Local Government Reorganisation proposal published
Published: 3 September 2025
The Isle of Wight would continue to have a separate, standalone unitary authority in a new model for local government set out in a joint proposal by 12 councils across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
For the mainland, the proposal recommends creating four new unitary councils, replacing the existing 14 mainland councils.
This would result in a five-unitary authority model across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The proposal is the outcome of joint work by the participating councils and estimates potential annual savings of at least £63.9 million.
The proposal, titled Close enough to be local, big enough to stay strong, has been developed in response to a government request for councils to submit ideas for how local government could be reorganised to improve efficiency and service delivery.
The proposal includes three possible configurations for the four new mainland unitary councils, grouped around the major centres of Southampton, Portsmouth, Winchester and Basingstoke.
The Isle of Wight would retain its current unitary status, recognising its distinct geography, infrastructure and service needs.
The proposal outlines the following objectives:
- to simplify the structure of local government across the region;
- to improve the efficiency and coordination of public services;
- to reduce administrative costs and reinvest savings into frontline services;
- to maintain local accountability and decision-making;
- to support future collaboration and regional development opportunities.
Isle of Wight councillors will consider the proposal at Full Council on Wednesday, 17 September, ahead of the government’s submission deadline of Friday, 26 September.