On 6 February 2025, the Government announced that Hampshire County Council (HCC), Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils and Isle of Wight Council had been successful in their joint bid for inclusion on the Government's fast-track Devolution Priority Programme (DPP).
It is proposed that a regional Mayor will be elected to head up a new Strategic Authority across the wider region. The mayor will be responsible for local economic growth, strategic planning and infrastructure, strategic transport and other areas. Their powers and funding will be transferred from government departments.
These proposals include changing how councils are structured, ending two-tier county and district council arrangements by reorganising local government to create new unitary local authorities, possibly merging councils, or changing who is responsible for specific services. Click here for HCC and New Forest District Council statements.
It should be clearer by the Autumn what this might mean for the New Forest and the Beaulieu Parish.
