Hampshire County Council calls for county to remain as one

That is the message from the leader of Hampshire County Council Roy Perry.

He was reiterating his call for the county to remain as one while speaking at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Government Association meeting.

Cllr Perry said: ‘While devolution discussions have seen proposals for combined authorities, we remain of the firm view that before any changes are proposed there must first be a proper independent, thorough and objective consultation exercise.

‘We need to find out what the residents of Hampshire want, particularly as research we have commissioned shows that keeping Hampshire united could deliver £40m of savings to the public purse.

‘This whole-Hampshire solution offers greater strength, capacity and scale than a deal that cuts the county in half – and residents must be given a say.

‘A decision on the future structure of local government will affect generations to come. It’s vital that we listen first and decide later, not the other way around.’

Cllr Perry’s comments come after he said the Portsmouth region was ‘letting down Hampshire’s economy.’