District and boroughs "extremely disappointed" over county council plan for reorganisation
Councils in Leicestershire are at odds over reorganisation plans, with a set of district and borough councils alongside Rutland County Council hitting out at Leicestershire County Council's proposal to create a single unitary authority for the whole county.
A joint statement issued by the leaders of all seven district and borough councils in Leicestershire and Rutland claimed Leicestershire County Council is pursuing its proposal without discussing it with the rest of the region's councils.
"This goes against the expectations of ministers and the intent of the government's white paper on how it wishes to see local government reorganisation developed," the statement said.
The councils behind the joint statement are Blaby District Council, Charnwood Borough Council, Harborough District Council, Hinckley and Bosworth District Council, Melton Borough Council, North West Leicestershire District Council, Oadby and Wigston Borough Council, and Rutland County Council.
All councils in Leicestershire are expected to submit their interim plans to the Government for reorganisation by 21 March 2025, ahead of a deadline of 28 November for their full proposals.
Leicestershire County Council launched a consultation on its 'One Council' proposal last week (20 February).
The county's plan involves creating a single local authority for Leicestershire, excluding Rutland and Leicester City.
Cllr Deborah Taylor, acting leader of Leicestershire County Council, said: "Splitting the county into two, as some might suggest, is a non-starter creating more pain than gain – fewer savings, more confusion and unhelpful competition for staff.
"Two sets of everything – from back-office staff to waste collection systems - and less choice about which libraries and waste sites residents could use."
The district and borough councils and Rutland meanwhile argue that a single council for the area, which would serve approximately 800,000 residents, "would be too remote, too cumbersome, too inaccessible and ultimately inefficient and unsustainable".
The joint statement added: "We are therefore exploring options for smaller unitary authorities which will serve our local communities' needs better, but also enhance their future prosperity."
The district and borough councils plan to carry out initial engagement with stakeholders to help shape their interim plans, before conducting a "more comprehensive package of public engagement" in the summer.
The Government will also consult on any final proposal.
The discord comes two weeks on from a letter sent by the Local Government and English Devolution Minister, Jim McMahon, which urged councils to make "every effort to work together" to submit a single proposal to the Government rather than competing proposals.
However, McMahon noted that cases where areas cannot submit a joint proposal "will not be a barrier to progress," and the Government will consider any suitable proposals submitted by the relevant local authorities.
Adam Carey
