Portsmouth residents are being asked to participate in a county-wide survey about council reorganisation plans that would replace 15 councils across Hampshire and Isle of Wight with fewer, larger authorities.
After Portsmouth City Council previously sought local feedback on Local Government Reorganisation from the city’s viewpoint, residents across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are now invited to contribute to a broader consultation affecting all regional local authorities.
Government proposals aim to consolidate the existing 15 councils in the area into fewer single authorities, each serving approximately 500,000 residents across expanded geographical boundaries.
Portsmouth City Council Leader Cllr Steve Pitt commented:
“Our priority is to get the best possible outcome for people and communities in Portsmouth.
“We’ve said from the beginning that Portsmouth should be left out of Local Government Reorganisation plans, because we already have one council which is financially stable. However, we are being forced to present to government plans to reorganise, so we are working with 11 other councils in our region to develop the best options for how new councils, including ours, could be organised in the future.
“It’s really important we hear what Portsmouth people think so their views can be included as much as possible in any future plans.”
Residents can review three preliminary proposals for consultation. Each option suggests establishing four unitary authorities, whilst the Isle of Wight would continue as a standalone unitary council, with all authorities providing comprehensive council services to their respective communities.
The proposals also invite feedback on possible boundary modifications affecting certain towns and villages.
These options aim to create authorities large enough to provide effective services whilst remaining sufficiently local to understand community needs. The consultation particularly seeks to understand how residents, businesses and community organisations view the proposed changes and their preferences for future council coverage areas.
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This Hampshire and Isle of Wight-wide consultation follows Portsmouth’s local survey, with those results expected to be released subsequently.
The consultation remains open until midnight on Sunday 27 July. Participation is available at: https://ourplaceourfuture.commonplace.is
Individual councils are anticipated to present their preferred proposals to government in September following the consultation period.
