Rutland County Council Faces Crucial Reorganisation Vote Amid Missed Lincolnshire Link

Rutland County Council Faces Crucial Reorganisation Vote Amid Missed Lincolnshire Link

Rutland County Council is heading for a pivotal Full Council meeting this Thursday, November 20, 2025, to discuss and hold an indicative vote on options for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). This Government-led drive aims to replace existing two-tier and smaller unitary councils with larger unitary authorities, paving the way for strategic authorities with elected mayors by 2029.

The Available LGR Proposals

With a final submission deadline of November 28, 2025, Rutland Councillors have been presented with a report detailing three proposals currently in the public domain for the Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland area:

1. The Leicester City Council Proposal: This proposal could expand the City boundaries, incorporating Rutland into a single Leicestershire unitary authority.

2. The Leicestershire County Council Proposal: This suggests a two-unitary model, maintaining an unchanged Leicester City and creating a large Leicestershire unitary that absorbs Rutland.

3. The North, City, South Proposal: This is a three-unitary model for the area, which could see Rutland form part of a new North Leicestershire and Rutland council.

Exclusion from the Greater Lincolnshire Proposal

A significant development is the confirmation that Rutland has been excluded from the three-unitary LGR proposal being developed by North and South Kesteven District Councils for Greater Lincolnshire.

Rutland County Council was notified on November 12 that it was discounted at the first stage of assessment by the Kesteven councils. Reports indicate the primary concerns were:

Crossing Invitation Areas: The risk of submitting a proposal that crossed the different invitation areas set by national government (Rutland is in the Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland area).

Devolution Criteria: Concerns that including Rutland could fail to meet devolution criteria set by the Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) without comprehensive plans for the remaining councils in the wider Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland invitation area.

Councillor Gale Waller, Leader of Rutland County Council, expressed disappointment, noting that the Council had been working on the assumption that an updated Greater Lincolnshire proposal would be available for assessment. "We were not approached to be involved in the assessment process which determined that Rutland should be withdrawn," she stated, adding that they have not seen an updated version since March, despite supplying extensive data.

Government LGR Criteria

Any final LGR proposal submitted by councils must adhere to strict criteria, which include:

Whole Invitation Areas: The proposal must cover the entire invitation area outlined by the Government (Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland for Rutland County Council).

Population Size: New unitary authorities must have a population of around 500,000 residents.

Financial & Service Quality: Demonstration of financial sustainability and quality of service provision.

Community Engagement: Evidence of public and community involvement.

Devolution Alignment: Alignment with wider national devolution goals.

Key Dates for Decision

The process for Rutland's final decision is set to unfold rapidly this week:

Thursday, November 20, 7:00pm: Full Council Meeting will hold a debate and a non-binding informal vote by all Elected Members not on Cabinet to indicate their preferred option.

Meeting agenda and reports: https://rutlandcounty.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=145&MId=3032

Watch the meeting live: https://rutlandcounty.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=145&MId=3032

Friday, November 21: Cabinet Special Meeting will take a formal decision on the submission of a single LGR proposal for Rutland.

https://rutlandcounty.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=133&MId=3108

Friday, November 28: Government Deadline for councils to submit one LGR proposal.

Councillor Waller confirmed that Rutland has not yet committed to any single plan, stressing that the Council remains open to considering all LGR proposals that include Rutland to determine the best option for its residents, businesses, and communities.