The leader of Rutland council says she has 'no real choice' in how the local government shake up will work out. 

Rutland County Council, along with many other local authorities in the country, will be abolished in the next few years and become part of a larger unitary authority.  

The council has joined forces with neighbouring Leicestershire Councils to create a proposal which would see Rutland become part of a large North Leicestershire council and is currently asking residents for their views on that plan before making a final decision in November. 

Speaking at last night's full council meeting Cllr Gale Waller (Lib Dem) said: "I have consistently stated if I had my way, I would leave Rutland as we are. A small unitary council providing very good services while successfully managing our budget. But I had and still have no real choice." 

She said the authority had been told by the government to look at alignment with Leicestershire and that neighbouring councils in Lincolnshire had not been 'invited' by the government to consider Rutland as a merger partner. 

However, Rutland has been included in one of the eight proposals put forward by various Lincolnshire collectives and Cllr Waller says she will be meeting soon with the leaders of the South and North Kesteven Councils and the leader of South Holland council to consider that proposal. Public meetings held by the area's Conservative MP Alicia Kearns found that many residents were in favour of this Lincolnshire proposal. 

The leader said all views gathered by feedback forms from residents, focus groups and ward councillors would be analysed over the summer and the authority would 'then be in a better position to understand the priorities for Rutland residents.' 

The council will consider the results in the autumn before a preferred proposal is put forward to the government in November. The government will then make a final decision. 

Cllr Waller said: "I cannot definitively say which proposal is best for Rutland and that is why we are doing this work."