Speculation that the government might take the drastic action of cancelling or postponing elections was rife when news of a proposed shake-up in local government structures was being proposed, with a White paper due out in June.

However, in a dramatic twist, your web-site editor has learned that the government are not now proposing to try and enforce new local government structures in areas where there is little evidence of public support. For Hampshire, it looks as though the County, District and Parish government structure is here to stay. It follows that there will be no need to alter the existing plans for elections next year.

Cllr. Maureen Robinson, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on New Forest District Council, says "This latest development is really good news. We still need to ensure that the three tiers of government need to work together more effectively. However, the cloud of uncertainty has been removed and we can crack on with planning our campaigning activities and continue working on the District Council to ensure the customer gets the best level of service".