On 7 September 2026, Government announced that it had withdrawn its previous decision on local government reorganisation (LGR) for Hampshire and the wider Solent area and will now review that decision following updated legal advice.
Councils in Hampshire, including Havant Borough Council, have been asked to pause their work on LGR whilst the review takes place. We will continue to work closely with other local authorities to ensure we’re ready to respond to the outcome of the Government’s review.
The scheduled elections in May 2027 will now be for Havant Borough Council rather than to the shadow South East Hampshire Unitary Authority.
You can find out more about the LGR programme in Hampshire on the Future Hampshire website.
Devolution, which is the creation of a Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority led by an elected Mayor, is continuing. Mayoral elections will take place in May 2028. You can find out more about devolution on HSCCAs website.