Local elections 2022: How do Hampshire councils spend your money?

Local elections will be held across Hampshire on Thursday 5 May.

Councils are holding votes in Basingstoke, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Hart, Havant, Portsmouth, Rushmoor, Southampton and Winchester.

Elections for Hampshire County Council as well as East Hampshire, New Forest, Test Valley and the Isle of Wight councils are not taking place this year.

Local authorities are funded by a variety of sources, including council tax, government grants and other income, like parking charges.

Here is how £100 of your money get spent by each of the councils holding elections this year.

Unitary authorities:

Southampton and Portsmouth councils are unitary authorities which are responsible for all local services, from roads and parks to schools and social care, and have all the necessary powers to deliver them. None of the unitary authorities has an elected mayor.

Southampton City Council

Covering the largest city in the area, Southampton City Council delivers services for over 250,000 people.

It has 48 seats, 16 of which are up for grabs this year.

Of the 48 councillors, 25 are Conservatives and 22 Labour, while one seat is currently vacant.

The council plans to spend £193m this year and receive £108m from council tax.

Portsmouth City Council

At the eastern end of the M27, Portsmouth City Council serves a population of around 205,000 people.

It has 42 seats, 14 of which are up for election next month.

Of its 42 councillors, 17 are Conservatives, 15 Liberal Democrats, seven Labour, two from Progressive Portsmouth People Group and one from Portsmouth Independent Party.

The council plans to spend £175.9m this year and receive £85m from council tax.

Two tier councils

In the rest of Hampshire, services are split between two levels of council:

• The district and borough councils, which are responsible for bin collections, planning decisions and housing in local areas

• The larger Hampshire County Council, which is responsible for roads, education and waste disposal across the whole of Hampshire, bar Southampton and Portsmouth

With smaller populations and fewer services to provide, borough and district councils typically spend much less than county councils and unitary authorities. Hampshire County Council is not holding any elections this year.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has a population of about 175,000 people and covers an area which includes Bramley, Tadley and Kingsclere.

It has 54 councillors - 33 Conservatives, 10 Labour, five from the Independent Forum and five Liberal Democrats, while one seat is currently vacant.

This year 18 seats are up for election.

The authority's net cost of service this year is £33.5m and it expects to generate £8.76m from council tax.

Eastleigh Borough Council

Eastleigh Borough Council takes care of day-to-day services for its population of more than 131,000.

It has 39 seats, of which 32 are currently held by Liberal Democrat councillors, five by independent councillors and two by the Conservatives.

This year each of the borough's 14 wards has one seat up for election.

The council plans to spend £10m this year and generate £6m from council tax.

Fareham Borough Council

Fareham Borough Council has a population of more than 116,000 residents and covers an area including the town of Fareham, which lies on the north-west tip of Portsmouth Harbour.

It has 31 seats, of which 16 are up for grabs this year.

Of its current 32 councillors, 23 are Conservatives, five are Liberal Democrats and three are from the Independent Group.

The council's net budget for this year is £10.7m, with £7.7m coming from council tax.

Gosport Borough Council

Just south east of Fareham, the borough of Gosport has a population of about 85,000.

Gosport Borough Council has 34 seats, of which 19 are held by the Conservatives, 14 by the Liberal Democrats and one by a Labour councillor.

All seats are up for grabs this year, following a boundary review.

The council expects a net expenditure of £11m this year and to generate £6.5m in council tax.

Hart District Council

Hart is a largely rural district in North Hampshire with an estimated population of about 96,000.

Hart District Council has 33 seats, 11 of which are up for election this year.

It currently has 12 Conservative councillors, 10 Liberal Democrats, 10 councillors from Community Campaign Hart and one independent councillor.

Its net cost of services for this year is £12.4m and it expects to generate £7.8m from council tax.

Havant Borough Council

Havant Borough Council covers an area including towns such as Waterlooville, Hayling Island and Emsworth.

This year 14 of its 38 seats are up for election.

Of its current 38 councillors, 33 are Conservatives, one is Labour and three are from the Independent Group.

The council's net cost of services for this year is £14.4m and the authority expects to collect £9.1m from council tax.

Rushmoor Borough Council

Rushmoor Borough Council covers an area including Aldershot and Farnborough and has a population of about 95,000.

It has 39 councillors who serve the residents of 13 wards.

This year there are 13 seats up for election.

The make-up of the council is currently 29 Conservative councillors, nine Labour councillors, and one Liberal Democrat.

Its net revenue budget for this year is £12.5m, with £6.9m from council tax.

Winchester City Council

Winchester City Council serves a population of about 120,000 people.

As well as the cathedral city, the council provides services for a large area of central Hampshire, including Bishop's Waltham, Denmead, New Alresford, and Kings Worthy.

It has 44 seats, of which 26 are currently held by the Liberal Democrats, 16 by the Conservatives and two by independent councillors.

This year there will be elections in 15 district wards.

The city council has £18.6m worth of resources available for this year, with £8.8m from council tax.