In March, Government announced that the councils currently operating across Hampshire, Southampton and Portsmouth will be reduced from 14 to 4 from April 2028 with each of the new ‘unitary’ councils delivering all council services provided by the County Council, 11 district and borough councils, and unitary authorities of Southampton and Portsmouth. Following that decision, the County Council has requested on numerous occasions for further clarification from Government on its decision-making and justification of its decision.
However, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has failed to sufficiently explain why and how the Secretary of State reached his final decision, including justification of the financial case for his choice. This lack of full and transparent explanation has now triggered the start of formal proceedings by the County Council.
Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Nick Adams-King said: “Having taken detailed legal advice, we believe there are proper grounds to challenge the Government’s decision through the courts. This is not a step we have taken lightly.
“Local Government Reorganisation will affect more than two million people across Hampshire and the Solent and determine how vital local services are funded and delivered for decades to come. We fully recognise the cost of legal action, but that must be set against the potentially far greater cost of getting reorganisation wrong.
“A flawed and financially unsustainable structure could cost Hampshire’s council taxpayers tens, if not hundreds, of millions of pounds over the next decade. It could mean higher costs, prolonged disruption, less money for front-line services and councils that are simply unable to provide the support residents rely upon every day. That affects everything from road repairs, social care and school transport to waste collection and support for vulnerable children and adults.
“The consequences of this decision will be felt by communities across Hampshire for generations. We therefore have a duty to hold the Government to account and establish whether the Secretary of State’s decision was transparent, properly reasoned, supported by the evidence and informed by the professional advice provided by the civil servants responsible for the reorganisation programme.
“Above all, we need to be satisfied that this decision was made in the best interests of Hampshire’s residents and will result in councils that are financially resilient, sustainable and capable of delivering the services people need.”
The legal challenge has no impact on the work of the County Council in serving Hampshire’s 1.4 million residents. Services continue to be delivered in the usual way across the county’s communities.
This also includes ongoing work to prepare for council reorganisation which will continue unless and until Government instructs otherwise. This steady, consistent approach will ensure the County Council retains the best foundation for whatever model of local government comes next.