Major update on controversial plans to reorganise Leicestershire councils
The leader of Harborough District Council has welcomed the Government's announcement of a further pause in organising councils in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
The Government had planned to create two new unitary councils by April 2028, one covering a larger city and the other covering the rest of Leicestershire and Rutland.
Now, ministers will review the proposals across the country over the coming months and into next year, with decisions to be made as individual plans are reconsidered.
Cllr Simon Whelband said: “I welcome this further pause, but only if ministers are genuinely prepared to listen to local councils and the communities we represent.
“The Government’s handling of this process has been deeply frustrating. Ministers have created enormous uncertainty, failed to properly address local concerns and left councils and their hardworking staff in limbo for even longer.”
The update means that council services will continue as normal and there is no need for residents, businesses or community groups to do anything.
The council elections are still planned for May 6, 2027.
Cllr Whelband said: “We will continue to fight Leicester’s proposed land grab and make the strongest possible representations to ministers. I will not accept any areas of Harborough District being included in any form of expanded City as part of a unitary council.
“This must be a genuine rethink, not another exercise in kicking the can down the road before imposing a decision from Whitehall.”
Dan Harrison, leader of Leicestershire County Council, called the announcement “a victory for people power”.
“After all these months, we still have no concrete decision,
While Cllr Phil Knowles, leader of the opposition at Harborough District Council, said: “The government has stumbled to yet another pause.
“I think the time has come for them to accept a huge amount of expenditure, all these hours spent in trying to arrive at some level of decision that they have to agree that they have got this badly wrong.
“And that the status quo of local government in Leicestershire and Rutland does not need fixing and therefore they should withdraw completely.”