Hampshire and the Solent Combined Authority | |
|---|---|
 Area covered by the proposed Hampshire and the Solent Combined Authority | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | April 2026 (planned) |
| Leadership | |
Mayor of Hampshire and the Solent | TBD |
The Hampshire and the Solent Combined Authority is a proposed combined authority in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, England. Proposals have come about as a result of the English Devolution Bill. The region would have a directly elected mayor.
The Isle of Wight was historically part of Hampshire. It became an administrative county in 1890, and a ceremonial county in 1974 when it gained its own Lord Lieutenant.
Previous plans in Hampshire have included a Solent Combined Authority in South Hampshire (potentially alongside the Isle of Wight) and a "Heart of Hampshire" deal including the remainder of the county. However, these plans were rejected in the south due to objections from Isle of Wight Council, and in the north of the county due to disagreements and the likelihood of the constituent authorities being reorganised. [1] [2] [3] [4] A Dorset combined authority was proposed by the county's former nine constituent councils, and was being considered by the two unitary councils (Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) which replaced them in April 2019. [5] [6] In 2021 a new plan including Hampshire, Isle of Wight, and Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole was being pursued, though lacking appetite for a mayor. [7]
Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth and Southampton city councils, and the cabinet of the Isle of Wight Council have voted in favour of bringing forward the proposal. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council considered joining Hampshire and the Solent, but ultimately voted in favour of joining Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire in the Heart of Wessex proposal. [13] [14] [1]
The formation of a mayoral combined authority for Hampshire and the Solent was agreed by the UK government in February 2025. [15] [16] [17]