: Local Government Reorganisation in Hampshire and the Solent: Simpler. Stronger. Secure

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, New Forest District Council and Test Valley Borough Council proposed 5 unitary councils across the whole of the area of Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton comprising the current areas of:

  • North: Basingstoke and Deane, Hart, Rushmoor.
  • Mid: East Hampshire, New Forest, Test Valley, Winchester.
  • South East: Fareham, Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth.
  • South West: Eastleigh, Southampton.
  • Isle of Wight: Isle of Wight to remain unchanged

You can find the proposal at: Close enough to be local, big enough to stay strong.

Please note that this is referred to as Option 1.

Eastleigh Borough Council, Fareham Borough Council, Hart District Council, Havant Borough Council, Portsmouth City Council, Rushmoor Borough Council and Southampton City Council proposed 5 unitary councils across the whole of the area of Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton. This includes a request to split existing district council areas between the proposed new councils. These would comprise the areas of: 

  • North: Basingstoke and Deane, Hart, Rushmoor (North).
  • Mid: East Hampshire, New Forest, Test Valley, Winchester, (less 11 parishes from all four areas).
  • South East: Fareham, Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, (plus 3 parishes of East Hampshire and 1 parish of Winchester).
  • South West: Eastleigh, Southampton (plus 4 parishes from New Forest and 3 parishes from Test Valley).
  • Isle of Wight: Isle of Wight to remain unchanged.

You can find the proposal at: Close enough to be local, big enough to stay strong.

Please note this is shown as Option 1a. 

Winchester City Council proposed 5 unitary councils across the whole of the area of Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton. These would comprise the current areas of: 

  • North: Basingstoke and Deane, Hart, Rushmoor.
  • Mid: East Hampshire, Test Valley, Winchester.
  • South East: Fareham, Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth.
  • South West: Eastleigh, New Forest, Southampton.
  • Isle of Wight: Isle of Wight to remain unchanged.

You can find the proposal at: Close enough to be local, big enough to stay strong.

Please note this is shown as Option 2. 

Gosport Borough Council and Isle of Wight Council did not submit proposals. 

This consultation asks questions about each proposal to help inform the assessment of the proposals. 

Share your views