The government has announced today (Monday 7 September) that it has withdrawn the decision it made in March for local government reorganisation in Hampshire.

The government has said that this decision follows legal advice and that it will allow it to review the evidence and consider how proposals for local government reorganisation meet the new government’s ambitions and priorities. 

Responding to the news, the Leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Cllr Paul Harvey said: "It is deeply disappointing the government has decided to withdraw its decision for local government reorganisation in Hampshire. Having asked councils and communities to invest time and effort in planning for significant change, it has now withdrawn a decision it made only 28 weeks ago. There is no excuse for the government’s mishandling of this process.

"This announcement came without warning and we will carefully review the detail of the ministerial statement as we seek answers on what this means for the future of local councils.

"We believe in our proposal for North Hampshire because it gets the balance right.  Close enough to be connected to our communities, but large enough to stay strong. Any proposal for a larger council covering more of Hampshire would be wrong for our area.

"While Hampshire County Council continues to face serious financial challenges that threaten further cuts to local services, our focus will remain on protecting high-quality services for residents and securing a future council capable of delivering the modern, sustainable services that residents deserve. We will continue to stand up for our communities."