Government gives Southampton a green light to take over Eastleigh Borough

The Government has given the go ahead to unitary authorities such as Southampton to submit plans to expand their boundaries in a new blueprint for the reorganisation of Local Government.
Eastleigh Conservatives are totally opposed to plans to submerge Eastleigh Borough into a greater Southampton.

We believe that the Borough should continue as an autonomous self governing body.
It should continue to set its own Council taxes and its own priorities for service delivery.

Background:

In “An Invitation to Councils in England” the Government says:
“Any proposal [for expansion of a Unitary Council] must relate to the area of the
Council, or each of the Councils, submitting it. The area covered by a proposal may, in addition to the area of the Council or Councils submitting the proposals, also include adjoining areas which are currently outside that of the submitting Council or Councils.”

Government White Paper “Strong and Prosperous Communities” 26th October 2006

I do not want our Borough to lose its identity and watch as our town and villages become joined up suburbs of Southampton.

I lived on the Wirral when Liverpool took over the area and bled the people of their taxes in order to pursue their own agenda in the city.

While our own Councillors are not angels, it is much better if we can hold Eastleigh Councillors directly accountable for what they do here.

Eastleigh Borough Council are currently supposed to be considering the matter. But have your views been taken into account?

Do we want Southampton to take over the running of

• Our Social Services which are currently rated as Excellent by the Auditors


• Our Health Service Primary Care Trust which has just merged with the rest of Hampshire


• Our Schools and Colleges which are achieving some of the best results in the Country


• Our Highways Services also rated Excellent

Do we want to join a failing debt ridden authority which is already cutting vital services to balance its books?
We all know what will happen to much of our council tax – it will go to Southampton.

We have two months. Act now!

Speak up now and say NO to any merger of Eastleigh with Southampton