Merged council for central Eastleigh proposed
Residents consulted on Community Governance Review
A consultation as part of a community governance review (CGR) on proposals to create a single, merged decision-making body for the centre of Eastleigh and areas to the north got under way in May 2025.
Its results were reported to the Borough Council’s Administration Committee at the end of June when the creation of the larger authority, combining Eastleigh Town Council and Boyatt Wood Parish Council was given the go-ahead by Borough Councillors.
Community Governance Reviews provide the opportunity for principal councils (including district or borough councils such as Eastleigh Borough Council) to review and make changes to community governance within their areas. It can be helpful to undertake community governance reviews in circumstances such as where there have been changes in population, or in reaction to specific or local new issues.
The review had regard to the 'Guidance on Community Governance Reviews' issued by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.
A further consultation is now taking place on the number of councillors and the boundaries and makeup of electoral wards in the merged authority, which represents the first tier of local democracy.
All interested groups and residents have been invited to give their views.
Potential benefits
With devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) set to create much larger unitary local authorities in Hampshire, Eastleigh Town Council and Boyatt Wood Parish Council have identified a number of potential benefits of merging:
- a new unitary authority is likely to devolve more responsibilities to town and parish councils, which would put a larger central Eastleigh council in a better position to take on additional services
- local decision-making would remain as close to the community as possible
- the new council would have a stronger voice when engaging with the new unitary authority on issues like planning, infrastructure and community investment
- there would be greater financial efficiencies and more consistency in the planning and delivery of services.
- There would be greater coordination in the planning process.
Strengthening town and parish councils means that householders are represented by elected councillors who are responsible for more tightly drawn local areas than the much larger local authorities proposed under LGR. They would also have a greater say in how the budget for local services is spent.
The election for seats on the new council will take place in 2026 which will replace the scheduled elections for the separate councils.