Winchester City Council's Cabinet met on Thursday, 25th September 2025, to discuss and approve the final proposal for Local Government Re-organisation (LGR) in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The Cabinet reviewed feedback from the council and approved the submission of the proposal to the government, prioritising Option 2 but also including a conditional request for a modification referred to as Option 1A. The Leader was authorised to agree to minor changes, if needed.

Local Government Re-organisation: Final Proposal for Hampshire & Isle of Wight

The Cabinet approved recommendations regarding the final proposal for Local Government Re-organisation (LGR) in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, for submission to the government by the 26 September 2025 deadline.

The council had previously considered the submission “‘close enough to be local, big enough to stay strong’” at a Full Council meeting on 24 September 2025. The Cabinet reviewed these views before approving the full proposal to government, as detailed in Appendix 4 of report CAB3515.

The council's primary support is for Option 2 within the proposal. However, the proposal also includes a conditional request to the government for a modification, referred to as Option 1A, which is Option 1 with modifications. This is wholly conditional upon a formal request to Government as part of the Council’s submission to undertake a modification to permit Option 1A as outlined in the proposal documents.

The Cabinet also agreed that Councillor Martin Tod, Leader and Cabinet Member for Regeneration, in consultation with the Chief Executive, is authorised to agree to minor changes to the proposal on behalf of Winchester City Council, provided all 12 councils involved agree to the changes.

The report CAB3515 includes several appendices:

• Appendix 1: Letter from the Secretary of State in February 2025.
• Appendix 2: Joint Interim Plan Submission.
• Appendix 3: Interim Plan Feedback.
• Appendix 4-1: LGR business case.
• Appendix 4-2: LGR appendices.
• Appendix 5.

Other Business

The Cabinet also dealt with procedural items at the start of the meeting, including apologies for absence and disclosure of interests. They noted requests from councillors to make representations on agenda items, and the names of members of the public wishing to speak.