IF YOU asked your average resident 'What do you think about devolution?'.

The chances are that you will get a blank look.

It isn’t something that most people think about, or necessarily understand.

However, it is important because it is, in simple terms, giving back the power to control our lives locally.

It’s a feature of the UK government that we operate a very centralised way of running the country. In fact, it’s just about the most centralised system in western Europe.

We don’t have regional government and there are very few mayors with any real power (as is the case in France).

Scottish nationalism has been driving the current government to consider devolving decision making powers to the rest of the UK – not by setting up a new tier of regional government but by inviting expressions of interest from, in our case, a combined authority for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The Leader of Hampshire County Council has been meeting with leaders of the District and Borough Councils, Local Enterprise Partnerships, Police & Crime Commissioner, Fire Chief, Executives from the Fire Authority and Clinical Commissioning Groups to work up an agreed bid to central government to take on more powers locally.

Next week, the Cabinet of New Forest District Council will meet to discuss a draft prospectus for more powers. I hope to participate with some of my own ideas.

On my wish list would be: Severely reducing the powers of government appointed planning inspectors to overturn the decisions of locally elected councillors;

Scrapping the need to hold a referendum if a local council decides to raise council tax; Allowing local authorities to keep business rates;

Devolving 'back to work' programmes to local government and powers to work with colleges to ensure more focus on providing students with skills and qualifications that better reflect local needs;

A new independent system of governance within the combined authority to ensure fair allocation of funding;

The power to raise an additional tax from homes in the area that are worth more than £2 million;

A streamlined means of allowing the new combined authorities to invest in transport projects (such as the Waterside railway line or new park & ride schemes).