Fareham picks side in radical shake-up of Hampshire councils that's the biggest in 50 years

The Fareham Borough Council executive approved backing a proposal for local government reorganisation (LGR) that would want to see it join with Portsmouth, Gosport, Havant, and adding a Winchester parish and three East Hampshire parishes.

The proposal is for the current two-tier council system to be abolished and the creation of four mainland unitaries with the Isle of Wight staying separate.

The new unitary that Fareham would join would be called South East Hampshire.

Central government requested that the 15 councils in Hampshire and the Solent area submit plans for reorganisation by September 26.

Since March, 12 of the 15 Hampshire councils stayed working together to produce a proposal with three options. Hampshire County Council and East Hampshire split away to make their own proposal and Gosport chose not to engage with the process.

‘Close enough to be local, big enough to stay strong’ business case proposals from the 12 councils will be sent to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Fareham’s chosen option named 1A/3, would see a redrawing of boundaries to include the parishes of Newlands, currently part of Winchester along with Horndean, Clanfield and Rowlands Castle, currently part of East Hampshire.

To decide on the final proposal there was a full council meeting on September 25 followed by a special executive meeting which ratified the proposal of option 1A/3.

Executive leader of the council Simon Martin (Con, Park Gate) said he would have preferred the single new mayoral authority to bed in first with devolution and then see any LGR plans.

He said: “With something so radical the process should not be rushed. The government’s priorities are confused and LGR should be halfway down page three on its to do list. Act in haste repent at leisure.”

The questions over social care funding and if current council debt will make new unitaries immediately bankrupt remains unanswered, he said.

At the full council meeting, leader of the Fareham Liberal Democrats, Councillor David Hamilton (Wallington and Downend) said: “This proposal is a real opportunity for Fareham. For too long, residents have been bewildered and frustrated by the divide between borough and county responsibilities. One single authority will make more sense.”

He raised concerns over the reduction in councillors from 150 to 99 to form the new South East Hampshire unitary. He said fewer councillors, each representing more residents, will inevitably be busier, stretched thinner, and less accessible to residents.

He added: “This may deter some from standing, particularly those in work or with families.”

Labour’s Gemma Furnivall (Fort Fareham) was concerned over how social care, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and education would be managed.

She said: “Our job now will be to hold the hands of the people we serve through this. There are massive opportunities to make life better.”

After proposals are submitted by all councils on September 26, central government is due to hold a public consultation on LGR in the coming months.

Ministers will make the final decision on the configuration of new larger unitary authorities in early 2026.