Government Responsibilities
A guide to who does what in local and national government.
Signposting Government
Oakley Park is managed by Fleet Town Council. Hart District Council have designated Oakley Park to be a Public Place under the 2001 Criminal Justice and Police Act of Parliament. Hampshire County Council maintain the public footpaths running through the park.
Parish & Town Councils
Parish, and town councils
There are 21 town and parish councils in Hart district. These are the most local level of elected government. Click on this link to find your local council .
They are responsible for local issues such as:
- community centres
- local parks
- play areas and play equipment
- grants to help local organisations
- allotments
- cemeteries
- bus shelters
They also have the power to issue fixed penalty fines for things like: litter, graffiti, fly posting, and dog offences.
District Councils
District Councils
The main areas of responsibility of District Councils include:
- rubbish collection
- recycling
- planning applications
- housing
- Council Tax collections
See more about Hart District Council.
District Council Responsibilities
| Abandoned Vehicles | Building Control | Bus Permits |
| Public CCTV | Car Parks and Fines | Council Tax Enquiries |
| Electoral Registration | Gypsies and Travellers | Housing / Homelessness |
| Leisure Centres | Licensing | Noise Pollution |
| Pest Control | Planning | Countryside Services |
| Street Cleaning / Litter | Fly-tipping | Taxi/Private Hire Licensing |
| Recycling | Refuse | Special Collections |
County Councils
County councils
Are the highest level of local government. They control substantial budgets. Hampshire County Council has a budget of £2.9 billion for the 2024/2025 Financial Year.
Education, Social Care, and Highways are all amongst their areas of responsibility.
County Councils main responsibilities are for:
- Education and training - including funding all state schools in the County
- Social care
- Environment - including addressing climate change decarbonisation plans for the county, flood management
- Countryside services - including maintenance of country parks & nature reserves, water ways, nature areas such as beaches, and public footpaths and other rights of way
- Waste management
- Roads (except trunk roads and motorways) - including verges,street lighting, pothole repair!
- Transport - including support for operators of public transport
- Emergency services
- Planning - including applications for mineral extraction, waste management, public buildings, and oversight of District Council plans,
- Libraries
- Trading standards - ensuring fair trading and protection of consumers
More information on services is available on the Hampshire County Council website.
Parliament & UK Government
Parliament & UK Government
Parliament is responsible for making laws in the UK and for overall scrutiny of all aspects of government. The role of a Member of Parliament (MP) is to represent their constituents, including those who did not vote for them or did not vote at all. There are 650 MPs in the House of Commons, each one representing around 100,000 constituents.
The Government of the UK is performed by Ministers of The Crown. The majority of Ministers are MPs, by convention. Ministers are accountable to Parliament for their actions.
Parliament has three parts: the sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. Parliamentary sovereignty is a principle of the UK constitution. It makes Parliament the supreme legal authority in the UK which can create or end any law. Generally, the courts cannot overrule its legislation and no Parliament can pass laws that future Parliaments cannot change.
A primary responsibility of MPs is to represent the interests of their constituents. This involves listening to the concerns and opinions of their constituents, advocating for their needs in Parliament, and providing assistance where appropriate.
MPs have a responsibility to uphold the democratic principles of the UK. This includes respecting the rule of law, protecting human rights, and promoting transparency and accountability in government.
The majority of Hart District falls within the Parliamentary Constituency of North East Hampshire, which is represented by Alex Brewer MP, Liberal Democrat, since 4th July 2024. Blackwater and Hawley, and the east of Yateley, are a part of the Aldershot constituency which is represented by Alex Baker.