The Leicestershire County Council Cabinet met to discuss and approve the business case for local government reorganisation (LGR) in Leicestershire and Rutland, with the aim of streamlining local government and delivering savings. The Cabinet voted to approve the business case for submission to the government by the deadline of 28 November 2025. They also authorised the Chief Executive, following consultation with the Leader, the Director of Corporate Resources and Director of Law and Governance, to make any necessary amendments to the business case before it is submitted to the Government, provided that these do not change the underlying principles of the business case as presented in the report.

Local Government Reorganisation: Business Case

The main item under consideration was the approval of the County Council's business case for local government reorganisation (LGR) for submission to the government. The Cabinet voted to approve the business case and authorised the Chief Executive to make necessary amendments after consulting with the Leader, the Director of Corporate Resources, and the Director of Law and Governance, provided the core principles remain unchanged.

Councillor Dan Harrison CC, as Leader of the Council, thanked the officers and the Scrutiny Commission for their work on the proposal, which he described as a robust plan to streamline local government, eliminate duplication and deliver ongoing savings . He added that this would help to maximise efficiency, strengthen financial sustainability and ensure that more resources were directed to frontline services.

Councillor Harrison Fowler CC stated that the council's proposal was the only one that had been independently verified, demonstrated long-term sustainability, and did not require further borrowing or increased service costs. He argued that creating a single unitary council¹ for Leicestershire and Rutland was the right option for local communities, ensuring the counties retained their identities, saving over £40 million, reducing duplication, cutting back-office costs, and streamlining leadership.

Councillor Charles Pugsley CC, as Lead Member for Children and Family Services, believed the business case would provide more effective support for children's services and improve collaboration with health services. Councillor Carl Abbott CC stated that the reorganisation would lead to more accessible, community-based services for residents and better integration across services, clearer accountability, and a reduction in duplication.

Councillor Virge Richichi CC highlighted the role of the Trading Standards Service in protecting vulnerable residents and felt that a single unitary council would enable better collaboration between trading standards, environmental health, and licensing for the benefit of residents and businesses.

The report before the cabinet noted that the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has the power under Part 1 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007² to invite proposals for a single tier of local government. The report also provided a timeline for the reorganisation:

• The deadline for submission of unitary proposals was 28 November 2025.
• Following this, the Government will undertake statutory consultation on the proposals submitted by an area, with or without modification.
• Once the statutory consultation has concluded, the Minister will decide, subject to Parliamentary approval, which, if any, proposal is to be implemented, with or without modification. The timetable is for this decision to be made before the Parliamentary summer recess in 2026.
• It is planned that elections to the new authorities would take place on 6 May 2027.
• The date that the new authorities go live is 1 April 2028.

Items Referred from Overview and Scrutiny

There were no items referred from Overview and Scrutiny Committees.