EAST HAMPSHIRE looks set to pull out of a devolution bid amid fears that it may mean more new houses for the district.

At the end of the summer a devolution bid was signed asking the Government to release more powers to a combined authority made up of all the local councils in Hampshire.

One of the signatories was East Hampshire District Council (EHDC), but councillors have become increasingly disillusioned with the idea.

Cllr Nicky Noble of Petersfield said she thought devolved powers wouldn’t bring a clear benefit, only more houses.

Another councillor said it was “very likely” the authority would pull out of the devolution bid.

And after talks with the Government, district council leader Ferris Cowper says Hampshire is being offered a ‘Trojan Horse’.

In an interview for the Local Government Chronicle, Cllr Cowper said: “The secretary of state insisted that the Government’s demand was more than accelerated planning consent, it was to include consent for more houses, and the impression given is that it would be a lot more houses.

“In East Hampshire there is very little public appetite for even more housing.

“It’s hard to escape the notion that despite the hype of localism, the devolution offer from the Government is nothing more than a Trojan Horse to lock in more housing, in defiance of the legally and constitutionally developed local plans.”

The Hampshire devolution bid also called for local authorities to be able to keep business rates, rather than just collect the charge for the Government.

Chancellor George Osborne said if local authorities agreed to certain criteria, they could keep business rates.

But in exchange, it appears that Government grants would be reduced or axed.

Cllr Cowper said under the scheme EHDC would only get 67 per cent of the business rates it collected, leaving it worse off.

He said: “The offer of less money, more housing and no clear devolution benefit at all…(devolution) is unattractive in its current form.”