Hampshire County Council launched its Serving Hampshire consultation on Wednesday 27th July to seek views on different ways that the County Council and the 11 district councils in Hampshire can sustain the delivery of council services in the future, including through gaining more powers and funding from central Government through devolution.
Leader of HCC, Cllr Roy Perry, said: "We believe there is a democratic imperative to ask the people of Hampshire what they think now, before any decisions about the future of local government in Hampshire are taken.
"The continuing efforts to progress a Solent combined authority by Portsmouth, Southampton and Isle of Wight councils make the timing of the Serving Hampshire consultation critical. We have consulted the district councils about this consultation and made some amendments to meet some of their concerns."
The consultation is being undertaken by leading market research company Ipsos MORI, and invites views on options for combined authorities, elected mayors and unitary local government in Hampshire and the status quo.
The public consultation will be accompanied by a representative telephone survey, as well as public forums.
The consultation closes at 23.59 on 20 September 2016. The findings will be published in autumn 2016 and will help to inform the County Council's considerations about what recommendation to make to central Government.
Pictured; Cllr Roy Perry, Leader of HCC
More information ...
Full details about the Serving Hampshire consultation are available here.