27/04/2026
If you would like to stop the government pulling the New Forest apart. Please see info below.
There if a petition if you would like to sign online or there is a paper copy in the shop, so pop in & sign it at :-
Norris 1876 gift shop
High Street
Beaulieu
SO42 7YD
Open 10-5 tue to sun.
***🚨The City Takes the Money & Our Communities Pay the Price🚨***
💷 WE FUND IT
Totton & The Waterside generate 54% of all New Forest business rates.
Southern Test Valley generates 52% of Test Valley’s business rates.
These small but economically vital areas keep rural district and borough services running - now they’re being carved out.
🏙️ THE CITY TAKES THE TAX BASE - WE LOSE OUR FUTURE
Removing Totton & The Waterside and Southern Test Valley leaves even more rural councils with older populations and without the tax base to fund core services.
That means less money, fewer services, and higher council tax pressure across Mid‑Hampshire.
Southampton will be fine, the remainder of the New Forest won’t.
🌊 AND FOR THE REST OF TOTTON & THE WATERSIDE…
Those pushed into South‑West Hampshire face a different problem:
Eastleigh + Southampton = 400,000 people
Totton & The Waterside = around 70,000
These semi-rural coastal communities become small fry in a huge authority.
Concerns about over‑development, protecting backup grazing, and safeguarding our way of life risk being ignored by much larger urban priorities.
📊 AND HERE’S THE CONTEXT
The government says the new unitary councils will have 80–90 seats on average.
Using their own figures, we’ve extrapolated the likely seat numbers and the result is clear: Our representation is diluted. Our voice is weakened. Our community is diminished.
The government says these new boundaries “respect communities”.
But the reality shown in our graphic is very different.
They are creating a Southampton & Eastleigh super council with an inbuilt city majority.
Our areas are split from their home districts and absorbed into a structure where the city can outvote smaller communities every time. Whatever an d however Totton & The Waterside vote, the outcome is already decided.
This is how a democratic deficit is created.
Sources: Test Valley Borough Council, New Forest District Council, ONS, MHCLG.
🔗✍️ Sign & share the petition and help us get to 30,000:
👉 https://www.change.org/NewForestTogether
💚 Support the campaign fund (GoFundMe):
👉 https://gofund.me/2610f08b8
🌐 Learn more on our website:
👉 www.NewForestTogether.co.uk
