A quick, plain-English update on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) for Waterside residents; (if its TL:DR I get that too!)

What’s happening: the Government has decided that New Forest District Council, along with every other council across Hampshire, will be abolished and replaced with new unitary councils.

For us, that means two new councils. Totton and Eling, Marchwood, Hythe and Dibden, and Fawley will become part of a new South West Hampshire council, alongside Southampton, Eastleigh and part of Test Valley. The rest of the New Forest will join a new Mid Hampshire council.

When: nothing changes yet. The new councils won’t take over until April 2028.

What it means right now: nothing changes today. Your bins, council tax, housing services, benefits and everything else continue exactly as normal, through the same channels you use now. You don’t need to do anything, reapply for anything, or give new details.

What happens next: there’s a transition period between now and 2028, during which councils across Hampshire will work together to plan the new arrangements. Any changes that do eventually affect you will be communicated clearly and well in advance.
Want to check which new council you’ll be in?

There’s a postcode checker at newforest.gov.uk/LGR, where you can also sign up for update emails.

A bit more on how this is actually being run, for anyone who wants the fuller picture:

Councils across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have set up Joint Committees — one for each of the four new unitary areas being created (South West Hampshire, South East Hampshire, Mid Hampshire and North Hampshire) — made up of elected councillors from the councils involved.

These committees provide political oversight and decision-making on how each new authority is designed. New Forest District Council’s representative on both the Mid Hampshire and South West Hampshire committees is Cllr Jill Cleary, the Council Leader.

Above the committees sits a Joint Leaders Oversight Forum, where council Leaders discuss strategic issues together, and an Implementation Board that coordinates delivery across the whole programme, reporting in turn to Government.

Underneath, officers from all the councils are working through a series of workstreams — covering finance, governance, staffing, IT systems, communications and more — to prepare for the practical business of splitting up services and standing up new organisations in time for April 2028.

As your local councillor, I’ll keep making sure Waterside residents’ interests are represented as this process continues, and I’ll keep you updated here as things develop.

Update: South West Hampshire Leaders’ meeting, 30 July

Leaders from the councils forming the new South West Hampshire authority met on 30 July to discuss progress. A few things from that meeting worth sharing:

The new council will serve a population of around 482,000, projected to grow further by 2031. The agreed vision is for a council that delivers high-quality, locally tailored services focused on prevention and long-term sustainability — building strong communities and inclusive economic growth, rather than just merging back offices.

The case for bringing the Waterside into this authority rather than a Mid Hampshire one centres on bringing the port, waterside infrastructure, the airport and related industrial land together under one council, alongside communities with strong existing ties and shared travel-to-work patterns.

Leaders are also tracking a set of key delivery risks as the programme progresses — including financial sustainability, keeping services running smoothly through the transition, workforce retention, and safely bringing IT and data systems together — each with a mitigation plan attached.

Elections to the new Shadow Authority are expected in May 2027, ahead of the new council formally taking over in April 2028.