Following last month’s EU referendum result and a period of potential economic disruption, county council leader Roy Perry has called on the Government to avoid causing unnecessary instability to Hampshire’s economy – and instead halt plans that he believes would split up Hampshire and erode the strength of vital services to residents across the county.

And despite the change in Government, this message is felt to remain valid.
In a letter to former Prime Minister David Cameron, Mr Perry said that now was not the time to press ahead with proposals to implement a Solent devolution deal, thought to be favoured by East Hampshire District Council, which would break up crucial transport services on which Hampshire’s economy depends, and risk damaging, among other things, significant public investment in essential transport schemes.

And he has called for the resetting of the agenda on devolution.
“The closure of the referendum campaign brings an ideal opportunity to reset the agenda on devolution and refocus on what we’re actually trying to deliver – strengthened local democracy, sustainable local growth and reformed public services.

“The positive energy from Government’s initial announcement to devolve more decision-making powers to local areas has sadly dissipated, as councils up and down the country have divided over two issues – Government’s insistence on having directly-elected mayors, and possible local government reorganisation as the alternative. This is certainly the case in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight where the collective, previously healthy, working relationships have been placed under massive strain by the very process that was supposed to bring us better together.

“We shouldn’t be spending time and resources on these disputes at a time of such uncertainty for the future of the economy and public services.”
Mr Perry said that with the county council needing to save a further £120m by 2019, and most other local authorities also facing similar financial pressures, “there is deep concern across Hampshire about the enormous additional risks of dismantling consistently high-performing services such as child protection, highway maintenance and adult social care, and transferring them to combined or unitary authorities that split the county into several pieces, and cut across the well-established boundaries for the police, fire service and health”.

“That is the inescapable conclusion of the current Solent plans,” he said.
He was heartened therefore when at the Local Government Association conference in Bournemouth, then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Greg Clark gave an assurance that the devolution process would not fragment historic boundaries.