Rural communities in Hampshire face being absorbed into an urban authority, as council leaders condemn the Government’s reorganisation plans as a “land grab” and the “worst outcome” for local residents.

The Conservative leader of East Hampshire District Council (EHDC), Cllr Richard Millard, has criticised proposed boundary changes under the Government’s local government reorganisation (LGR), warning they risk forcing the district’s southern parishes into a “wholly urban, non-parished authority”.

The controversy centres on plans to redraw council boundaries despite earlier assurances that reorganisation would, where possible, respect existing lines.

Council leaders argue the changes would create unnecessary disruption while delivering no clear financial or service benefits.

Concerns were raised at an EHDC meeting on Thursday, April 23, when Cllr Sara Schillemore warned that the move could see rural communities lose their identity and local representation.

She said the decision had come as a “shock” to residents, who had “no chance to discuss or inform” the process, and questioned whether the council would support efforts to realign the parishes with a more rural authority.

Cllr Schillemore also pointed to concerns over precedent, noting that Portsmouth City Council abolished its only parish council in Southsea in 2010.

In response, the leader said the council had deliberately avoided recommending boundary changes in its own proposal, citing a commitment to “stability, coherence, and delivery”, and argued the Government’s approach runs “directly counter” to those principles.

Cllr Millard said: “At no point in time would we ever have considered taking and disposing and splitting off the southern parishes.

“The boundary changes we have now imposed on us risk undermining the very objective of local government reorganisation by prioritising structural upheaval over practical outcomes for communities.”

He added that the plans represent the “most complex, high risk and financially unsustainable model”, warning they could place further strain on already stretched local services.

Cllr Millard told members he has written to the Secretary of State urging a reconsideration of the approved proposal, arguing it would divert resources into transition costs rather than frontline services.