Rutland County Councils Cabinet Votes Unanimously to Back 'North, City, South' Local Government Reorganisation Bid

Rutland County Councils Cabinet Votes Unanimously to Back 'North, City, South' Local Government Reorganisation Bid

Rutland County Council’s Cabinet today held a special meeting at 2:00 PM to determine its final preference for the proposed Local Government Reorganisation, a process which has been ongoing since last December

 

The Cabinet, led by Councillor Gale Waller (Liberal Democrat), voted unanimously to formally adopt the 'North, City, South' option. This proposal, which has been the sole focus of the council's internal officer work, would see Rutland join a new unitary authority encompassing Melton, North Leicestershire, and Charnwood. Two other unitary authorities would be created alongside this: one covering the City of Leicester and a third for South Leicestershire.

Cabinet members were highly complimentary of the extensive work undertaken by council officers throughout the reorganisation process.

However, the meeting also saw strong criticism directed towards the proposals submitted by neighbouring authorities. Deputy Leader, Councillor Andrew Johnson, described the competing proposals from larger councils as "arrogant". He further suggested that the primary motivation for these larger councils was merely to increase their council tax revenue base.

The decision follows an informal recommendation from the preceding full council meeting held yesterday. The past year has been characterised by significant political turbulence for the council, including local disagreements and a leadership challenge successfully seen off by Councillor Waller over the summer.

The chosen 'North, City, South' bid stands in contrast to the proposals from the larger unitary authorities. Leicestershire County Council prefers a two-council model: one covering a unified Leicestershire and Rutland, and the other maintaining the existing city boundary. Leicester City Council's submission also advocates for two unitaries: one significantly expanded from the current city to include areas like Oadby and Market Harborough, and the other covering the remainder of Leicestershire and Rutland.

The vote was not without internal dissent. Conservative members of the council chose to abstain from voting during the previous council meeting. They have cited a lack of viable choice, stating that any potential option involving Lincolnshire had been previously removed from consideration, leaving them unable to support the remaining proposals.

Council Leader Gale Waller introduced a key amendment to the final Cabinet resolution. She noted that other district councils, who are likely to align with the 'North Leicestershire' component of Rutland's bid, have yet to finalise their own formal decisions. Councillor Waller cautioned that this could result in "adjustments" to the final submission.

To ensure flexibility, the amendment grants Councillor Gale Waller and the Chief Executive the authority to make very minor, necessary amendments to the proposal before it is submitted to the government.

The leaders of the district councils aiming to form the North Leicestershire unitary authority are scheduled to convene next Wednesday to coordinate their final submission. All proposals are due to be formally submitted to the Government on Friday, November 28, 2025. The final decision on the future structure of local government in the region will rest with the Government.

After the meeting Cllr Gale Waller Leader of Rutland County Council, said: 

“Devolving more power and funding to councils is something I think most people support. This is what the Government has said it wants to achieve. However, the demands that Ministers have put on councils and the way they’ve gone about it – mandating a radical overhaul of local government in less than a year – has created huge pressure and a lot of frustration. I’ve said throughout that this is not something we want to do. However, pretending we can stop or simply ignore a government with a huge parliamentary majority benefits no one.

“I’ve also said time and again that councils must be led by evidence when deciding which LGR proposal represents the best option for our residents. I’m grateful to Members for the careful consideration they gave to each of the available LGR proposals at our Full Council meeting. I’d particularly like to thank our Scrutiny Committee for the speed and quality of work undertaken by its task and finish group, whose evaluation helped to inform our debate. After taking all of this into account, interrogating each of the three options open to us and listening to the thoughts and feelings of our residents, Cabinet determined that North, City, South is the proposal that provides the best chance of ensuring long-term financial sustainability and high-quality services for Rutland.

“It’s important to stress that Government – not councils – will make the final decision on the future makeup of local authorities, sometime next year. Indeed, Ministers may completely disregard the option we’ve chosen to endorse. The most important thing at this moment is that a proposal goes forward to the Government on 28 November that is as beneficial to Rutland as it possibly can be. We believe that, from the three available options, North, City, South is the proposal most likely to deliver future prosperity for our residents.”

The UK Government has indicated that, following the endorsement and submission of final LGR proposals on 28 November, it will look to hold a public consultation within specific areas in early 2026.

A Government decision on which LGR proposals to implement across England is expected in summer 2026. Shadow elections for new authorities are expected in 2027, followed by a vesting day when new councils officially take over in 2028.

The agenda and reports for Rutland County Councils Cabinet on Friday 21 November 2025 can be read in full on Rutland County Council’s website: www.rutland.gov.uk/meetings. Minutes and a recording from the meeting will be published within one week of the meeting date.