Local leaders raise concerns over single unitary council plan

Rutland county council

Leaders from Rutland County Council and the seven district and borough councils in Leicestershire have expressed concerns over plans to create a single unitary council for the county.

They criticised Leicestershire County Council for issuing a statement about local government reorganisation without prior notice or consultation.

In a joint statement, the leaders emphasised their commitment to ensuring local voices are heard, arguing that a single unitary council covering a large and diverse area risks being too remote and inaccessible.

They stressed the importance of keeping governance local and closely tied to communities.

The statement said: “As leaders we acknowledge the government’s white paper sets a clear direction of travel, but it must be properly considered, evidence-led and ensure that residents and businesses are fully engaged in shaping the future local government of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. We are open to exploring all options, but have not agreed on any boundary changes, and is clear that any changes must be based on evidence which gets the right balance between scale and physical geography. Any boundary changes would also have to be limited and balanced. Councils perform best when boundaries reflect the way people live their lives.

“We believe there are credible alternatives to a large single unitary, which will facilitate a better sense of place, deliver savings, boost regional growth and provide better outcomes for our residents and businesses. We want to work collaboratively with all our local authority partners to agree on how best to reshape local government within our area. We have written to the government to confirm that we are keen to work with them and that we expect our propositions to be taken seriously. There is simply too much at stake to have a change railroaded through.”

Click here to sign up to receive our new South West business news...
Close