What is Local Government Reorganisation?
The Government is changing how local councils work across Hampshire & Isle of Wight
Local government reorganisation involves replacing two-tier systems (county, district/borough councils), with a single council for each area, called a unitary authority.
For Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, this means merging existing councils to create stronger, more unified local authorities.
For the Isle of Wight, the plan recognises its unique identity and geography and, so, will remains a single unitary council – helping to ensure decisions are made by people who live on the island.
The idea is to make services simpler, better coordinated and more efficient, so you and your neighbours know exactly where to turn for help or advice on local issues, from planning issues to road repairs, to school places – which are often the responsibility of different councils.
Update March 2026:
The Government has published its decision on how local councils in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton will be reorganised.
The Government intends to implement Option 1A, creating five unitary councils with targeted boundary changes around Southampton & Portsmouth. This is the place-based model we have supported: services close to communities, with councils large enough to be sustainable.
Option 1A will see Eastleigh & Southampton come together with the parishes of Chilworth, Fawley, Hythe and Dibden, Marchwood, Nursling and Rownhams, Totton and Eling, and Valley Park to create a new South West Hampshire unitary authority.