Dear Residents,
I am writing to provide you with an important update regarding the Government’s recent decision on local government reorganisation in Hampshire. On 25 March 2026, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP, announced the final proposals for restructuring local government across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton.
This will replace the current two-tier system of 15 councils with five new unitary authorities, to be established from April 2028.
As part of this reorganisation, the Government has decided to proceed with targeted boundary changes. Specifically, the parishes of Rowlands Castle, Clanfield and Horndean (currently part of East Hampshire District Council).
This new authority will bring together the areas of Fareham, Gosport, Havant and Portsmouth, along with these parishes and Newlands from Winchester.
The Secretary of State’s decision follows Option 1A, which was supported by several local councils including Havant Borough Council. The stated aim is to create simpler, more efficient structures with single unitary councils responsible for all local services — making them easier to access, strengthening financial sustainability, and better protecting vital services such as children’s and adult social care.
I have been open from the very beginning that I was against this local government reorganisation. I felt that I was not given enough information to properly assess the proposal put forward by Councillors Richard Millard and Nick Adams-King, and I spoke out against it from the start. I have continued to advocate strongly for our community — sometimes behind closed doors — but it has taken a real toll.
This has been an incredibly challenging time for me to make sure we were not split away from East Hampshire. I have always put the interests of Rowlands Castle first, throughout the process, which comes from my deep passion to ensure that the voice of Rowlands Castle is clearly heard and that our community’s unique character and needs are properly represented. I make no apology for this.
Despite everything, I do want to continue fighting for our area in whatever way I can.
I want to reassure you that I remain fully committed to advocating on your behalf during this transition. We will continue to work closely with residents, neighbouring councils and the new authority to manage these changes as smoothly as possible and to safeguard the services and sense of community that matter most to us.
Please see below, the reasons from The Secretary of State for boundary change, and what’s next at EHDC
– Best met criteria overall (noting 500 K population was a guiding principle not a fixed threshold)
– Best met financial sustainability criterion
– Grouping of urban and rural areas better reflects local identities
– More effective in supporting growth in Portsmouth and Southampton
– Boundary changes to expand Southampton in Portsmouth is considered sensible
– Credible geographic footprint for housing infrastructure to support Southampton’s role as key economic Centre and Portsmouth population density
– Coherent geography for delivering public services
– Mayoral strategical authority strengthen with Southampton Portsmouth key drivers for regional economic growth
What does this mean for EHDC?- Member representation on two joint committees
– Capacity needed as we disaggregate services into two new unitaries, alongside business as usual
– Elections to shadow authorities in 2027 with initial five-year term – 40% reduction in councillors across Hampshire
– No EHDC elections in 2027 current terms extended by 11, months. – April 2028 EHDC dissolved, new council created.
In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support during this period of significant change.
Best regards, Cllr Charlene Maines District Councillor Charlene.maines@easthants.gov.uk Rowlands Castle / East Hampshire _______________________________________________ Grapevine mailing list: info@rowlandscastle.com
The Grapevine email system is operated by the ‘Rowlands Castle Association’.
Please do not reply to this email. If you are interested in the subject please use the contact details within the Grapevine message.
To unsubscribe from the Grapevine please send an email with a blank subject to info-unsubscribe@rowlandscastle.com Thank you. Grapevine moderator.
I am writing to provide you with an important update regarding the Government’s recent decision on local government reorganisation in Hampshire. On 25 March 2026, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP, announced the final proposals for restructuring local government across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton.
This will replace the current two-tier system of 15 councils with five new unitary authorities, to be established from April 2028.
As part of this reorganisation, the Government has decided to proceed with targeted boundary changes. Specifically, the parishes of Rowlands Castle, Clanfield and Horndean (currently part of East Hampshire District Council).
This new authority will bring together the areas of Fareham, Gosport, Havant and Portsmouth, along with these parishes and Newlands from Winchester.
The Secretary of State’s decision follows Option 1A, which was supported by several local councils including Havant Borough Council. The stated aim is to create simpler, more efficient structures with single unitary councils responsible for all local services — making them easier to access, strengthening financial sustainability, and better protecting vital services such as children’s and adult social care.
I have been open from the very beginning that I was against this local government reorganisation. I felt that I was not given enough information to properly assess the proposal put forward by Councillors Richard Millard and Nick Adams-King, and I spoke out against it from the start. I have continued to advocate strongly for our community — sometimes behind closed doors — but it has taken a real toll.
This has been an incredibly challenging time for me to make sure we were not split away from East Hampshire. I have always put the interests of Rowlands Castle first, throughout the process, which comes from my deep passion to ensure that the voice of Rowlands Castle is clearly heard and that our community’s unique character and needs are properly represented. I make no apology for this.
Despite everything, I do want to continue fighting for our area in whatever way I can.
I want to reassure you that I remain fully committed to advocating on your behalf during this transition. We will continue to work closely with residents, neighbouring councils and the new authority to manage these changes as smoothly as possible and to safeguard the services and sense of community that matter most to us.
Please see below, the reasons from The Secretary of State for boundary change, and what’s next at EHDC
– Best met criteria overall (noting 500 K population was a guiding principle not a fixed threshold)
– Best met financial sustainability criterion
– Grouping of urban and rural areas better reflects local identities
– More effective in supporting growth in Portsmouth and Southampton
– Boundary changes to expand Southampton in Portsmouth is considered sensible
– Credible geographic footprint for housing infrastructure to support Southampton’s role as key economic Centre and Portsmouth population density
– Coherent geography for delivering public services
– Mayoral strategical authority strengthen with Southampton Portsmouth key drivers for regional economic growth
What does this mean for EHDC?- Member representation on two joint committees
– Capacity needed as we disaggregate services into two new unitaries, alongside business as usual
– Elections to shadow authorities in 2027 with initial five-year term – 40% reduction in councillors across Hampshire
– No EHDC elections in 2027 current terms extended by 11, months. – April 2028 EHDC dissolved, new council created.
In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support during this period of significant change.
Best regards, Cllr Charlene Maines District Councillor Charlene.maines@easthants.gov.uk Rowlands Castle / East Hampshire _______________________________________________ Grapevine mailing list: info@rowlandscastle.com
The Grapevine email system is operated by the ‘Rowlands Castle Association’.
Please do not reply to this email. If you are interested in the subject please use the contact details within the Grapevine message.
To unsubscribe from the Grapevine please send an email with a blank subject to info-unsubscribe@rowlandscastle.com Thank you. Grapevine moderator.