Consultations on how our future councils will look
Hampshire County Council and Hart District Council are consulting on proposals for how the new unitary authorities will look.
Published: 21 July 2025
The Government will replace the current two-tier system of counties and district councils with unitary councils across the country. For residents in Winchfield this means Hampshire County Council and Hart District Council will no longer exist and will be replaced by one unitary council. Winchfield Parish Council will continue in its current form, existing alongside the new unitary council.
Each council has been asked to put forward one preferred proposal setting out what the new unitary councils should look like and what areas they should cover. Hampshire County Council and Hart District Council do not agree on what the new unitary councils should look like and have developed separate proposals that are each the subject of separate consultations. These proposals need to be submitted to the government by September 2025 with the new unitary councils replacing existing councils in April 2028.
Hampshire County Council is working with East Hampshire District Council on a proposed preferred model setting up three unitary councils plus the Isle of Wight as a separate unitary, covering the whole of Hampshire and the Solent. Full details of the proposal are on the Hampshire County Council website. From 21 July to 17 August Hampshire County Council will be undertaking a public engagement exercise and residents are encouraged to respond to these proposals. In this proposal Winchfield would be part of a North and Mid Hampshire unitary council covering the current council areas of Basingstoke and Deane, East Hampshire, Hart, Rushmoor and Winchester.
Hart District Council is working with 11 other councils in Hampshire to come up with different proposals that include more, smaller unitary councils covering the whole of Hampshire. Views are currently being sought on these proposals in a consultation by the 12 councils. For Winchfield this would mean being part of a northern Hampshire unitary council covering Basingstoke and Deane, Hart and Rushmoor. The consultation is open until 27 July.