HIRA December Herald Article

Following our successful petition for a Hayling Local Council, November’s Full Havant Borough Council Meeting formally approved a Community Governance Review to start considering one for Hayling Island (and for Emsworth).  The debate revealed, sadly, that some Councillors simply did not grasp the impact of Havant Borough and Hampshire County Councils disappearing into a new, bigger and more remote South East Hampshire Unitary Authority in May 2028, and were against this fundamental, democratic process.  But not Hayling’s six Councillors.

Town and Parish Councils are the same in all but name, and have nothing to do with the church.  They simply give local communities more control over their local amenities, such as maintaining parks, open spaces, footpaths, bus shelters, community centres and allotments, and the right to be officially consulted on local planning and new developments.  This is long established, and it is a huge pity that scare-mongering over increased Council Tax and the ‘extra layer of government’ has prevented Havant’s smaller communities from petitioning for them before. 

Town/Parish Councils may be an ‘extra layer’ now when we already have borough and county councils, but once these cease in 2028, Town/Parish Councils will become an essential first tier of government under the bigger, more remote Unitary Council, with half a million people.  Those Councillors advocating instead for the old Neighbourhood or Community Boards conveniently overlook them collapsing for lack of real statutory powers and money.

Why are there 10,480 English Parish or local Councils, and growing?  Are they so expensive and ineffectual as the failed Community Boards – clearly the opposite.  Parish councils have statutory powers and must be consulted.  This is probably why our own Borough Council officers and previous administration councillors have never exercised Havant’s smaller communities’ right to a Local Governance Review.  This would have scrutinised whether or not we were being governed effectively and fairly. 

Now we are in an increasingly desperate situation: without this first tier of statutory power, Hayling is likely to have only 2 councillors representing our interests, amongst almost 100 councillors from Gosport, Fareham, Portsmouth, Havant as a whole, and 3 additional Hampshire parishes.  Those parishes will retain their statutory consultation rights and powers, which would be denied to Hayling and the other smaller communities.  If Hayling Islanders found Havant Borough Council frustratingly disinterested in the island’s needs and wants, this will be amplified in the vast, new, streamlined authority. 

Over the next year, the Governance Review will give us more details, and importantly, it will consult with us twice.  Initially it will give us some idea of how a Hayling Town Council could work, the powers and assets it might take on, and some idea of the costs (the average Council Tax precept is £81 a year).  Our feedback would then be incorporated to produce its initial recommendations, for or against, and we’d be consulted again.  Our second feedback would then produce a final recommendation to Havant Borough Council, next summer or autumn.  If adopted, a first Hayling Town Council could be elected in the May 2027 elections.

Why not join our friendly and helpful Residents’ Association; we look forward to hearing from you.

Contact HIRA: hello@haylingresidentsassociation.co.uk; www.haylingresidentsassociation.co.uk