BASINGSTOKE and Deane Borough councillors stood united with a clear message of “no” to a proposed “super council”.

At a full council meeting on Thursday, May 28, borough councillors chose to oppose Hampshire County Council’s plan to abolish 11 district councils and replace them with one “mega council”, responsible for a population of 1.3 million people.

Instead the council voted in favour of putting the interests of borough residents first, deciding to commission its on independent report on behalf of all the authorities involved in the Heart of Hampshire bid to look into issues and options of a unitary authority or a combined one.

Leader of the council, Cllr Clive Sanders said: “It is very sad that instead of working together for the benefit of residents, we have found ourselves at loggerheads with Hampshire county council following their decision to develop their own proposals without consulting us or any other councils.”

As previously reported in The Gazette, the Heart of Hampshire bid would see the borough council work with neighbouring councils in Winchester, Rushmoor, New Forest, Hart, Test Valley and Romsey, but HCC’s plan is to do away with districts and work as one “super council” from Winchester.

Leader of the Labour party, Cllr Paul Harvey, called the proposed plan an “aggressive takeover bid” from the county council, which would not benefit Basingstoke.

He said: “Being a council with significant assets and land we are able to stand on our own two feet. Handing these assets over to a unitary wide Hampshire authority based in Winchester is not in the interests of the people of Basingstoke and Deane.

“County might have started this debate, but we the people of Basingstoke and Deane must finish it.”

The borough council hopes this “bottom up” approach of best delivering services as close as possible to the people that use them will prove a cost-effective approach.

Cllr Saunders added: “The borough council has already had to step in to pick up the pieces following county cuts for vital borough services such as Supporting People and the bus services, which raises the question of who would do that if the borough council was no longer around?

“It is far too early to be jumping to conclusions.”