East Hampshire District Council and Hampshire County Council have submitted their joint proposal for local government reorganisation to central government.

And the Conservative-led plan has already attracted criticism from East Hampshire’s Liberal Democrat councillors and from neighbouring Winchester City Council.

East Hampshire and Hampshire recommend creating four new unitary councils - three in Hampshire and one on the Isle of Wight - to replace the existing 15 county, unitary, district and borough councils.

East Hampshire councillors discussed the proposal at a full council meeting on September 25 before cabinet members agreed to submit it on September 26.

Changes are being proposed because the government wants to abolish two-tier local government structures across the country, replacing county, district and borough councils with fewer unitary authorities providing all local government services.

East Hampshire claims the joint proposal will create “simpler, stronger and more secure local councils” providing the “best possible value, greater local accountability and reliable services”.

East Hampshire District Council leader Cllr Richard Millard said: “Today marks a major step forward. Our proposal for a four-unitary model is bold, forward-thinking and built on solid evidence.

“This plan unlocks around £50 million in annual savings, safeguards our most vulnerable residents and lays the foundation for economic growth and innovation.

“I care deeply that our communities are empowered and this proposal outlines how we will achieve that so that as well as delivering vital services and stimulating growth, we will also be able to ensure that the ‘little things’ that matter to our residents don’t get lost.

“I’m proud to be putting forward a credible, ambitious, evidence-led proposal and I’m eager to hear the government’s response.”

Hampshire County Council leader Cllr Nick Adams-King said: “This submission is the result of detailed analysis, careful collaboration and a steadfast commitment to Hampshire’s future.

“We’ve listened to the diverse voices from across our area, ensuring our proposal reflects the insight and priorities of residents, partners and local organisations.

“By drawing on expert advice and broad engagement, we are confident that the model we’ve set out will keep vital services strong, empower local decision-making, and provide a stable foundation to transform and improve the way councils work for residents through new opportunities for investment and economic growth in local areas.

“Above all our approach is about building a resilient, forward-looking system of local government that puts residents and their families first and secures the best outcomes for our communities, today and for generations to come.”

East Hampshire District Council’s Liberal Democrat councillors called it “the worst local government reorganisation option” for the district’s residents, describing it as “too big, too blunt and too remote”.

East Hampshire’s Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Elaine Woodard said: “Residents want local government. That doesn’t mean servicing Horndean from Basingstoke.”

At Hampshire County Council’s full council meeting to discuss the proposal, 28 of 50 Conservative councillors voted for the plan and 16 did not attend.

East Hampshire’s Liberal Democrat group deputy leader Cllr Emily Young said: “We’ve ended up with the worst outcome for East Hampshire.

“Hampshire County Council fast-tracked local government reorganisation and postponed elections, leaving a tired Tory majority - with no fresh mandate from voters - deciding our future.

“Had elections gone ahead this year, the Tories would have been wiped out and this plan would never have surfaced. A Lib Dem administration would push for smaller, more agile unitaries that serve communities and adapt to local needs.”

Four Marks and Medstead councillor Roland Richardson added: “Our councillors are spread right across East Hampshire - in Alton and Four Marks, in Petersfield, Liss, Clanfield and Horndean - so we’re in touch with people across the district.

“Residents would overwhelmingly prefer a unitary focused on rural and market towns, rather than being lumped into an area that covers everything from ultra-urban to extremely rural, plus a city and a major town. We fear our voice will be drowned out by the needs of more populated areas.”

Petersfield councillor Louise Bevan said: “Economies of scale work best where areas share similar needs. The Tory-led partnership between East Hampshire District Council and Havant ultimately failed because their priorities diverged, underscoring the need to focus on communities with shared challenges.

“The authority Hampshire County Council and East Hampshire District Council propose would be too remote to respond effectively at the local level.”

Councillors John Smart and Chris Tonge sought the views of visitors to the Clanfield Summer Fair.

They said: “The bigger the unitary, the less popular it was. A Mid-Hampshire unitary combining East Hants with Winchester and Test Valley was by far the most supported.”

The rest of the councils in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight - with the exception of Gosport Borough Council, which did not take part in the local government reorganisation process - jointly proposed four councils on the mainland rather than three.

In their survey, more than half of East Hampshire residents backed a Mid-Hampshire council joining East Hampshire with Test Valley and Winchester - an option not offered by Hampshire County Council and East Hampshire District Council.

Cllr Woodard concluded: “Let’s hope the government sees sense. Political egos must not outweigh residents’ needs. When decisions are made in an echo chamber, the challenge disappears - and with it, open debate and the chance to find better solutions. Lib Dems will keep fighting for local, responsive unitaries that genuinely serve East Hampshire.”

Cllr Martin Tod - leader of Winchester City Council, which covers Alresford - said: “Winchester City Council stands alongside almost all the other councils in Hampshire in believing that - with the constraints set by government - it’s right to have four authorities on the mainland and to make sure the Isle of Wight continues to have its own council.

“This delivers councils close enough to deliver responsively and locally for our residents and big enough to protect and deliver the essential services we need.

“The only alternative to four mainland authorities that’s on the table, which merges the Winchester district - including our southern communities such as Denmead, Wickham, Southwick and Whiteley - in with Basingstoke and Aldershot, isn’t acceptable. I know the communities in the north don’t support it and it’s not right for us either.

“Our preferred option includes a mid-Hampshire council comprising Winchester and its neighbours in Test Valley and East Hampshire. We believe our proposals for the other three councils on the mainland also make sense - economically, practically and geographically - with all of them well-placed to better deliver services and give local communities a voice.”