Hampshire County Council will decide this week if it wishes to be one of the first local authorities to secure devolution for the county under the Government’s new plans.
Over the course of January 9 and 10, the council and its cabinet will decide whether or not to make a request to be included in the Government’s devolution priority programme.
If Hampshire was to be included, this would likely result in the delegation of central Government decision-making powers and additional funding being granted to Hampshire’s councils to give them more control over certain areas such as education, transportation, and health services.
Hampshire County Council offices
The county council hopes that if it does get on to the programme, it would do so “with a view to unlocking the opportunities devolved powers would have as quickly as possible for the benefit of residents and communities across the region”.
This follows an agreement with the Isle of Wight Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council, at the end of August 2024, to submit to Government a joint Expression of Interest (EOI) in forming a single combined authority for the collective area of the four upper tier authorities.
Hampshire County Council leader Nick Adams-King said: “We are on the brink of a transformative journey for Hampshire, and the vehicle driving us forward is devolution.
“Our goal is a Hampshire & Solent where decisions, big and small, are made close to the people they affect; where less bureaucracy means quicker, simpler processes; and where councils can deliver even better value for money to residents and businesses.
Hampshire County Council leader Nick Adams-King
“Therefore, with this report, I will be seeking the backing of not just my cabinet but all Hampshire county councillors in asking for their agreement to the proposed recommendations to Hampshire joining the Government’s priority programme.
“As I have made clear previously, I have been in active dialogue with the leaders of the unitary, borough and district authorities over these past months so that we would be in a position to be able to take control of our future and secure the best deal possible as soon as the chance arose.
“That time is now.”
If it is agreed by the council that a request for inclusion on the fast-track programme should be made, this would be the first step towards the creation of a strategic authority across the wider region incorporating the local authority areas of Hampshire County Council, Isle of Wight Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council.
In addition to the creation of a new strategic authority, the Government is also expecting all areas across the country to produce local government re-organisation plans by autumn 2025.
This will create new large unitary authorities across the region, which for Hampshire will mean bringing together the county council, 11 borough and district councils and small neighbouring unitary authorities into a number of new large unitary authorities.
To help areas develop and implement devolution proposals in the most ambitious timeframes, the Government has been clear that it expects local authorities to postpone local council elections from May 2025 to May 2026.
This will enable devolution proposals to progress at pace in 2025 and ensure the benefits for the area are realised as quickly as possible.