| New Forest District Council (NFDC) has welcomed a letter from New Forest East MP Sir Julian Lewis to the Minister for Local Government, calling for the unique identity, integrity and future of the New Forest to be protected as part of ongoing discussions about local government reorganisation and English devolution in Hampshire and the Solent. |
| Sir Julian’s letter highlights concerns about emerging proposals from neighbouring councils to divide the New Forest district and remove its coastal Waterside communities, an approach he describes as “anathema” to local residents and contrary to the government’s own guidance.
The letter is endorsed by all four political group leaders on NFDC and echoes the council’s consistent position that any changes to local government structures must respect the historic, cultural and community integrity of the New Forest and be shaped with local people, not imposed upon them. NFDC Leader Cllr Jill Cleary said: “We are proud to have a cross-party consensus on this important issue, and we thank Sir Julian for his strong advocacy on behalf of our communities. The New Forest is a unique and cohesive area, environmentally, culturally, and economically. Any attempt to divide it would not only undermine service delivery and local identity but also add unnecessary complexity, cost and risk to the reorganisation process. Our position remains clear: we are working as asked by government to reform local council, but we believe the New Forest should remain whole and be treated as a building block in any future arrangements. We urge government to support a process that strengthens, rather than fragments, local identity, service efficiency and accountability.” NFDC continues to engage constructively with other councils, and with government, to shape a sustainable and locally supported future model of local government that delivers for New Forest residents and businesses. https://www.newforest.gov.uk/article/3886/Devolution-and-local-government-reorganisation |
