# East Hampshire

East Hampshire is a local government district in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in the town of Petersfield, although the largest town is Alton. The district also contains the town of Bordon along with many villages and surrounding rural areas.
Parts of the district lie within the South Downs National Park. The neighbouring districts are Havant, Winchester, Basingstoke and Deane, Hart, Waverley and Chichester.

## History

East Hampshire was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of four former districts which were all abolished at the same time:
* Alton Rural District
* Alton Urban District
* Petersfield Rural District
* Petersfield Urban District
The district was originally proposed to be called Petersfield. The shadow authority elected in 1973 to oversee the transition to the new system requested a change of name to East Hampshire, which was confirmed by the government on 8 October 1973, before the new district formally came into being.
Between 2009 and 2022 the council shared a chief executive with neighbouring Havant Borough Council.

## Governance

East Hampshire District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Hampshire County Council. The whole district is covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.
In the parts of the district within the South Downs National Park, town planning is the responsibility of the South Downs National Park Authority. The district council appoints one of its councillors to serve on the 27-person National Park Authority.

### Political control

The council has been under no overall control since the 2023 election, being led by a coalition of the Conservatives and local party the Whitehill and Bordon Community Party.
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:
| Party in control | Years |
| No overall control | 1974–1976 |
| Conservative | 1976–1991 |
| No overall control | 1991–1995 |
| Liberal Democrats | 1995–1999 |
| Conservative | 1999–2023 |
| No overall control | 2023–present |

### Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1991 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
| Peter Rodgers | Liberal Democrats | 1991 | 1996 |
| David Clark | Liberal Democrats | 1996 | 1999 |
| Elizabeth Cartwright | Conservative | 1999 | 19 May 2004 |
| Andrew Pattie | Conservative | 19 May 2004 | 17 May 2006 |
| Ferris Cowper | Conservative | 17 May 2006 | Oct 2009 |
| David Parkinson | Conservative | 9 Nov 2009 | 31 Aug 2010 |
| Patrick Burridge | Conservative | 13 Oct 2010 | Feb 2012 |
| Ken Moon | Conservative | 20 Mar 2012 | 9 May 2013 |
| Ferris Cowper | Conservative | 9 May 2013 | May 2017 |
| Richard Millard | Conservative | 18 May 2017 | |

### Composition

Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | Conservative | 19 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 14 |
| | Whitehill and Bordon Community Party | 6 |
| | Green | 2 |
| | Labour | 1 |
| | Independent | 1 |
| Total | Total | 43 |
The next election is due in 2027.

### Premises

The council is based at Penns Place on the eastern outskirts of Petersfield.

### Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 43 councillors representing 31 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.

## Settlements and parishes

East Hampshire is entirely covered by civil parishes. The parish councils of Alton, Petersfield and Whitehill (where the largest settlement is Bordon) take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council.
Settlements in East Hampshire include:
* Alton
* Beech, Bentley, Bentworth, Binsted, Blackmoor, Blendworth, Bordon, Bramshott, Bucks Horn Oak, Buriton
* Catherington, Chawton, Clanfield, Colemore
* East Meon, East Tisted, East Worldham, Empshott
* Farringdon, Finchdean, Four Marks, Froxfield
* Golden Pot, Grayshott, Greatham
* Hawkley, Headley, Headley Down, High Cross, Holybourne, Horndean
* Kingsley
* Langrish, Lasham, Lindford, Liphook, Liss, Lower Froyle, Lower Wield
* Medstead
* Neatham, Newton Valence, North Street
* Petersfield, Priors Dean
* Ropley, Ropley Dean, Rowlands Castle
* Selborne, Shalden, Sheet, Steep, Stroud
* Upper Froyle, Upper Wield
* West Tisted, West Worldham, Weston, Whitehill

## Media
### Television

Local TV coverage for the area is served by BBC South and ITV Meridian.

### Radio

Radio stations for the area are:
* BBC Radio Surrey
* BBC Radio Solent
* BBC Radio Sussex can also be received
* Heart South
* Easy Radio South Coast
* Greatest Hits Radio Surrey & East Hampshire
* Wey Valley Radio, a community based station which broadcasts from Alton.