Help keep Chilworth, Nursling and Rownhams in Test Valley
A community statement against Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) proposals, and making our case for keeping our parishes aligned with Test Valley
The communities of Chilworth, Nursling and Rownhams are more than lines on a boundary map. They are long‑established parishes with deep connections to Test Valley’s history, identity and civic life. For generations, our communities have looked to Test Valley as their natural local authority, reflecting shared rural-edge character, community networks and patterns of representation.
Under the Government’s Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) proposals, Chilworth, Nursling and Rownhams would be removed from Test Valley and placed into a new south‑west Hampshire authority dominated by Southampton. We believe this represents a significant and unwarranted change to our local governance—one that risks weakening community cohesion and diluting local representation.
Standing together
We, the undersigned, support the work of the New Forest Together campaign, which is opposing the division of its historic district under the same set of LGR proposals. The issues they face closely mirror our own:
- the division of established communities,
- boundary changes that cut across long-standing district identities, and
- decisions that risk weakening local representation.
By working together, affected communities can ensure that concerns about cohesion, identity and fair process are properly heard.
Legal and procedural concerns
We believe there are serious legal and procedural questions that merit independent scrutiny, including:
- how the Government’s own criteria have been applied at parish level,
- whether consultation responses opposing the breakup of existing communities have been given appropriate weight, and
- whether boundary decisions affecting long-standing parishes have been handled consistently and fairly.
We note that New Forest District Council has unanimously agreed to seek a specialist legal opinion on the legality of the LGR proposals affecting their area, including the separation of communities from historic districts. Given the parallel impact on parts of Test Valley, we believe it is vital that our own concerns are considered alongside theirs.
Local views
In addition to the national consultation, local engagement undertaken by our parish councils has shown overwhelming opposition among respondents to the removal of Chilworth, Nursling and Rownhams from Test Valley. Those who took part expressed strong preference for LGR arrangements that keep our parishes aligned with the rest of Test Valley, reflecting the community ties and shared interests that already exist.
We recognise that such engagement does not replace the Government’s consultation process. However, it clearly demonstrates that there is no local consensus in favour of the proposed boundary change, and that many residents feel their community’s future is being decided without proper regard to local identity.
The Government’s LGR guidance places strong emphasis on:
- forming new authorities around sensible geographies and existing council areas, and
- ensuring local community cohesion and identity are taken seriously when boundaries are drawn.
While we recognise that reorganisation involves difficult trade-offs, we believe the proposed removal of our parishes does not sufficiently reflect the lived community patterns of Chilworth, Nursling and Rownhams, nor does it provide a clear, parish-specific justification for separating us from the rest of Test Valley.
Why we are concerned
Our clear message
Local government reorganisation may be coming, but that does not mean established communities should be treated as expendable pieces of a boundary puzzle.
We oppose the removal of Chilworth, Nursling and Rownhams from Test Valley and call for any reorganisation to:
- respect existing community ties,
- provide clear and locally grounded justification for boundary changes, and
- ensure that the voices of affected parishes are genuinely taken into account.
Our community’s identity, representation and future should not be reshaped without us.
Sign our petition and show that you:
- Support Test Valley Borough Council and New Forest District Council in seeking independent legal advice on the LGR proposals, recognising the shared risks posed by the breakup of historic districts.
- Encourage active cooperation between councils and affected parishes in sharing evidence and analysis relating to community impact and boundary coherence.
- Reserve the right to support further lawful action, including joint representations or legal challenge, should legal advice indicate that the proposals have not been developed or applied fairly.
- Formally oppose the removal of Chilworth, Nursling and Rownhams from Test Valley and request that our parishes remain part of Test Valley within any final reorganisation.
Help keep Chilworth, Nursling and Rownhams in Test Valley
Please note: change.org will ask if you want to "chip in". This does not go towards our campaign, but instead pays for change.org to promote the petition more widely. If you decline chipping in, your vote will still count. You will also be asked to share the petition. Since this is a local issue, encouraging your family, friends and neighbours to sign up is far more meaningful than chipping in, so please take the opportunity to share this widely.
For more information, please contact: info@c-nandr-lgr-campaign.org
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