The leader of Rutland County Council has said that local government reorganisation is 'still in a state of flux' despite there being just one month to go until a final proposal must be made. 

Cllr Gale Waller (Lib Dem) said at this morning's cabinet meeting that she had spent all of Sunday making amendment suggestions to a 250 page draft submission for the North, City, South, Bid, which the authority has drawn up with neighbouring councils.  

This bid is one of three being proposed for Rutland and would see the unitary authority merge with its neighbours in Charnwood, Melton and North West Leicestershire to form a new authority. 

Two other bids have been proposed by others, including one by councils in South Lincolnshire which would involve Rutland merging with them. 

The Rutland authority has received criticism for not being more involved with the South Lincs proposal, especially from Stamford and Rutland MP Alicia Kearns, but Cllr Waller sought to set the record straight.  

All councils must tell the Labour government next month which is their preferred bid. A survey by Rutland County Council has found there is preference for a South Lincolnshire merger. 

Cllr Waller said: "As odd as it sounds when we are at the end of October, we are still in a state of flux." 

She said the government had invited the authority to be involved in discussions with its Leicestershire neighbours and had not been asked to be 'actively involved with the Lincolnshire proposal. 

She said in the last couple of weeks she had talks with the leaders of North and South Kesteven councils and email correspondence with the South Holland leader. 

She said: "I have made it quite clear that we need to be able to give our members a copy of their proposed submission. But I have no sense of where they are in developing their position.  

"I do know that our officers have provided all the data and information that they have been requested to provide but unlike with Leicestershire our officers have not been actively involved in developing the proposal in Lincolnshire. Despite the fact our chief executive offered that they should. The offer was not taken up.  So, we don't know exactly what they are saying." 

There will be a meeting on 20 November of the county council and councillors will be asked to have their say on which bid they prefer. The leader said the councillors would need to evaluate the financial consequences of each bid. The survey carried out by the council in the summer found that financial sustainability was the most important concern of residents followed by keeping Rutland's identity. 

The government will make the final decision on Rutland council's fate with the new council anticipated to be created in 2028.