All four councils will now write to the Minister of State for Local Government & Devolution to participate in the devolution process, which should see a new combined authority and mayor role created.
January 31 will be a date to be saved by Hampshire authorities and residents. That Friday, the Secretary of State will announce whether the region will be included in the Devolution Priority Programme (DPP) and whether the county elections will be postponed by a year until May 2026.
Assuming Hampshire and the Solent region are included in the DPP, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will launch a six—to eight-week public consultation in February.
During the consultation, the region’s two million people can submit their views, thoughts, and concerns.
The exact date on which the consultation will start is yet to be determined.
Bearing in mind that the inclusion on the DPP will postpone the council May elections, business as usual would continue with the council focusing on delivering the local government reorganisation (LGR). This would completely change the landscape of Hampshire’s local councils by replacing the current two-tier council system, which is in place across most of the region, with a number of new unitary (all-purpose) councils.
This change aims to simplify how councils are organised and run, creating large and financially resilient unitary councils that are more efficient, and effective and deliver better value for money for taxpayers.
In March 2025, the government expects areas to present initial proposals for the local government reorganisation (LGR).
If the region is on the DPP, Hampshire will have until autumn 2025 to submit final proposals.
As part of the commitment of the DPP, a mayoral election would have to take place in May 2026.
The government plans to run LGR and devolution in parallel. The first mayors are expected to be elected in 2026, and new unitary authorities will come into existence in 2027 (shadow form) and 2028.
The combined authority
The devolution deal includes the creation of a combined authority and a new mayor for the area.
The combined authority won’t be a new council or group of elected members. The only new elected person in the process will be the mayor.
Therefore, the combined authority will be the body that supports the mayor and helps make the decisions that are undertaken in their name.
That will be composed of the leaders of the upper-tier councils, Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth, and the Isle of Wight, and potentially other leaders of the district and boroughs.
The reorganisation of the area could lead to the expansion of Southampton or Portsmouth into their neighbourhood villages.
Expanding the devolution bid
The leader of Hampshire County Council, Nick Adams-King, recently said the council would welcome Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council to join the Hampshire and Solent devolution bid.
Cllr Adams-King told the Bournemouth Echo: “I am very open to BCP looking eastwards rather than westwards to the Heart of Wessex, especially given my knowledge of the area and of BCP itself.
“I can completely see why BCP might feel Hampshire and the Solent is the better option than going westwards, certainly in terms of geography, transport, economic links and the nature of the conurbation. It makes complete sense to me.”