I AM responding to the article in the Daily Echo (April 7) by Matt Smith, and the editorial.

I think that those who wish to merge Southampton City Council with parts of the New Forest and Eastleigh are overlooking a very important point; which is that local people want the decisions that affect their area to be made locally.

We already have the economies of scale when we need them by either joint working or by using the power of the excellent Hampshire County Council.

It could be argued that it was a mistake to create the unitary authorities in the first place, as they are probably too small to carry out the functions of education or social services which need the economies of scale that a County can give.

If we hadn't had an independent New Forest District Council, who would have stood up for the people of the Waterside when ABP tried to build a port at Dibden Bay?

Just imagine if it had been a part of a Greater Southampton - without the power of a local authority behind them providing expensive expertise, the campaign would quite likely have been lost.

The hopes and aspirations of the people of Southampton and those of the New Forest are not always the same. Each needs its own distinctive voice to be heard.

One size, as we all know, does not fit all! Our country has over many years developed a structure of local government which generally works well, and which is continuously improving.

Any attempt at a massive restructuring will cause huge uncertainty, both for employees and for our people.

The best way forward is by encouraging authorities to work closely to deliver services, while allowing policy decisions to be made as close to the people as possible.

Yes, we do have a complex structure with several layers of government and it might seem to an outsider that it would be best to simplify it, but it will not bring the savings that some might think.

The restructuring process is in itself very costly. By the time redundancy costs are taken into account, and enhanced salaries given to senior staff, commensurate with increased responsibilities in a bigger authority, any potential savings soon start to disappear.

Each layer of local government fulfils a vital role which supports the whole.

The parish and town council is the closest to people and often is where an issue is first raised. The district or borough is then alerted via its local representatives, and issues are then able to be resolved or can go on further to the county if needed.

If we want people to be involved in democracy then it needs to be close to them. Larger structures are more remote.

Finally, if we want to introduce these new unitaries, then it must be done democratically by asking people to vote in a referendum in each of the present local authorities separately to see if the proposal commands local support.

If the people of Eastleigh and the New Forest do not support the proposal then to impose it on them would be the very opposite of local democracy.

COUNCILLOR DEREK TIPP, Netley Marsh.