The New Forest is more than a place on a map; it is our home, our community, and a defining part of our identity. For generations, its landscape, culture and way of life have shaped who we are. Yet today, the Government’s Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) plans threaten to break the New Forest apart.

Under these proposals, large parts of our community would be forced into a new, urban‑centred authority dominated by Southampton. This ignores the character, needs and values of the New Forest and contradicts the Government’s own criteria for reorganisation - which state that existing district and borough authorities should form the building blocks of any new councils and that local community cohesion would be of upmost importance. Instead of respecting that principle, the New Forest is being carved up.

What makes this even more unacceptable is that 97% of residents who responded to the public consultation opposed this break‑up. Their voices have been ignored. We were given no vote, no mandate, and no meaningful say in a decision that will reshape our home for generations.

Why this matters legally and why we believe there are solid grounds

This campaign believes there is a credible legal basis for challenging the decision. The Government’s own criteria have not been met, the consultation results showing overwhelming opposition were disregarded, and the decision‑making process appears inconsistent with the principles the Government itself set out.

Some have pointed to Christchurch’s unsuccessful challenge during the BCP merger, but the comparison is flawed.
Christchurch was merged into a single authority. The New Forest is being split apart, which was not proposed under the Government’s criteria. This is a materially different situation.

Our Clear, Constructive Plan

We are calling on New Forest District Council to take two immediate steps:

1️⃣ Seek a formal Counsel Opinion:
NFDC should urgently instruct a specialist public‑law barrister to review the process, the criteria, and the consultation evidence to determine whether there are solid grounds for legal challenge. This work should be carried out in collaboration with Test Valley Borough Council, who are also at risk of seeing parts of their area absorbed into Southampton. A joint approach would strengthen the case, share expertise, and demonstrate unified local opposition to the proposals. This is a standard, responsible step and one that any council facing a decision of this scale should take.

2️⃣ Pursue a Judicial Review if the Counsel Opinion confirms there are grounds:
If the legal advice supports it, NFDC must act swiftly and pursue a Judicial Review to contest the break‑up of the New Forest.
The window to act is extremely short. Once the proposals move to the next stage, reversing them becomes far harder.

Irrespective of NFDC’s position or the outcome of any Council debate, we - the undersigned - wholeheartedly oppose the Government’s carve‑up of the New Forest and call on the Government to reconsider these proposals in full.

Local government reorganisation may be coming, but that does not mean our communities must be torn apart. The New Forest deserves to remain whole. Our shared history, our identity, and the bonds that make this place our home must be respected.

It is time for our centuries old community to stand together and say clearly: we will not be broken apart.

Sign this petition and help keep the New Forest together before it’s too late.

New Forest Together