The Isle of Wight could retain its standalone unitary authority under a new 5-council model proposed for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Under the restructure plans, the Isle of Wight would continue to have a separate, standalone unitary authority in a new model for local government set out in a joint proposal by 12 councils across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
For the mainland, the proposal recommends creating four new unitary councils, replacing the existing 14 mainland councils.
This would result in a 5-unitary authority model across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The proposal is the outcome of joint work by the participating councils and estimates potential annual savings of at least £63.9 million.
The proposal, titled Close enough to be local, big enough to stay strong, has been developed in response to a government request for councils to submit ideas for how local government could be reorganised to improve efficiency and service delivery.
The proposal includes 3 possible configurations for the 4 new mainland unitary councils, grouped around the major centres of Southampton, Portsmouth, Winchester and Basingstoke.
The Isle of Wight would retain its current unitary status, recognising its distinct geography, infrastructure and service needs.
In a joint statement, the 12 local authorities said:
“Unlike other proposals, we believe our approach means the best of both worlds: councils that are big enough to deliver major services and be financially sustainable, but local enough to understand communities so they can tailor services more closely to their needs.
“This is a comprehensive and evidence-based proposal that offers a bold vision for the future of local government in our region, ensuring every voice is heard and every service delivers real value.
“Covering the population of around 2 million people in mainland Hampshire, four new unitary councils would provide the scale of efficiency the government wants whilst still being connected to the communities they serve.
“The Isle of Wight’s continued independence is essential, given its unique geography and infrastructure needs. However, the proposal ensures integration and collaboration where beneficial, enabling shared innovation and transformation across the region.”
The proposal outlines the following objectives:
- To simplify the structure of local government across the region;
- To improve the efficiency and coordination of public services;
- To reduce administrative costs and reinvest savings into frontline services;
- To maintain local accountability and decision-making;
- To support future collaboration and regional development opportunities.
Isle of Wight councillors will consider the proposal at Full Council on 17th September, ahead of the government’s submission deadline on 26th September.
Enough is Enough, change would be better, otherwise
speeding will still be rife and parking on pavements will
continue.
We need change.
I am sure that retaining a separate unitary authority for the Island reflects the wishes of the majority of residents. If the Island lost this degree of independence it would be difficult to retain its unique identity and once lost it could never be regained.
Interesting that the hampshire councils have suggested a small number of localised councils with isle of wight retaining unitary status,with these recommendations come five objectives, none of which has any beneifit or meaning for the island, we would still be governed by a profligate, under qualified ,poorly run council.