A Liberal Democrat councillor from Alton is calling for “accountability” at Hampshire County Council as the authority waits for central government decisions on two big issues.

The ruling Conservatives have asked to postpone May’s county council elections for a year as part of their request for devolution of some central government powers.

They hope for a combined authority bringing Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight under the control of a mayor who would not be elected until May 2026 - hence the desire for a 12-month delay.

The county council also asked the government to allow a 15 per cent council tax rise to help plug a £182 million hole in its 2025-26 budget.

Warren Moore, the Liberal Democrat East Hampshire district councillor for Alton Wooteys, said: “It is deeply concerning the request has been made to increase council tax by 15 per cent to the government simultaneously with the request to postpone county council elections by a year.

“I believe it vitally important that accountability for the decisions which are made about something so fundamental as increasing council tax by such a large amount be put to residents.

“If there is not to be a referendum on such an increase, as is usually customary and required by law, then it should be at the ballot box in May.

“I feel the attempt by Hampshire County Council to try to defer the elections at the same time as making this request for a council tax increase is an unacceptable ploy to avoid accountability.

“It must be remembered that any new unitary authorities or merged districts that do emerge from the reform the central government wants will not actually start until 2028 at the earliest.

“Given that is three-quarters of the way through the term for the next county council there is no good reason to delay elections and, more importantly, delay a voter response to the various issues that the current administration at Hampshire County Council have created.”

Mark Kemp-Gee, the Conservative county councillor for Alton Rural, felt the authority had little choice over the proposed council tax rise.

He said: “The pressures on our county council’s social care budgets, accounting for some 75 per cent of our total expenditure, are such that an increase of this quantum is required to protect our vulnerable adults and children.

“Each per cent rise in council tax will bring in £8 million, so 15 per cent represents an increase of £120m.

“In my last piece in the Four Marks News I suggested splitting the increase between this coming year and the year after, and angling it towards the higher value bands - above Band D paying more on a graduated scale.

“Having said all that, since 2010 the aggregate increase in council tax - with some years where it was frozen and others when it was arbitrarily controlled by central government with low digit increases - has been below the rate of inflation.

“I think we would all agree that increased pressure on household budgets is very unwelcome but there seems no alternative.”