The leader vows Portsmouth will never lose its name under reorganisation

“This city must always be called Portsmouth” it has been declared as a council leader blasts the government’s proposed ‘South East Hampshire’ council name.

At a full council meeting, Portsmouth city councillors approved a notice of motion put forward by Conservative councillor Spencer Gardner.

It raises concerns about the new authority, which will merge Portsmouth with Fareham, Gosport and Havant councils as part of the government’s local government reorganisation programme.

Local leaders have already clashed over the name. Fareham and Gosport have argued it should represent the wider region, while Portsmouth City Council leader Steve Pitt has said Portsmouth should be included because it is a “major driver of economic growth in the region”.

It has now emerged that the government’s working title for the new authority is South East Hampshire Council.

Council leader Cllr Steve Pitt reacted furiously, questioning why “faceless bureaucrats sat in Westminster” were deciding the future of the area.

He said: “This is important and we’re not getting any sense of acknowledgement from this damn government about just how much this matters.

“This is our lives, this is our home, this city must always be called Portsmouth. It will not under any circumstances ever be called bloody South East Hampshire.”

He also clarified that if all authorities are in agreement “we can suggest a different name, we are not in agreement because Fareham does not concur”.

Asked for a response, Fareham Borough Council pointed to comments previously made by its Conservative leader, Simon Martin, who said: “South-East Hampshire provides a neutral and inclusive identity for a new authority.

“By contrast, incorporating the name of a single existing council suggests an expanded legacy or takeover, rather than a genuinely new organisation built on equal partnership.”

Introducing the motion, Cllr Spencer Gardner said he understood that some of the strongest opposition to keeping the Portsmouth name came from Conservative colleagues in neighbouring councils.

“Good for them, they are fighting for their own local identities,” he said.

“This goes to highlight the fundamental flaw in LGR. We are trying to force together disparate places into a mega council that cannot even agree on a common identity or name.

“That being said, Portsmouth is the economic, cultural and historic anchor of the region. Our city is internationally recognised through its maritime heritage, naval significance and visitor economy.

“That brand benefits not just Portsmouth, but the wider area. Retaining the Portsmouth name is therefore not a matter of civic pride alone, it is the strongest economic proposition for the whole authority area.”