Local Government Reorganisation – Government Review

The Government has announced that plans for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Hampshire have been withdrawn and that the wider programme of reorganisation is being reviewed.

The announcement was made on 7 September 2026 following updated legal advice. The Government has withdrawn its previous decision concerning the proposed reorganisation of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton.

The Government had been working towards replacing the existing two-tier system of county and district councils with new unitary councils. However, the Government has now paused the process in Hampshire while it reviews the proposals and the process by which decisions were reached.

The review also affects a number of other areas of England. The Government has confirmed that local elections scheduled for May 2027 will go ahead on the existing council boundaries while the review takes place.

For residents of the parish, this means that the previously announced changes to local government in Hampshire will not proceed at this stage. The future structure of local government in Hampshire remains undecided.