New Forest is a local government district in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. Its council is based in Lyndhurst. The district covers most of the New Forest National Park, from which it takes its name. The district was created on 1 April 1974, under the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

, by the merger of the municipal borough of Lymington with New Forest Rural District and part of

Ringwood and Fordingbridge Rural District Ringwood and Fordingbridge was a rural district in Hampshire from 1932 to 1974. It was formed by the merger of part of the disbanded Christchurch Rural District along with Ringwood Rural District and Fordingbridge Rural District. Its main u ...

. With its population estimated at 179,753 in mid-2018, New Forest is one of the most populated districts in England not to be a unitary authority. It was recommended by the Banham Commission to become one in 1995, but this was vetoed by the government of the day.

Politics

Elections to the council are held every four years, with all of the 60 seats on the council being elected at each election. From the 1999 election, the Conservatives have had a majority on the council, following a period of No overall control between 1991 and 1995, then Liberal Democrat control from 1995 to 1999. Following the 2019 election, and suspension of Cllr Barry Rickman from the Conservative Group, the make-up of the Council is as follows:

Parishes and settlements

* Ashurst and Colbury * Beaulieu, Boldre, Bramshaw, Bransgore,

Breamore Breamore ( ) is a village and civil parish near Fordingbridge in Hampshire, England. The parish includes a notable Elizabethan country house, Breamore House, built with an E-shaped ground plan. The Church of England parish church of Saint Mary h ...

, Brockenhurst, Burley *

Copythorne Copythorne is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, within the boundaries of the New Forest National Park. Overview Copythorne is in the north-eastern part of the New Forest. The village is on the A31 Romsey Road, just south of the ...

* Damerham, Denny Lodge * East Boldre, Ellingham, Harbridge and Ibsley,

Exbury and Lepe Exbury and Lepe is a civil parish in the New Forest in Hampshire, England. It is bounded to the west by the Beaulieu River, to the south by the shore of the Solent and to the east by the Dark Water. To the north it extends to the New Forest hea ...

* Fawley, Fordingbridge *

Godshill Godshill is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight, England, with a population of 1,459 at the 2011 Census. It lies between Newport and Ventnor in the southeast of the island. History Godshill is one of the ancient parishes that exi ...

* Hale,

Hordle Hordle is a village and civil parish in the county of Hampshire, England. It is situated between the Solent coast and the New Forest, and is bordered by the towns of Lymington and New Milton. Like many New Forest parishes Hordle has no vi ...

, Hyde,

Hythe and Dibden Hythe () is a town near Southampton, Hampshire, England. It is located by the shore of Southampton Water, and has a ferry service connecting it to Southampton. Hythe has a small shopping area, a pier, and a marina for yachts. History The name ...

* Lymington, Lyndhurst * Marchwood,

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...

, Milford-on-Sea, Minstead *

Netley Marsh Netley Marsh is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, close to the town of Totton. It lies within the New Forest District, and the New Forest National Park. It is the alleged site of the battle between an invading Anglo Saxon army, under ...

New Milton New Milton is a market town in southwest Hampshire, England. To the north is in the New Forest and to the south the coast at Barton-on-Sea. The town is equidistant between Lymington and Christchurch, 6 miles (10 km) away. History ...

* Ringwood, Rockbourne *

Sandleheath Sandleheath is a village and civil parish about west of Fordingbridge in the New Forest District of Hampshire, England. It has a population of 663, increasing to 680 at the 2011 Census. It lies immediately north-east of the traditional (i.e. ...

Sopley Sopley is a village and civil parish situated in the New Forest National Park of Hampshire, England. It lies on the old main road from Christchurch to Ringwood, on the east bank of the River Avon. The parish extends east as far as Thorny Hil ...

, Sway * Totton and Eling *

Whitsbury Whitsbury is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, close to Fordingbridge. Whitsbury is a part of a group of villages on the edge of the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Overview The vil ...

, Woodgreen

Premises

New Forest District Council buildings, Lyndhurst - geograph

The council is based at Appletree Court on Beaulieu Road in Lyndhurst. The oldest part of the building was originally a large house, which was purchased in 1954 to become the offices of the New Forest Rural District Council. The building has been substantially extended since becoming council offices. ----

References

{{Reflist Non-metropolitan districts of Hampshire 1974 establishments in England States and territories established in 1974