Rutland County Councils Leader Gale Waller's Critical Role Navigating Rutland Through Local Government Reorganisation, whats next?

Rutland County Councils Leader Gale Waller's Critical Role Navigating Rutland Through Local Government Reorganisation

Rutland County Council Leader Cllr Gale Waller has shed light on her pivotal involvement in the complex and often contentious process of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and Devolution, asserting that 'No change was never an option in local government reorganisation process'.

In her column published in the Rutland Times on December 7, 2025, Cllr Waller detailed the timeline and rationale behind the Council's decisions, particularly its choice to endorse the North, City, South proposal for a new council structure.

The current round of LGR was triggered in December 2024 when the Government published its Devolution White Paper, seeking "simpler structures with fewer politicians to deliver sustainable, high-quality public services and unlock economic growth."

Cllr Waller addressed the controversy surrounding a letter she co-signed in January with the leaders of Leicester City and Leicestershire County Councils. She firmly stated that this letter was not the sole reason Rutland was included in the reorganisation talks, as had been claimed.

"It’s been claimed this letter is the only reason why Rutland is now having to merge with other areas. That is not true."

The letter, she explained, followed a meeting called by then-Minister Jim McMahon on January 9, 2025, where he made it "clear that Rutland was part of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) reorganisation and this would form our 'invitation area'." Crucially, the Minister was also clear that 'no change' was not an an option, with legislation already moving through Parliament to ensure LGR progress.

Following the January meeting, the letter Waller co-signed confirmed that LLR would need to undergo reorganisation before unlocking devolution benefits.

"Of the pathways open to us, this was the only one that gave Rutland a chance to influence the shape of future council structures – including the opportunity to explore options away from Leicestershire."

When Leicester City and Leicestershire County Councils showed reluctance to cooperate on a joint LGR proposal, it fell to Rutland and the seven Leicestershire districts to ensure a palatable alternative was submitted.

"Had we not responded positively and pragmatically to the Government’s statutory invitation and worked with the districts to develop North, City, South, there would now be just two LGR options to consider. Both place Rutland into a single huge unitary authority for Leicestershire."

Cllr Waller noted that the proposals from Leicester City and Leicestershire County made it "painfully clear that Rutland is barely an after-thought to those councils."

Despite working within the prescribed LLR invitation area, Rutland did explore options with neighbours. In March 2025, North and South Kesteven District Councils proposed including Rutland in a three-unitary LGR proposal for the Greater Lincolnshire area.

Cllr Waller confirmed Rutland's positive response to this, but noted a subsequent lack of information.

"Despite working hard to support the development of North and South Kesteven’s LGR proposal, we had no sight of the progress of their plan after March 2025. No emerging findings were ever shared with us, and we weren’t involved in the assessment process where Rutland was removed from the proposal."

With the Greater Lincolnshire option off the table, the County Councillors were left to assess the three proposals covering LLR. On November 20, the full Council held a vote, and on November 28, the Cabinet ultimately endorsed the North, City, South proposal.

The decision was driven by key criteria: financial sustainability, democratic representation, and the future of Rutland’s name and ceremonial status, alongside feedback from public engagement.

"Ministers may disregard the proposal we’ve chosen to endorse. However, we can be assured at least one plan has gone forward with Rutland’s best interests at heart."

A key concern has been the preservation of Rutland's ceremonial status. Cllr Waller confirmed she has been actively working on this behind the scenes.

"Even during the week of November’s submission, I met with Baroness Taylor, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at MHCLG. She assured me her team is working on how to preserve Rutland’s ceremonial status and that everything is being done to ensure we don’t lose it as part of LGR."

Cllr Waller added that she believes the North, City, South proposal is the best vehicle for preserving our ceremonial status.

The article concluded with a call for community resilience: "Whatever the size and shape of the council delivering our local services after 2028, we can each play a role in ensuring Rutland remains the special place it is now."

The North, City, South Proposal: "Big Enough to Deliver, Close Enough to Respond"

The North, City, South plan, endorsed by Cllr Gale Waller and Rutland County Council, is a joint proposal from eight local authorities (Rutland County Council and the seven Leicestershire district and borough councils) aimed at creating three strong, equally sized unitary councils to replace the current ten.

The proposal responds directly to the Government's instruction to reduce the number of councils in the Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland (LLR) area and create a mayoral-led strategic authority as part of its devolution agenda.

The plan seeks to balance the need for larger, more financially sustainable authorities with a desire to keep councils close and accountable to their communities.

Proposed Unitary Authority	Current Councils Included	Approximate Population
North Leicestershire and Rutland	Rutland County Council, Charnwood, Melton, North West Leicestershire	~416,000 residents
South Leicestershire	Blaby, Harborough, Hinckley & Bosworth, Oadby & Wigston	~403,000 residents
Leicester City	Leicester City Council	~404,000 residents (retains existing boundary)
Strategic Authority	A new Mayoral Strategic Authority overseeing all three unitary councils	~1.2 million residents

The total number of councils would be reduced from ten (Rutland, Leicester City, Leicestershire County, and seven districts) to three unitary authorities, plus the new strategic authority.

The proponents of the North, City, South plan argue that it is the most credible option for several key reasons:

• Financial Sustainability: The plan aims to deliver savings of over £44 million a year by reducing staffing and councillor numbers, achieving procurement efficiencies, and shifting to a prevention-focused service model. Its 10-year strategy seeks to move the councils' collective budget from a deficit to a surplus.

• Protection of Rutland's Identity: A key feature, and one of Cllr Waller's primary concerns, is the commitment to retain Rutland's name and ceremonial status within the new North Leicestershire and Rutland unitary council.

• Prevention-Focused Services: The model places a strong emphasis on Neighbourhood Partnerships. These local partnerships would bring together the council, NHS, Police, and voluntary sectors to tackle issues early, improve lives, reduce demand on costly statutory services, and ensure services are tailored to local communities.

• Delivering Devolution at Pace: The plan is designed to be fully ready to implement the Mayoral Strategic Authority, calling for Mayoral elections in 2027 to quickly unlock new funding and powers for economic growth and infrastructure investment.

• Avoiding City Boundary Expansion: Unlike some alternative proposals, the North, City, South plan strongly opposes expanding the Leicester City boundary, arguing it would be complex, costly, and unpopular with communities.

This proposal is one of several the Government is now considering for the LLR area. The final decision is expected from the Secretary of State in 2026, with new authorities potentially vesting in 2028.

The Unitary Battle, Comparing the LGR Proposals for LLR

The Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) process in the Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland (LLR) area has generated three distinct proposals, each aiming to meet the Government's call for simpler, more sustainable unitary councils.

Rutland County Council's endorsement of the North, City, South plan puts it at odds with the proposals put forward by Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council. The central conflict revolves around the number of new authorities, the size of the new councils, and whether the Leicester City boundary should be expanded.

Here is a comparison of the three primary proposals submitted to the Secretary of State:

Comparison of LLR Local Government Reorganisation Proposals

Feature	Proposal 1: North, City, South (Endorsed by Rutland & 7 Districts)	Proposal 2: Single County Unitary (Proposed by Leicestershire County Council)	Proposal 3: Expanded City Unitary (Preferred by Leicester City Council)
Total Unitary Councils	Three	Two	Two
New Authority Boundaries	1. North Leicestershire & Rutland (~416k pop)	1. Leicestershire & Rutland (Single County Unitary, ~800k pop)	1. Expanded Leicester City (~625k pop)
	2. South Leicestershire (~403k pop)	2. Leicester City (retains existing boundary, ~400k pop)	2. Remainder of County & Rutland (~580k pop)
	3. Leicester City (retains existing boundary, ~404k pop)
Impact on Rutland	Rutland is part of a three-unitary council area, forming the northern part of the North Leicestershire & Rutland authority.	Rutland is absorbed into a single, large unitary authority for the entire county, which opponents claim would be too remote.	Rutland is absorbed into a single, large unitary authority covering the remainder of the county outside of the expanded City boundary.
Savings Estimate	Over £44 million per year.	Around £40 million per year.	The highest annual savings for LLR as a whole: £46 million per year.
Key Argument	"Big enough to deliver, close enough to respond." Balances economies of scale with local democratic accountability and neighbourhood-level services. Retains Rutland's name and ceremonial status.	"Simplicity and maximum savings." Maximises financial savings and avoids breaking up vital county-wide services like social care.	"Sensible geography and growth." Corrects "illogical" City boundaries to include the urban sprawl, enabling better strategic planning, housing growth, and balancing deprivation.
Rutland's Stance	Strongly Endorsed. Believed to be the best vehicle for protecting Rutland's identity and providing local representation.	Opposed. Claimed by the North, City, South group to be "too big, too cumbersome and too remote for local communities."	Opposed. Waller's group states City expansion is "complex and costly," has no strong business case, and is "hugely unpopular with communities."

Why the Proposals Clash

The three proposals represent fundamental disagreements on how to achieve the Government's goals:

1. Size vs. Locality:

   • County Council favors maximum size (800k population) to maximize savings and protect established county-wide services (like social care) from being split.

   • Rutland/Districts (North, City, South) argue the County's size is too large and remote, preferring three smaller (400k population) unitaries to maintain a stronger local connection and enable community-led neighborhood partnerships.

2. The City Boundary:

   • City Council insists that boundary expansion is essential to create two balanced, financially strong unitaries, align services (like transport and planning) with the real urban area, and unlock housing growth.

   • Rutland/Districts argue the City's existing size is financially sustainable, and expanding the boundary would be complex, costly, and disrupt local communities, potentially delaying devolution.

The Secretary of State must now assess which of these compliant proposals best meets the statutory criteria, considering financial sustainability, quality of services, and the promotion of community engagement.

The LGR Decision and Implementation Timeline

The final proposals for the LLR area (North, City, South; Single County; and Expanded City) were all submitted to the Government by the deadline of November 28, 2025. The estimated timeline for the final decision and implementation is as follows:

1. Government Review and Statutory Consultation (Early 2026)

• Review of Proposals (December 2025 - January 2026): The Secretary of State's team will conduct a detailed, evidenced-based assessment of the three LLR proposals against the statutory criteria. These criteria include: the size of the new unitaries (ideally 500,000+ population, though exceptions are considered), financial sustainability, quality of services, sensible geography, and the ability to promote stronger community engagement.

• Statutory Consultation (Expected January - May 2026): Based on the review, the Government will likely select one or more preferred proposals to proceed with a Statutory Consultation. This is a formal, mandatory consultation process where the Secretary of State must seek the views of every council affected that did not submit the proposal, as well as any other persons or bodies deemed appropriate (such as the public, local businesses, and health bodies).

  Rutland County Council is a submitting authority for the North, City, South proposal, but would be a statutory consultee on the other two proposals.

2. The Decision (Mid-2026)

• Final Decision (Expected July 2026): Following the conclusion of the consultation, Ministers will review all evidence and consultation responses. The Secretary of State will then make a final judgment "in the round" against the criteria. They have the power to:

  • Implement one of the submitted proposals, with or without modification.

  • Take no action.

  • The decision is subject to collective agreement across Government.

3. Parliamentary and Transitional Process (2027 - 2028)

• Legislation: If a proposal is chosen, a Structural Changes Order (SCO), which is secondary legislation, is prepared and laid before Parliament for approval. This Order legally establishes the new unitary council(s) and abolishes the predecessor councils (including Rutland County Council).

• Shadow Authority Elections (Expected May 2027): Elections for the new unitary authority (or authorities) will be held. The newly elected councillors will form a Shadow Authority, which exists alongside the old councils.

• Transition Phase (2027-2028): The Shadow Authority spends about one year preparing for the transfer of all services. This includes setting budgets, establishing governance, merging IT systems, and defining the operational culture.

• New Unitary Councils Go Live (Expected April 1, 2028): The new unitary council(s) officially take over all functions, and the predecessor councils (like Rutland County Council) are formally dissolved.

The Devolution Bill's Impact

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which the Rutland Times article noted had cleared the Commons and was heading to the Lords (with its Second Reading set for December 8, 2025), is central to this process.

• Direction Power: The Bill is expected to grant the Secretary of State powers to direct local government reorganisation, reinforcing the earlier message that 'no change was never an option'.

• Mayoral Strategic Authority (MSA): The Bill is establishing the legal framework for the new MSA tier of government that will cover LLR, providing the route to unlock further devolved powers and funding once the unitary structure is simplified.

The simultaneous LGR and Devolution processes mean the final decision on the new LLR unitary structure is heavily influenced by which model the Government believes can most effectively and quickly support the establishment of the new Mayoral Strategic Authority.

Six Statutory Assessment Criteria

The three LLR proposals (North, City, South; Single County; Expanded City) will be judged "in the round" across six key areas, none of which is officially weighted more heavily than the others, although the first two are often seen as the most critical for achieving efficiencies.

1. Achieving a Single Tier (Geographic & Economic Sense)

• The Principle: The proposal must achieve a single tier of local government (unitary councils) for the whole of the invited area (LLR).

• The Test: New boundaries must be for a sensible economic and geographic area, with an appropriate tax base that supports housing supply and meets local needs. This is where the debate over expanding the City boundary or creating larger vs. smaller unitaries is judged.

2. Right Size for Capacity and Efficiency

• The Principle: The new unitary council must be the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity, and withstand financial shocks.

• The Test (The 500k Guideline): The guiding principle is that new councils should aim for a population of 500,000 or more.

  • Note: The LLR proposals' populations are around 400,000 (North, City, South) and 800,000 (Single County). The Government acknowledges flexibility, especially in the context of devolution, but proposals below $500,000$ must provide a strong rationale for why their size is better for the area.

3. High Quality and Sustainable Public Services

• The Principle: The new structures must prioritise the delivery of high-quality and sustainable public services.

• The Test: Proposals must show how service delivery will be improved, avoid unnecessary fragmentation of services, and identify opportunities for public service reform (e.g., social care, children’s services). The financial models must show long-term sustainability.

4. Working Together and Local Views (Engagement)

• The Principle: The proposal must demonstrate how councils have sought to work together and how the view is informed by local views.

• The Test: This assesses the evidence of local engagement and how the proposal addresses concerns and respects issues of local identity and cultural/historic importance (a critical point for Rutland's ceremonial status).

5. Support for Devolution Arrangements

• The Principle: The new unitary structures must actively support devolution arrangements and the establishment of the Mayoral Strategic Authority.

• The Test: The plan must demonstrate how the unitary structure will help unlock devolution powers and funding, ensuring sensible population ratios and timelines that work for both the unitary council and the Mayoral Authority.

6. Stronger Community Engagement

• The Principle: New structures should enable stronger community engagement and deliver genuine opportunity for neighbourhood empowerment.

• The Test: This relates to plans for local area working (like the Neighbourhood Partnerships cited in the North, City, South plan) and the relationship with Town and Parish Councils, ensuring local voice is maintained or enhanced.

What This Means for Rutland's Proposal

The Secretary of State will perform a "judgment in the round." For Cllr Waller's preferred North, City, South proposal, the key strengths and weaknesses relative to the criteria are:

North, City, South Strength (S) / Weakness (W)	Corresponding Criterion
(W) Population falls below the 500k guidance 400k each.	Size for Capacity and Efficiency
(S) Strong local identity/historic consideration, aiming to preserve Rutland's ceremonial status.	Working Together and Local Views
(S) Strong focus on local democratic accountability and Neighbourhood Partnerships.	Stronger Community Engagement
(S) Divides the area into three equally sized, manageable strategic blocks for the Mayoral Authority.	Support for Devolution Arrangements

The Government must balance the County Council's claim of maximum savings from a single, large unitary with Rutland's/Districts' argument for better accountability and service delivery from smaller, locally-focused unitaries.