Decision Maker: Executive

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Date of Decision: September 25, 2025

Purpose: To approve a full proposal for local government reorganisation in Hampshire and Isle of Wight for submission to government by 26 September 2025.   On 5 February 2025 in a letter from the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, principal Councils in Hampshire and Isle of Wight were required to develop proposals for reorganisation of local government structures in the area.  The letter set out the timescales and criteria for developing proposals, with a deadline of 26 September 2025 for final proposals to be submitted.   An interim submission was prepared and submitted by all 15 Councils in the area, and a wide range of options were subsequently developed.  As the case was developed, three Councils opted to withdraw from the joint work, but the remaining 12 Councils continued to work collaboratively to refine options and prepare a joint base case proposal for four unitary councils on the mainland with the Isle of Wight remaining in its current form.   This paper provides a summary of the process undertaken to develop the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) proposal for submission by Fareham Borough Council and other Local Authorities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight by the deadline of 26 September 2025.  It further seeks approval from the Executive to submit the proposal in line with Government requirements, with the preferred option being the option 1A boundary change option (referenced as option 3 in the published proposal).

Content: RESOLVED that the Executive:   (a)  supports the base case proposal for local government reorganisation as set out in Appendix 4 to the report;   (b)  agrees to submit the base case proposal on behalf of Fareham Borough Council and supports option 1A (option 3 in the published case) but wholly conditional upon a formal request to Government as part of the Council’s submission to undertake a modification to permit option 1A as outlined in the proposal documents; and   (c)  delegates authority to the Chief Executive officer, following consultation with the Executive Leader, to agree minor changes on behalf of the Council, where such minor changes are considered necessary to ensure legal compliance and accurately reflects the support of each of the 12 councils.