Hart District Council is fighting for its very survival in the Hampshire Local Government reorganisation. Hart has sent a desperate letter and copy of a leaflet to the Hart District Town and Parish Councils setting out the case for its proposals for a ‘Heart of Hampshire’ Combined Authority. This is in stark contrast to the competing Unitary Authority proposal from Hampshire County Council. Both proposals have been put forward in the Hampshire County Council consultation which closes on 20 September 2016.
Hart’s proposal would lead to the introduction of an additional tier of local Government and a directly elected mayor along with a claimed extra £30m per year to be split amongst the participating authorities including Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Hart District Council, New Forest District Council, Rushmoor Borough Council, Test Valley Borough Council and Winchester City Council. Hampshire County Council and the M3 Enterprise LEP would also be involved. In return the COmbined Authority would gain extra powers although it isn’t clear just what these extra powers would be.
Hampshire County are proposing a Unitary Authority approach which would mean the abolition of district councils like Hart and Hampshire County Council and their replacement by new Unitary Councils who would provide all services. These proposals would lead to savings of up to £40m in senior management and councillor costs, optimising services and reduced property costs.
More detail on the pros and cons can be found here and here.
Hart’s letter to the town and parish councils and a copy of the leaflet to be sent to all households can be found on the downloads below.
Hart have set our their own devolution web page here and Hampshire County Council have set up a local government reorganisation web page here.
Hart’s Housing team have won awards and appear to be doing a great job. Their Planning team however are a clusterf…(omnishambles)
Hart’s Housing team have won awards and appear to be doing a great job. Their Planning team however are a clusterf…(omnishambles)
In the interests of fairness I am very happy to acknowledge anything Hart has done well. So if anyone knows please post because I cannot think of one thing, planning being top of the list of disasters.
How dare they try to frighten the community with doom and gloom if Hart powers are removed or curtailed.
The point I find interesting is that they seem to be against creating a ‘super-sized council based in Winchester’, but they don’t say whether they would be against a ‘super-sized council based in Fleet’.
It is a desperate little sad leaflet, badly written. Who may I ask paid for its production and distribution via Royal Mail? Ah yes, that will be the council tax payer or maybe it came out of Arnold’s 34k. Whatever some vital service will lose out as a result. How are they spend public money like this. A big shake up please Hampshire, keep the best only and put in a sophisticated computer system. Tough talented customer orientated staff only!
It is a desperate little sad leaflet, badly written. Who may I ask paid for its production and distribution via Royal Mail? Ah yes, that will be the council tax payer or maybe it came out of Arnold’s 34k. Whatever some vital service will lose out as a result. How are they spend public money like this. A big shake up please Hampshire, keep the best only and put in a sophisticated computer system. Tough talented customer orientated staff only!
I’m afraid that after the solar farm fiasco and their refusal to give me back my £34,000 planning fee that they did precious little to justify I can’t rustle up any sympathy.
The irony is that they will probably all end up working for Hampshire on higher salaries with bigger pensions. I wonder what they have spent my £34,000 on.
I’m afraid that after the solar farm fiasco and their refusal to give me back my £34,000 planning fee that they did precious little to justify I can’t rustle up any sympathy.
The irony is that they will probably all end up working for Hampshire on higher salaries with bigger pensions. I wonder what they have spent my £34,000 on.