Rutland's council leader has joined her voice with some neighbouring council leaders and said she would not support Leicester City Council increasing its boundaries to swallow up other parts of Leicestershire.

There are just a couple of months left until local authorities across the country have to submit their local government reorganisation bids to national government.

Rutland is part of what has been called the North, City, South proposal, which is putting forward a merger with existing councils in Charnborough, Melton and North West Leicestershire to form a North Leicestershire and Rutland unitary council. It proposes the city stays the same and the South Leicestershire unitary would be made up of other Leicestershire councils including Market Harborough.

The county council and city council have backed other proposals and today, the councils behind the North, City, South bid have put out a statement to say they have 'grave concerns' about the city council's proposal to extend it boundaries to include parts of Oadby and Market Harborough.

In her own statement, Rutland County Council leader Gale Waller (Lib Dem) said: "We continue to contribute the development of the North, City, South proposal in response to the Government's request for councils in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to work together to bring forward plans for reorganisation. We have grave concerns about Leicester City's proposal for an expanded City boundary and all-encompassing second unitary for what would remain of the Leicestershire districts and Rutland. It is important that the boundaries of any new unitaries are determined by evidence, not by the ambitions of one area alone.

"It is also important to remember that Rutland is part of proposals that could merge Rutland with several district councils in south Lincolnshire. We are continuing to support the development of these proposals with data, evidence, financial modelling and further discussion with Lincolnshire council leaders.

"Dates for Rutland's governance meetings have already been added to our forward plan. The full council meeting scheduled for Thursday 20th November will include debate and an indicative, non-binding vote on the Local Government Reorganisation draft final proposal, ensuring all potential options are fully explored before any final decision is reached."

advertisement

The Labour government's reorganisation plans have been a bit of a debacle, with bids and counter bids and fall outs. Early on Coun Waller accused the city and county councils within Leicestershire of not consulting the other councils and she herself faced a leadership challenge this summer by the opposition Conservative group who did not feel that she was fighting to keep Rutland as it is.

Cllr Waller has said she would prefer the county to stay as a small unitary but that she has little say in the matter. Central government will have the final say on the geographical lines of the new unitary councils.

Rutland is also part of a bid being put forward by the North and South Kesteven councils along with South Holland. A number of residents in the East of the county are in favour of this plan.