New Forest District

Coordinates: 50°52′44″N 1°37′59″W / 50.879°N 1.633°W / 50.879; -1.633

New Forest New Forest District
Non-metropolitan district
Motto(s):  "Old yet ever new"
New Forest shown within Hampshire
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	South East England
Non-metropolitan county	Hampshire
Status	Non-metropolitan district
Admin HQ	Lyndhurst
Incorporated	1 April 1974
Government
• Type	Non-metropolitan district council
• Body	New Forest District Council
• Leadership	Leader and Cabinet (Conservative)
• MPs	Julian Lewis Desmond Swayne
Area
• Total	290.8 sq mi (753.2 km2)
Area rank	49th (of 309)
Population  (mid-2019 est.)
• Total	180,086
• Rank	105th (of 309)
• Density	620/sq mi (240/km2)
• Ethnicity	94.9% White British 2.67% White Other 0.94% Asian 0.35% Black 1.14% Other
Time zone	UTC0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code	24UJ (ONS) E07000091 (GSS)
OS grid reference	SU2581608959
Website	www.newforest.gov.uk

New Forest is a local government district in Hampshire, England. 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, by the merger of the municipal borough of Lymington with and part of Ringwood and Fordingbridge Rural District.

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, the make-up of the Council is as follows:

Parishes and settlements[]

• 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, Lyndhurst
• Marchwood, Martin, Milford-on-Sea, Minstead
• Netley Marsh, New Milton
• Ringwood, Rockbourne
• Sandleheath, Sopley, Sway
• Totton and Eling
• Whitsbury, Woodgreen

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