Government Withdraws Isle Of Wight Council Reorganisation Decision

The Government has withdrawn its decision on the future structure of local government covering the Isle of Wight and Hampshire.

Ministers have launched a review of the local government reorganisation programme following updated legal advice.

The decision announced in March would have seen four new unitary councils created on the Hampshire mainland, while the Isle of Wight Council remained as a separate unitary authority.

That decision has now been withdrawn.

The Government's review covers Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton, alongside three other areas where decisions made earlier this year have also been withdrawn.

The original plans would have replaced Hampshire's existing county, district and borough councils with four larger unitary authorities.

The Isle of Wight would have remained on its existing footprint as a separate council.

The Government says the review is intended to examine the local government reorganisation programme as a whole and ensure the process is being carried out correctly and robustly.

Minister for Local Government, Devolution and Regional Growth Jim McMahon said the Government had listened to concerns about the “approach and pace” of reorganisation and that “now is the time to pause and reflect”.

The review means that local elections scheduled for May 2027 will go ahead on existing council boundaries, rather than being replaced by elections to the proposed new authorities.

The Government has also asked councils to stop work on implementing the reorganisation decisions while the review is carried out.

For the Isle of Wight, the withdrawal means the position agreed in March — for the Island to remain a standalone unitary authority — is no longer the Government's current decision.

However, ministers have not announced any alternative plans for the Island.

The Government says it will communicate the next steps once the review has progressed.