Keep the New Forest Together: Stop the Governments LGR Carve‑Up
The Issue
🔔 CAMPAIGN UPDATE - SEPTEMBER 2026
OPTION 1A WITHDRAWN – THE NEW FOREST REMAINS TOGETHER
We have some very important news.
The Government has now withdrawn Option 1A, the proposal which would have divided the New Forest district between two new unitary authorities.
This means that this phase of our campaign has been successful. Thank you to every single person who signed, shared, volunteered, attended an event or helped make our community’s voice impossible to ignore.
📋 What happens to this petition now?
For the time being, we are keeping the online petition open, but we will no longer be actively promoting or pushing for further signatures.
We want to be completely transparent about why.
We are not changing the original purpose or narrative of this petition. Everyone who signed before the withdrawal of Option 1A did so in opposition to that proposal. That remains the mandate those signatures represent.
Anyone choosing to sign from this point onwards should therefore do so knowing that Option 1A has been withdrawn. Any new signature will simply represent continuing support for the underlying principle that:
🌳 Whatever proposals for local government may come forward in the future, the New Forest should be kept together as one.
✍️ Why does Change.org show around 23,500 signatures?
You may notice that the total displayed on this website is lower than the 32,591 signatures we presented to Downing Street.
That is because approximately 23,500 signatures were collected online through Change.org, while the remainder were collected in physical paper form across the New Forest and surrounding affected communities — through our roadshows, events, local businesses and volunteers.
Those paper signatures do not appear in Change.org’s online counter, but they formed part of the petition formally presented to Government.
The final total presented to Downing Street on the 7th September 2026 was 32,591.
We do not yet know what the next chapter of Local Government Reorganisation will look like, or when it may come. For now, however, we can celebrate an extraordinary achievement by this community.
32,591 voices. One very clear message.
💚 KEEP THE NEW FOREST TOGETHER.
--------
🔔 CAMPAIGN UPDATE - APRIL 2026
Since this petition was launched, our campaign has made significant progress.
New Forest District Council unanimously agreed to seek a formal Counsel’s Opinion on the Government’s Local Government Reorganisation proposals, achieving the first of the objectives set out in this petition.
The campaign has continued to grow, bringing together residents, businesses, councils, MPs and organisations from across the New Forest and beyond. But our fundamental objective remains unchanged: to persuade the Government to reverse its decision to break apart the New Forest District.
Our work does not stop here. We will continue pursuing every reasonable political and legal avenue available to us, while maintaining pressure on the Government to reconsider its decision before implementation.
Please continue to sign and share this petition. Every signature strengthens the message that the New Forest wants to remain together.
--------
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 moved into a new, urban-centred authority dominated by Southampton and Eastleigh. This ignores the character, needs and identity of the New Forest and, we believe, fails to meet the Government’s own criteria for Local Government Reorganisation.
The Government previously stated that existing district and borough authorities should be the building blocks of new councils and placed importance on local identity and community cohesion. Instead, the New Forest District is being carved up.
What makes this particularly difficult to accept is that 97% of New Forest residents who responded to the Government consultation opposed the break-up of the District.
We were given no vote and no direct democratic mandate for a decision that could reshape our communities for generations.
WHY THIS MATTERS:
Breaking apart an established district is not simply about drawing a new line on a map.
It risks fragmenting services, creating additional bureaucracy and imposing significant costs associated with separating existing District Council functions. Businesses operating across the New Forest could find themselves dealing with different authorities, residents could lose district-wide arrangements such as parking clocks, and communities which have worked together for decades would suddenly find themselves governed separately.
New Forest District Council has estimated significant costs associated with breaking apart the District and disaggregating its services, while Hampshire County Council has raised serious concerns about the financial sustainability of the proposed Mid-Hampshire authority without the whole New Forest tax base.
Most importantly, no convincing evidence has been presented to our communities demonstrating that splitting the New Forest District will improve services or deliver meaningful savings for residents.
We therefore believe the Government should reconsider this unwarranted, unjustified and deeply unpopular decision.
OUR CLEAR, CONSTRUCTIVE PLAN:
Our campaign is pursuing three clear objectives:
1️⃣ Seek a formal Counsel’s Opinion — ACHIEVED
We called upon New Forest District Council to instruct an independent specialist public-law barrister to examine the Government’s decision, the process followed, the published criteria and the consultation evidence, and to assess whether there were grounds for legal challenge.
New Forest District Council unanimously agreed to seek that formal legal advice on 13th April 2026.
This represented an important first achievement for the campaign and ensured that the Government’s decision-making process received proper legal scrutiny.
2️⃣ Be ready to pursue a Judicial Review — IN PROGRESS
Where there are proper legal grounds to challenge the process followed by Government, we believe every reasonable legal avenue should be considered.
The campaign therefore continues to support efforts to scrutinise the Government’s decision and, where appropriate, challenge the process through the courts.
This is not simply about opposing Local Government Reorganisation. It is about ensuring that decisions of enormous consequence for our communities are taken lawfully, fairly and in accordance with the Government’s own published criteria.
3️⃣ Work with neighbouring councils and MPs — IN PROGRESS
Alongside the legal route, we are working to build the widest possible cross-party and cross-community coalition in support of keeping the New Forest together.
We will continue working with MPs, neighbouring councils, town and parish councils, community organisations, businesses and residents to ensure that the strength of local opposition cannot simply be ignored.
Our objective is to maintain political and public pressure on the Government to reconsider its decision before implementation.
If necessary, we will also support every reasonable effort to delay implementation towards the 2029 General Election, when the decision could be reconsidered by a future Government.
But 2029 is not our preferred outcome. We believe there is still time for this Government to listen to the evidence, recognise the strength of feeling across our communities and rightly change course before then.
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT:
• 97% of New Forest residents who responded to the consultation opposed the plan.
• Those views appear to have been disregarded in reaching the final decision.
• Businesses were not properly consulted, despite the potential consequences for businesses operating across the New Forest.
• Parking clocks will no longer work district-wide, creating unnecessary complications for residents and visitors.
• Concerns remain about the consequences for school catchment areas and local services.
• New Forest District Council has estimated substantial costs associated with breaking apart the District and disaggregating services.
• Hampshire County Council opposes the Government's decision and has raised concerns about the financial sustainability of a Mid-Hampshire rural authority without the whole New Forest tax base.
• Breaking apart the District risks fragmentation, additional costs and disruption to services.
• The proposals fail to give sufficient weight to the New Forest's historic identity, economic connections and community cohesion.
• No convincing evidence has been provided to residents demonstrating that splitting the District will improve services or deliver savings.
Whatever happens next, one thing remains unchanged:
We wholeheartedly oppose the Government's break-up of the New Forest District and call upon Ministers to reconsider their decision.
Local Government Reorganisation may be coming, but that does not mean our communities need to be torn apart.
The New Forest deserves to remain whole. Our shared history, our identity, our economy 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.
Please sign the petition and help us Keep the New Forest Together.
www.NewForestTogether.co.uk
New Forest Together
Info@NewForestTogether.co.uk
23,730
The Issue
🔔 CAMPAIGN UPDATE - SEPTEMBER 2026
OPTION 1A WITHDRAWN – THE NEW FOREST REMAINS TOGETHER
We have some very important news.
The Government has now withdrawn Option 1A, the proposal which would have divided the New Forest district between two new unitary authorities.
This means that this phase of our campaign has been successful. Thank you to every single person who signed, shared, volunteered, attended an event or helped make our community’s voice impossible to ignore.
📋 What happens to this petition now?
For the time being, we are keeping the online petition open, but we will no longer be actively promoting or pushing for further signatures.
We want to be completely transparent about why.
We are not changing the original purpose or narrative of this petition. Everyone who signed before the withdrawal of Option 1A did so in opposition to that proposal. That remains the mandate those signatures represent.
Anyone choosing to sign from this point onwards should therefore do so knowing that Option 1A has been withdrawn. Any new signature will simply represent continuing support for the underlying principle that:
🌳 Whatever proposals for local government may come forward in the future, the New Forest should be kept together as one.
✍️ Why does Change.org show around 23,500 signatures?
You may notice that the total displayed on this website is lower than the 32,591 signatures we presented to Downing Street.
That is because approximately 23,500 signatures were collected online through Change.org, while the remainder were collected in physical paper form across the New Forest and surrounding affected communities — through our roadshows, events, local businesses and volunteers.
Those paper signatures do not appear in Change.org’s online counter, but they formed part of the petition formally presented to Government.
The final total presented to Downing Street on the 7th September 2026 was 32,591.
We do not yet know what the next chapter of Local Government Reorganisation will look like, or when it may come. For now, however, we can celebrate an extraordinary achievement by this community.
32,591 voices. One very clear message.
💚 KEEP THE NEW FOREST TOGETHER.
--------
🔔 CAMPAIGN UPDATE - APRIL 2026
Since this petition was launched, our campaign has made significant progress.
New Forest District Council unanimously agreed to seek a formal Counsel’s Opinion on the Government’s Local Government Reorganisation proposals, achieving the first of the objectives set out in this petition.
The campaign has continued to grow, bringing together residents, businesses, councils, MPs and organisations from across the New Forest and beyond. But our fundamental objective remains unchanged: to persuade the Government to reverse its decision to break apart the New Forest District.
Our work does not stop here. We will continue pursuing every reasonable political and legal avenue available to us, while maintaining pressure on the Government to reconsider its decision before implementation.
Please continue to sign and share this petition. Every signature strengthens the message that the New Forest wants to remain together.
--------
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 moved into a new, urban-centred authority dominated by Southampton and Eastleigh. This ignores the character, needs and identity of the New Forest and, we believe, fails to meet the Government’s own criteria for Local Government Reorganisation.
The Government previously stated that existing district and borough authorities should be the building blocks of new councils and placed importance on local identity and community cohesion. Instead, the New Forest District is being carved up.
What makes this particularly difficult to accept is that 97% of New Forest residents who responded to the Government consultation opposed the break-up of the District.
We were given no vote and no direct democratic mandate for a decision that could reshape our communities for generations.
WHY THIS MATTERS:
Breaking apart an established district is not simply about drawing a new line on a map.
It risks fragmenting services, creating additional bureaucracy and imposing significant costs associated with separating existing District Council functions. Businesses operating across the New Forest could find themselves dealing with different authorities, residents could lose district-wide arrangements such as parking clocks, and communities which have worked together for decades would suddenly find themselves governed separately.
New Forest District Council has estimated significant costs associated with breaking apart the District and disaggregating its services, while Hampshire County Council has raised serious concerns about the financial sustainability of the proposed Mid-Hampshire authority without the whole New Forest tax base.
Most importantly, no convincing evidence has been presented to our communities demonstrating that splitting the New Forest District will improve services or deliver meaningful savings for residents.
We therefore believe the Government should reconsider this unwarranted, unjustified and deeply unpopular decision.
OUR CLEAR, CONSTRUCTIVE PLAN:
Our campaign is pursuing three clear objectives:
1️⃣ Seek a formal Counsel’s Opinion — ACHIEVED
We called upon New Forest District Council to instruct an independent specialist public-law barrister to examine the Government’s decision, the process followed, the published criteria and the consultation evidence, and to assess whether there were grounds for legal challenge.
New Forest District Council unanimously agreed to seek that formal legal advice on 13th April 2026.
This represented an important first achievement for the campaign and ensured that the Government’s decision-making process received proper legal scrutiny.
2️⃣ Be ready to pursue a Judicial Review — IN PROGRESS
Where there are proper legal grounds to challenge the process followed by Government, we believe every reasonable legal avenue should be considered.
The campaign therefore continues to support efforts to scrutinise the Government’s decision and, where appropriate, challenge the process through the courts.
This is not simply about opposing Local Government Reorganisation. It is about ensuring that decisions of enormous consequence for our communities are taken lawfully, fairly and in accordance with the Government’s own published criteria.
3️⃣ Work with neighbouring councils and MPs — IN PROGRESS
Alongside the legal route, we are working to build the widest possible cross-party and cross-community coalition in support of keeping the New Forest together.
We will continue working with MPs, neighbouring councils, town and parish councils, community organisations, businesses and residents to ensure that the strength of local opposition cannot simply be ignored.
Our objective is to maintain political and public pressure on the Government to reconsider its decision before implementation.
If necessary, we will also support every reasonable effort to delay implementation towards the 2029 General Election, when the decision could be reconsidered by a future Government.
But 2029 is not our preferred outcome. We believe there is still time for this Government to listen to the evidence, recognise the strength of feeling across our communities and rightly change course before then.
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT:
• 97% of New Forest residents who responded to the consultation opposed the plan.
• Those views appear to have been disregarded in reaching the final decision.
• Businesses were not properly consulted, despite the potential consequences for businesses operating across the New Forest.
• Parking clocks will no longer work district-wide, creating unnecessary complications for residents and visitors.
• Concerns remain about the consequences for school catchment areas and local services.
• New Forest District Council has estimated substantial costs associated with breaking apart the District and disaggregating services.
• Hampshire County Council opposes the Government's decision and has raised concerns about the financial sustainability of a Mid-Hampshire rural authority without the whole New Forest tax base.
• Breaking apart the District risks fragmentation, additional costs and disruption to services.
• The proposals fail to give sufficient weight to the New Forest's historic identity, economic connections and community cohesion.
• No convincing evidence has been provided to residents demonstrating that splitting the District will improve services or deliver savings.
Whatever happens next, one thing remains unchanged:
We wholeheartedly oppose the Government's break-up of the New Forest District and call upon Ministers to reconsider their decision.
Local Government Reorganisation may be coming, but that does not mean our communities need to be torn apart.
The New Forest deserves to remain whole. Our shared history, our identity, our economy 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.
Please sign the petition and help us Keep the New Forest Together.
www.NewForestTogether.co.uk
New Forest Together
Info@NewForestTogether.co.uk
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Petition created on 28 March 2026