Cllr Gale Waller’s Proposal: Rutland Council Leaders Poised to Choose County’s Future in Local Government Shake-Up

Cllr Gale Waller’s Proposal: Rutland Council Leaders Poised to Choose County’s Future in Local Government Shake-Up

Rutland County Council is rapidly approaching a decision on its own future, with the Cabinet set to consider a crucial report on October 14, 2025, outlining the path for the county’s participation in the mandatory Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) process.

The report, No: 99/2025, submitted by the Leader of the Council, Councillor G Waller, seeks to establish a set of guiding principles for a full Council debate on November 20, 2025. The Cabinet's ultimate decision on submitting a final LGR proposal is scheduled for the following day, November 21, 2025.

The LGR initiative is a nationally orchestrated process stemming from the English Devolution White Paper, which aims to replace smaller councils with much larger unitary authorities (guideline population size of 500,000+) to pave the way for strategic authorities with an Elected Mayor. The report emphasizes that councils, including Rutland, cannot opt out of this process.

The Proposals on the Table

As a small unitary authority, Rutland has been included in three separate interim proposals submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG):

North, City, South: A three-unitary model developed collaboratively by Rutland and a group of Leicestershire Districts and Boroughs.

Leicester City Council's Proposal: A model proposing two unitary authorities, one of which would incorporate Rutland into a single, larger Leicestershire unitary.

South Kesteven and North Kesteven Proposal: A merger forming a unitary authority that includes Rutland, North Kesteven, South Kesteven, and South Holland, effectively merging Rutland eastward into a Greater Lincolnshire area.

The Recommended Path Forward

Cllr Waller's report recommends that the Council's debate be framed by the statutory criteria from the MHCLG, with the explicit goal of identifying the proposal that provides the best means of ensuring long-term financial sustainability and the delivery of high-quality, sustainable public services for Rutland.

The report also notes that a proposal for Rutland to remain unaltered is unlikely to be accepted for statutory consultation, as an authority of approximately 40,000 people is not considered sufficiently large to achieve the necessary efficiencies, capacity, and financial resilience for the long term.

Public Engagement Reveals Strong Desire for Independence

Extensive public engagement conducted between June and July 2025 highlighted significant resident concerns and priorities regarding the reorganisation.

Many respondents voiced a strong desire for Rutland to retain its independence and current governance structure, with several recalling the fight to regain independence in 1997.

When asked to rate importance, residents identified the financial sustainability of any new unitary authority as the number one priority. This was closely followed by the preservation of Rutland’s identity and ceremonial status and ensuring sensible economic and housing growth.

The most recurring fears included the potential loss of Rutland’s influence and voice within a larger, more distant administration, the risk of a decline in the existing high quality of local services, and concerns that Rutland’s land would be used to meet the housing quotas of its larger neighbours.

Of the three interim options, a merger with the Lincolnshire/South Kesteven area received favourable remarks, often due to perceived "culturally similar" rural ties. Conversely, there was a strong, often emotional, dislike for the idea of being "completely subsumed" into a single Leicestershire unitary.

The results of the structured discussions showed that maintaining good representation and the new council's financial stability were of higher importance to participants than achieving the smallest possible population size or securing Council Tax reduction opportunities.