Fareham Borough Council notes the Government’s decision to withdraw its Local Government Reorganisation decision for Hampshire and undertake a further review of the programme following legal advice. The Council now awaits urgent clarification from Government on what this review means for Hampshire and the timetable for future decisions.
Leader of Fareham Borough Council, Councillor Simon Martin, said:
“I have consistently called for the Government to delay Local Government Reorganisation for at least 12 months to ensure that such a significant change to local services and local democracy is properly considered and based on sound evidence.
“Whilst it is right that the Government takes the necessary steps to ensure that its process is lawful and robust, today’s announcement will inevitably create further uncertainty for residents, elected members and council staff.
“The Government initiated this process and required councils to commit substantial officer time and public money to developing detailed proposals. Today’s decision raises legitimate questions about whether that effort and expenditure could have been avoided had Ministers taken more time to establish a clear and legally robust process from the outset.
“The stop-start nature of this process has created uncertainty and risks wasting both time and taxpayers’ money. Councils need clarity on the way forward so they can focus on delivering high-quality services for their residents.
“We will await further details from Government and will continue to work constructively with our Hampshire partners to ensure that the interests of Fareham residents remain at the heart of any future decisions.”
