A consultation on plans to merge Eastleigh Town Council and Boyatt Wood Parish Council has been approved.

The proposed community governance review (CGR) would create a single decision-making body for Eastleigh and northern areas.

This comes as devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) are set to form larger unitary authorities in Hampshire.

The councils believe merging would bring benefits, including more responsibilities, stronger community representation, and financial efficiencies.

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Councillor Keith House, leader of Eastleigh Borough Council, said: "The proposals for local government reorganisation in Hampshire, creating a small number of very large unitary councils, could mean a loss of truly local representation and accountability.

"The planned community governance review for central Eastleigh reflects our commitment to keeping service delivery and decision-making as close to local residents as possible, but we want to know if these proposals are supported by local residents.

"We will be strongly encouraging everyone in the area to have their say."

If approved, elections for the new council will be held in 2026.