New Forest District

New Forest District

New Forest is a local government district in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Lyndhurst, and the largest town is Totton. The district also includes the towns of Fordingbridge, Lymington, New Milton, and Ringwood.

The district is named after and covers most of the New Forest National Park, which occupies much of the central part of the district. The main urban areas are around the edges of the forest. The district has a coastline onto the Solent to the south and Southampton Water to the east.

The neighbouring districts are Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Dorset, Wiltshire, Test Valley, Southampton, and Eastleigh (across Southampton Water). The district also faces the Isle of Wight across the Solent.

History

The New Forest District was created on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972. It was formed from parts of three older areas: Lymington Municipal Borough, New Forest Rural District, and Ringwood and Fordingbridge Rural District. Some parts of these areas went to other districts.

The district was named New Forest because the forest covers much of the area. It is one of the most populous districts in England that is not a single city government. In 2028, it will merge with other areas to form a new government called Mid Hampshire. Some areas near Southampton will join South West Hampshire.

Governance

The New Forest District Council looks after local services for the area. Bigger services, like schools and roads, are taken care of by the Hampshire County Council. The district also has smaller groups called civil parishes that help with community matters.

In parts of the district inside the New Forest National Park, planning for buildings and homes is managed by the New Forest National Park Authority. The district council sends four of its members to help make decisions for this group.

The council does not have one political group in full control. The next big election for the council will be in 2027. The district elects its representatives every four years, and the area is part of two bigger voting regions for national elections. The council’s main office is in Lyndhurst.

Towns and parishes

The New Forest District in Hampshire, England, has many small areas called civil parishes. Some of these parishes, like Fordingbridge, Lymington, New Milton, Ringwood, and Totton and Eling, are allowed to call themselves towns and have town councils. Other places, such as Brockenhurst and Lyndhurst, are important post towns but have parish councils instead of town councils.

The district includes many parishes such as Ashurst and Colbury, Beaulieu, Boldre, Bramshaw, Bransgore, Breamore, Brockenhurst, Burley, Copythorne, Damerham, Denny Lodge, East Boldre, Ellingham, Harbridge and Ibsley, Exbury and Lepe, Fawley, Fordingbridge, Godshill, Hale, Hordle, Hyde, Hythe and Dibden, Lymington and Pennington, Lyndhurst, Marchwood, Martin, Milford-on-Sea, Minstead, Netley Marsh, New Milton, Plaitford, Ringwood, Rockbourne, Sandleheath, Sopley, Sway, Totton and Eling, Whitsbury, and Woodgreen.