Decision details

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.     Approve Option 1 contained within Appendix 4 as its single local government reorganisation proposal, for submission to government by the 26 September 2025 deadline.

2.     Delegate authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to make any final amendments to the full proposal in advance of submission to the Government.

3.     Endorse the Council’s LGR Engagement work undertaken, summarised at Appendix 5, noting that the outcome of this engagement is strongly in favour of Option 1.

4.     Endorse the case to ‘Keep the Forest Whole’, at Appendix 6, for continued dialogue with MHCLG as local government reorganisation progresses.

KEY DECISION:

Yes

PORTFOLIO:

Leader / all

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED/REJECTED:

As set out in the report.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST:

None

DISCUSSION:

The Leader reflected on the Special Council meeting and the debate between NFDC Councillors. She acknowledged that NFDC had not sought devolution nor local government reorganisation. However, it was recognised that the Council had worked collectively to understand and take forward what all NFDC Councillors felt was the very best course for their residents. Keeping the forest whole had been the Council’s primary task and the Leader thanked all group leaders for their united support. It was recognised that having unanimous support from all district councillors was a strong statement. 

The Leader explained the report and its various appendices. She emphasised the engagement outcomes, with residents, communities, businesses and town and parish councils having consistently spoken with one voice; they wanted to keep the forest rural and whole.  

The Leader explained that Option 1 would: keep the forest whole, give a voice in the new Strategic Authority to the country’s rural and market towns, avoid boundary changes that would split communities, deliver financial sustainability and was backed by a robust financial model with a clear implementation plan.  

Finally, the Leader recognised the significance of the upcoming Government decision on the future of the forest.  

The Assistant Director, Strategy and Engagement (Monitoring Officer) took Cabinet through the report, detailing the work undertaken collectively across Hampshire and the Solent, and the journey since the government’s devolution and local government reorganisation announcements. The report detailed how the case aligned with the government’s LGR criteria, and how Option 1 had emerged as being recommended. This included strong engagement outcomes and specific work to assess the risk of boundary changes. 

Cabinet members reiterated the fact that local government reorganisation was a Government policy and was not the will of NFDC. Several Cabinet members explained that none of the local residents or businesses they had spoken to were in favour of local government reorganisation.  

However, Cabinet members agreed that tireless work had been undertaken by both NFDC and its partners to develop and promote an option going forward that would best deliver for residents of the Forest. Option 1, which was unanimously supported by full Council on 25 September 2025, was acknowledged as the best option.  

The Leader thanked her fellow Leaders who had worked together, particularly Cllr Phil North in Test Valley and Cllr Paul Harvey from Basingstoke and Dean whose councils joined NFDC in supporting Option 1. 

The Leader gave further thanks to NFDC members, partners and businesses and specifically to residents who had got involved and given their views on the future that they want to see for the Forest. 

The Leader explained that the next stage would be a Government consultation on proposals for Hampshire. She emphasised that NFDC and all concerned with the Forest’s future need to build on the strong consensus and together ensure that the Forest’s voice was heard by Government.