New Forest Together

29/10/2026

🚨 WARNING: LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANISATION SET TO RETURN! 🚨

⚠️ IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR THE NEW FOREST

We’ve received confirmation from Sir Julian Lewis MP, New Forest East, that there has been a change to today’s parliamentary business, with a Government statement on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) now expected.

📺 WATCH LIVE - TODAY, FROM AROUND MIDDAY

The statement is expected around lunchtime in the House of Commons.

👉 Parliament TV: https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Commons

❓ So, what could this mean for Hampshire and the New Forest?

Following the Government’s withdrawal of its previous Hampshire reorganisation decision in September, we’ve been awaiting clarity on what happens next.

The big question is whether the Government intends to restart the process, potentially inviting fresh proposals, or instead move towards making decisions on the proposals already submitted.

Our suspicion is that it may well be the latter. With the Government likely wanting to deliver reorganisation before the next General Election, starting the entire process again could prove difficult within the time available.

But that raises another important question: will there be further consultation, proper scrutiny of the evidence and opportunities for local communities to have their say before final decisions are made?

Today’s statement could provide some much-needed clarity on the timetable, the decision-making process and what happens next.

⚠️ One thing is clear: Local Government Reorganisation has not gone away.

For New Forest Together, our position remains unchanged. Any future decisions must properly consider the evidence, listen to local communities and recognise the overwhelming case for keeping the New Forest together.

👀 We’ll be watching very closely!

We’ll examine the detail of today’s announcement and share an update once we know more.

🌳 One District. One Voice. Our Future. 💚


BBC Solent ITV News Meridian

26/10/2026

***🎉 WE DID IT! NOW WHAT? 🌳***

More than 32,000 voices helped keep the New Forest together. Now let’s celebrate what we achieved and look ahead! 💚

Our campaign helped secure the withdrawal of the Government’s decision to split our district. But Local Government Reorganisation hasn’t gone away. Let’s be ready!

Join James, Emily and the team at our South Waterside Roadshow to hear what might come next and ask your questions. 🗣️

📅 Tuesday 10 November
🕖 7pm
📍 Royal British Legion, Blackfield, SO45 1XD
Everyone welcome, bring a friend! 🙌

📬 Could you help spread the word? Volunteers to deliver flyers and raise awareness of the event are always welcome, even a few streets would help!

📌 Know a good spot to pop a poster? Let us know!
📩 Message us or email [email protected] to lend a hand.
📣 Please share this post and help us reach more people!

11/10/2026

***🌳 WE’RE BACK AND THERE’S PLENTY TO COME! 👍***

After a well-earned break following the fantastic withdrawal of Option 1A, we’re back and making the most of the time before the Government announces its next steps for LGR in Hampshire!

📹 NEXT WEEK: Our video answering YOUR questions about LGR, the withdrawal of Option 1A and what happens next.

📅 TUESDAY 10 NOVEMBER | 7PM
📍 Royal British Legion, Blackfield

🎉 Join us for a special celebratory roadshow, reflecting on what we’ve achieved together and discussing our next steps. Let’s raise a glass to our success! 🥂

💪 The lobbying continues, the work goes on, and we’re not going anywhere!

Thank you for your support and for staying with us!

🌳 One District. One Voice. Our Future.

01/10/2026

Hello Fellow NFT Supporters.

I feel after our tremendous success in London where we thwarted LGR in its current form, and managed to get the Government to withdraw Hampshire from LGR Option 1A, now is the time for me to withdraw from the campaign and have a little rest.

Be assured, I am still a supporter of New Forest Together. I helped James and Emily with events and trying to get as many petition signatures as possible and I believe now that my part in the campaign has naturally come to an end. I've had an absolute blast.

I'd like to thank the committee members who have been brilliant along the way. I've met many lovely people who have volunteered and become, I believe, life-long friends.

James and Emily have UNITED us all in a common cause and that fight MUST go on.

Jayne Lesley

29/09/2026

***📣 FAWLEY WATERSIDE – HAVE YOUR SAY ‼️ ***

The second round of public consultation on the proposed Fawley Waterside development begins today, with the first in-person consultation taking place at Jubilee Hall, Fawley, from 3pm - 6.30pm.

A further session will be held tomorrow (Wednesday 30 September), 3pm - 7pm at St George’s Hall, Calshot, and the consultation remains open until Sunday 18 October.

🌳 Whatever your views on the proposals, this is a significant development for the Waterside and the wider New Forest community. We’d encourage local residents to take a look at the latest plans and make sure their views are heard.

Thanks to Cllr Laura O’Halloran for sharing the consultation details below. 👇

‼️Reminder - Have your say…

This week the 2nd round of consultation begins for the proposed development at the Fawley Waterside site. More details and the feedback form will be available on their website from 3pm tomorrow (Tuesday 29th September) and the consultation runs until Sunday 18th October.

There are two public, in person consultations are being held

🔴Tuesday 29 September 2026 3pm – 6.30pm at Jubilee Hall, The Square, Fawley, SO45 1DF

🔴Wednesday 30 September 2026 3pm – 7pm at St George’s Hall, Calshot, SO45 1BP

You can provide your feedback via -
🛜www.fawleywaterside.co.uk
📧[email protected]
☎️020 3398 1590

I would urge everyone to take 5 mins to give their feedback on these proposals.

26/09/2026

***🌳 DOWNTIME? WHAT DOWNTIME?! 😄***

We’ve had a few messages recently asking what New Forest Together will be doing during this apparent “gap” or “downtime” following the withdrawal of Option 1A, while we await further clarity from the Government on what happens next.

Well… believe us, there’s no gap! 🐝

One of our brilliant supporters, Suzi Shilling, has put together a quick look back at just some of what we’ve been up to over the past few months and what a few months it’s been!

From meetings and events to thousands of conversations across our communities, gathering signatures and taking 32,591 voices to Downing Street, we’ve certainly packed a lot in.

None of it happens by itself. Behind New Forest Together is our brilliant committee and team of volunteers, who continue to give their time, energy and expertise. 💪

Now, we’re moving into another phase of the campaign.

That means continuing to follow developments closely, further building the relationships we’ve developed with MPs and other representatives, and strengthening our connections with communities and campaigns across the country facing many of the same challenges. This includes our friends in Leicestershire and elsewhere.

There’s a much bigger national conversation taking place about Local Government Reorganisation, and we want to ensure the New Forest continues to have a strong voice within it.

🌳 Our objective hasn’t changed: whatever comes next, the New Forest must remain whole.

So, downtime? Not quite! There’s plenty going on behind the scenes and we’ll have more updates for you next week. 👀

For now, thank you to Suzi for putting together this little trip down memory lane and to every single person who has played a part in it.

💚💙 One District. One Voice. Our Future.

25/09/2026

*** 🪧WELCOME TO TOTTON & ELING - GATEWAY TO THE NEW FOREST! 🚗***

Could a new landmark welcome visitors to Totton and Eling and proudly celebrate our town’s place in the New Forest?

📰 IT ALL STARTED WITH A DISCUSSION…

Following our recent sharing of a Daily Echo article, which highlighted a District Council officer’s description of Totton as the “Gateway to Southampton”, we received quite a reaction!

There were plenty of comments on our post, alongside direct messages from supporters who felt strongly that Totton should be recognised as the Gateway to the New Forest.

Many began asking the same question: why don’t we have a prominent welcome sign celebrating Totton and Eling’s identity and its place in the New Forest?

🤝 WELL, IT TURNS OUT SOMEONE WAS ALREADY ON THE CASE!

Totton Councillor, John Sleep, got in touch to explain that he’d first proposed an American-style town entrance sign around four years ago!

He’s recently raised the idea again with Totton & Eling Town Council, which has asked for his proposals to be considered further.

John kindly shared his original sketches with us, featuring a large welcome sign, solar-powered lighting and a traditional blue rowing boat resting on beach pebbles, a nod to our local heritage.

🎨 SO WE’VE BEEN GETTING CREATIVE!

With John’s encouragement, we’ve developed nine different illustrative designs, including a visualisation of his original concept, to show what might be possible.

Some designs incorporate the Totton & Eling Town Council crest and the New Forest flag, while others explore different materials, shapes and styles. We’ve even included the town’s twinning links with 🇫🇷 Le Loroux-Bottereau and 🇩🇪 Trittau.

We’ve included John’s original sketch, so you can see where the idea began. You’ll find our visualisation of his proposal as design number 9 in the grid! 👏

📍 WHERE WOULD IT GO?

The suggested location is on the A35 Redbridge Flyover approach, coming OUT of Southampton and entering Totton.

Two possible positions have been identified:

➡️ On the left-hand verge as you enter Totton.

➡️ On the landscaped, triangular section of land where the A35 splits, separating the exit towards Totton town centre from the route continuing towards Lyndhurst and Bournemouth.

The latter could provide a particularly prominent position, although the existing directional signage would need to be taken into account.

We’ve shared our ideas with the Town Council for consideration alongside the original proposals.

❗️Of course, any installation would need to be assessed for cost, location, land ownership, maintenance, road safety and highways approval. These are simply ideas at this stage, not agreed plans. However, NFT would certainly be willing to play our part in making this happen.❗️

💚 ONE THING IS CLEAR: TOTTON & ELING DESERVES A WELCOME THAT CELEBRATES ITS OWN IDENTITY!

👇 NOW IT’S OVER TO YOU!

Take a look at our nine designs. Which is your favourite? Would you prefer something traditional, modern, natural or a little more adventurous?

Tell us your favourite number in the comments, or share your own ideas!

📩 We’ll bring your feedback and suggestions together and submit them to Totton & Eling Town Council, alongside the designs, to help inform their consideration of the proposal. We’ll then see what response we receive and keep you updated!

Let’s hear what Totton and Eling thinks! 🌳💚 Share this post! ✉️

One District. One Voice. Our Future.

24/09/2026

***❓LGR: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW? 🌳***

We know there’s a lot of information flying around about Local Government Reorganisation in Hampshire at the moment and, understandably, it can sometimes be difficult to work out exactly where things stand and what happens next.

So, what would you like to know?

💬 Drop your questions in the comments below, direct message or email us - whether it’s about:

• Where LGR currently stands
• What the withdrawal of Option 1A actually means
• What could happen next
• What New Forest Together is doing now
• Or anything else you’ve heard and want some clarity on

🎥 We’ll gather your questions together and record a video answering as many as we can.

There’s no such thing as a silly question, if you’re wondering about something, chances are plenty of other people are too!

👇 ASK US YOUR QUESTIONS BELOW, VIA DIRECT MESSAGE OR EMAIL ([email protected]).

🌳 KEEP THE NEW FOREST TOGETHER
One District. One Voice. Our Future.

23/09/2026

***🌳 THE NEW FOREST GREENS HAVE THEIR SAY! 💚***

New Forest Together is proudly non-party-political. Throughout this campaign, we’ve welcomed support and constructive contributions from representatives across the political spectrum who share our determination to Keep the New Forest Together.

Following the Government’s withdrawal of Option 1A, we’re pleased to share the perspective of the New Forest Green Party, including contributions from Cllr Janet Richards and Cllr Adam Parker.

🤝 The New Forest Greens have been consistent in their opposition to Option 1A at District and County level. We also welcomed Cllr Parker’s earlier intervention in writing to the then Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, urging the Government to rethink its plans.

While Option 1A has been withdrawn, important questions remain about what happens next with Local Government Reorganisation in Hampshire.

🌳 For New Forest Together, our position remains clear: whatever comes next, the New Forest must remain whole.

Thank you to the New Forest Greens for sharing their perspective. We’ll continue to work constructively with all parties and none, recognising common ground while maintaining New Forest Together’s political independence.

💚💙 One District. One Voice. Our Future.

21/09/2026

***🌳 Something a little different today and just for a bit of fun! 🌳***

Every place has its own sayings, expressions and little bits of local language, the New Forest is certainly no exception!

So we want to know: what’s your favourite New Forest saying? 💬

Perhaps it’s something your parents or grandparents always used to say, an old bit of Forest dialect, a local name for something, or a phrase that would leave anyone from outside the Forest completely baffled! 😂

👇 Share yours in the comments below and, even better, tell us what it means or the story behind it.

Let’s see how many bits of New Forest language and folklore we can uncover between us! 🌳💚