20,000 people have signed a letter demanding their authority contest plans to create a more city-focused council system.
If plans do go ahead, the New Forest District Council would be dissolved and its jurisdiction split between the Mid Hampshire Council and South West Hampshire Council.
Members of the public are particularly concerned about being part of the latter authority, which also covers the city of Southampton, where needs and issues are vastly different to more rural areas. Meanwhile, the difference in population size would also threaten the democratic voice of those from smaller communities.
Putting it into context, more than 400,000 people live within the proposed boundaries of urbanised districts Eastleigh and Southampton itself. This is significantly more than the 70,0000 or so that live in areas that are part of the New Forest under the current system, but would be included in the South West Hampshire Council map.
Local government reorganisation in England is set to take place this year and has already proven more contentious than a similar process which took place in 2023 — when unitary authorities in Cumbria, North Yorkshire, and Somerset replaced two-tier (county and district) councils. This week, Local Gov Legal reported on a letter by the new leader Essex County Council, threatening legal action over proposed changes in the area.
Existing authorities in West Sussex and Norfolk Council have also voiced similar objections. Meanwhile, the UK Government had proposed delays to a number of last week’s local elections until after reorganisation had taken place — as the vote would effectively be for roles and councils that will soon no longer exist. This in itself triggered widespread outrage and accusations of infringing on democratic processes.
Image: Arnaud Jaegers / Unsplash
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