Crucial Next Steps for Rutland's Local Government Future as LGR Proposals Emerge

Crucial Next Steps for Rutland's Local Government Future as LGR Proposals Emerge

Rutland is reaching a pivotal moment in the ongoing process of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). A significant development has occurred with the publication of a detailed draft of the North, City, South LGR proposal. This plan, developed collaboratively by Leicestershire district and borough councils and Rutland County Council, is now ready for consideration by Councillors, to be compared against other options before the Government’s final submission deadline of 28 November 2025.

The North, City, South Proposal is Published

The newly published detailed draft of the North, City, South proposal offers a clear blueprint for one potential future structure. It stems from the Government’s Statutory Invitation dated 5 February 2025, which specifically regards Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland as an "invitation area."

Detailed Draft and Summary: A summary and the detailed draft of the proposal can be accessed here: www.northcitysouth.co.uk/draft-proposal.

Supporting FAQ: A comprehensive detailed FAQ that supports the proposal is also available here: www.northcitysouth.co.uk/faq.

Multiple Proposals Including Rutland

The North, City, South plan is just one of several proposals currently on the table that include Rutland. As a reminder, Rutland has been included in three interim proposals so far:

North, City, South proposal: Developed by Leicestershire district/borough councils and Rutland County Council (RCC).

Leicester City Council’s proposal: Suggests two unitary authorities: one incorporating Rutland with Leicestershire and the other being a City Council with an enlarged area.

South Kesteven and North Kesteven proposal: A plan to form a unitary authority with Rutland, North Kesteven, South Kesteven, and South Holland (Lincolnshire councils).

Furthermore, a fourth proposal including Rutland is anticipated to be published by Leicestershire County Council before the final submission deadline. RCC is actively assisting with the alternative LGR proposals being led by North and South Kesteven District Councils by providing necessary information.

Key Council Decisions and Upcoming Dates

A crucial debate and vote are scheduled for Thursday 20 November 2025.

Full Council Debate and Vote: RCC's Full Council will hold a debate and a non-binding indicative vote on the various proposals.

Cabinet Decision: An RCC Cabinet decision on which proposal to endorse will not be taken until after the Full Council proceedings.

To ensure an informed discussion, RCC hopes to have detailed drafts of all different LGR proposals that include Rutland by the 20 November meeting, although this depends on timely sharing from the other councils involved. RCC will share these drafts as soon as they become available.

The agenda and reports for the Full Council meeting will be published on Wednesday 12 November 2025 and can be viewed here: www.rutland.gov.uk/meetings.

The Path to a Final Decision

Following the final Government submission deadline of 28 November 2025, the timeline for a definitive outcome is:

Early 2026: The UK Government is expected to hold a public consultation around the submitted LGR proposals.

Summer 2026: The Government is expected to take a final decision on the future structure of the new unitary authorities.

This period marks a critical phase where residents should follow developments closely and prepare to engage in the upcoming public consultation.