Mid Hampshire
Future unitary authority area in England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mid Hampshire is a unitary authority area which is scheduled to be created in Hampshire, England, as part of ongoing local government reform. It will be by formed by a merger of most of the existing districts of the Winchester, New Forest, Test Valley, and East Hampshire, and will include the city of Winchester, and various towns including Alton, Andover and Lymington. Parts of all four districts near the South Hampshire urban area will form part of the South West Hampshire and South East Hampshire unitary authorities, which will border Mid Hampshire to the south.[1]
Mid Hampshire | |
|---|---|
Future unitary authority area | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 51.06°N 1.31°W | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | England |
| Region | South East |
| Ceremonial county | Hampshire |
| Incorporated | 1 April 2028 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Unitary authority |
| • Body | Mid Hampshire Council |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
As well as South West Hampshire and South East Hampshire, the district will border Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Dorset and Wiltshire to the west; West Berkshire and North Hampshire to the north; and West Surrey and one or more planned unitary districts of West Sussex to the east.
The first councillors will be elected in the 2027 Mid Hampshire Council election in May 2027, and the new authority will assume full powers in April 2028.[2]
Geography
The planned district's geography is diverse. The current local authority districts whose areas will make up Mid Hampshire (New Forest, Test Valley, City of Winchester and East Hampshire) cover seven of the national character areas defined by Natural England.[3]
The seven national character areas which intersect with the current districts are:[3]
- Dorset Downs and Cranborne Chase
- Dorset Heaths
- New Forest
- Hampshire Downs
- South Hampshire Lowlands
- South Downs
- South Coast Plain
- Wealden Greensand
The four constituting districts also have areas within two national parks (New Forest and the South Downs) and two further National Landscapes (North Wessex Downs and Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs).[3]