Have your say NOW on the future of the city council
Portsmouth residents are being invited to give their views on whether the city should be included in the government's council shake-up plans.
Portsmouth City Council launched a public survey today (June 20), offering locals the chance to comment on proposals for sweeping changes to how services are delivered.
The Government’s Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) programme aims to reduce the number of councils by creating larger unitary authorities, each covering populations of around 500,000 people.
This would mean replacing councils like Hampshire County Council and district councils, which divide services, with larger unitary councils like those in Portsmouth and Southampton.
LGR is different to devolution, which would introduce a new regional mayor with devolved powers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Councillor Steve Pitt, leader of the council said: "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 the 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 it's really important we hear from Portsmouth people, before any options are submitted.
"We're working with other councils in the region and there will be some countywide engagement in the coming weeks. Ahead of that we need to gather local views at pace, which is why we need to complete this survey in a short time. It takes less than five minutes to complete and I strongly urge as many people as possible to take part so we can ensure local opinion is represented."
Due to Portsmouth’s population size - around 208,000 - the Government has said the city cannot remain a standalone authority. As a result, the council is working with others in Hampshire and the Solent area to prepare region-wide options.
The survey asks residents whether Portsmouth should be included in any reorganisation at all, and if inclusion is unavoidable, which neighbouring councils it should consider merging with.
The online survey is open until midnight on Sunday 29 June and takes fewer than five minutes to complete. Residents can take the survey at: https://www.research.net/r/LGRPortsmouthPRESS