Devolution (From HCC)

Hampshire County Council has been accepted onto the Government's fast-track Devolution Priority Programme (DPP). This marks a significant milestone in the journey towards devolution for Hampshire and the wider area.

Read on to learn more about this development and what it means for Hampshire and the wider region:

Earlier this month Hampshire County Council, together with Southampton and Portsmouth City Councils and Isle of Wight Council put in a ‘Hampshire and the Solent’ devolution bid to central Government which seeks to bring power and money from Westminster and provide greater local control over vital areas such as education, transport, and health services for Hampshire residents - giving people more power to shape the things that are important to them and provide robust local accountability.

As part of devolution, a Mayor would be elected in the spring of 2026 to head up a new Combined Authority across the wider region of Hampshire County Council, Isle of Wight Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council, in line with the Authorities’ expression of interest submitted to the Deputy Prime Minister last summer. As well as promoting the interests of the wider region to central Government, the Mayor would work together with local council leaders, to make decisions about how to allocate regional funding. Greater collaboration across boundaries would be particularly effective in areas such as transport, skills and employment support, housing and planning, and tackling climate change.

Hampshire County Council Leader, Cllr Nick Adams-King said: "This is exciting news for Hampshire. Devolution represents the biggest change to local government in a generation and to be accepted onto Government's Devolution Priority Programme as a fast-track to delivering devolution for the area is a fantastic opportunity for Hampshire to self-determine and shape devolution proposals in the best interests of our residents and communities.

“We are one of a select few local authorities nationally to join this fast-track programme, highlighting the substantial devolution opportunities recognised by the Government for our area. This selection also includes our upper-tier partners, Isle of Wight Council, and Southampton and Portsmouth City Councils and with a combined population of over two million residents, 90,000 businesses, and an economy generating around £80 billion annually, Hampshire and the Solent region are pivotal to the UK's economic landscape.”

Benefits of Devolution

Devolution will transfer greater powers and flexibilities from Westminster to Hampshire and the Solent region, accompanied by additional funding and investment. This shift will enable local authorities to make crucial decisions closer to where residents live and work, driving economic growth, innovation, and productivity.

"This will enable us to deliver the best possible future for our citizens and businesses, enhancing people’s quality of life and leading the way in the UK’s economic recovery over the coming years, added Cllr Adams-King. “In collaboration with our upper-tier partners, we have already begun to outline the opportunities that devolution presents: sustainable economic growth, reduced inequalities, and maximised net zero ambitions. We are committed to working in partnership across Local Government, businesses, education and the wider landscape of public sector partners to explore devolution’s potential for our area.”

The Government plans to consult with Hampshire residents very soon to gather people’s input and feedback on the prospect of devolution for the area.

Local Government Reorganisation

Additionally, the Secretary of State has confirmed today that Hampshire will be formally invited to submit proposals for local government reorganisation.

The reorganisation aims to replace the current two-tier council system with new unitary (all-purpose) councils, simplifying how councils are organised and run.

Postponement of May’s Election

Due to selection for the Devolution Priority Programme, the Government has also determined that the County Council's elections, originally scheduled for May this year, should be postponed for 12 months as an essential step to enable the Council to give necessary focus to preparing for devolution and local government reorganisation, and allow for a Mayor to be elected in 2026 so the benefits of devolution to local communities can be delivered as swiftly as possible. Any by-elections, if required during this period, would continue to go ahead as normal. Reorganisation would then be expected to be in place by either April 2027 or April 2028.

 

 

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