08/09/2026
📢 Local Government Reorganisation – Update
You may have seen in the news yesterday that the Government has announced it will review its decisions on local government reorganisation and has withdrawn its previous decision for Hampshire and the Solent.
Leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Councillor Phil North, has issued the following statement in response:
"We have been notified this afternoon that central government will be reviewing local government reorganisation (LGR) across the country, and in our area has formally withdrawn the decision for Hampshire and the Solent. Local government reorganisation was never a path that we chose to walk down, but having been directed by the government, we have always sought to secure the very best outcome for the residents of Test Valley. It is frustrating that it feels that we have been marched up to the top of the hill, just to be marched back down again. Though it seems at this point that this is just a pause in the process. More positively though, this will give us more time to deliver on our ambitious plans for our communities, including the next phases of town centre regeneration in both Andover and Romsey.
"Whatever comes next, our commitment to securing the very best outcome for Test Valley residents remains. If LGR is to continue, that means creating a new authority where Test Valley communities are not dominated by a large urban area. Whilst at the same time putting people and communities at the heart of public services.
"The government's review is also another chance to lobby for all our Test Valley communities to remain together, including those in Chilworth, Nursling, Rownhams and Valley Park, which the government had previously decided to put in a new urban-centric South-West authority.”
𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹’𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.
𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻, 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲.
