The Scrutiny Commission met on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, to discuss the final proposals and consultation on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Leicestershire. The meeting concluded with the Commission noting a presentation on the Council's proposed response to the government's consultation and agreeing that their comments would be presented to the Cabinet.

Local Government Reorganisation - Final Proposals and Consultation

The Scrutiny Commission discussed the Council's proposed response to the government's consultation on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). The meeting included an exempt presentation from the Chief Executive, which was not for publication as it contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of the authority. The Leader of the Council, Mr D. Harrison CC, was in attendance, along with Mrs N. Bottomley CC, Mr M. H. Charlesworth CC, and Mr C. Whitford CC, to ensure representation from all political parties.

During the meeting, members provided comments on each of the consultation questions and the proposed responses. Councillor M. T. Mullaney CC had initially objected to the discussion being held in private, arguing that LGR was a significant issue for everyone in Leicestershire and should be debated publicly. However, the Head of Law advised that premature disclosure of information could prejudice the Council's position and its planned response to the consultation. This argument was deemed to outweigh the public interest test, with the Chief Legal Officer and Monitoring Officer confirming that the Council's response would be published in due course. The motion to exclude the press and public was carried by 10 votes to 3.

The Commission resolved to note the presentation on the Council's proposed response to the LGR consultation and agreed that the comments made during the meeting would be presented to the Cabinet on 24 March 2026 for consideration. The Council's final response was due to be submitted by 26 March 2026.

The next meeting of the Commission was scheduled for Wednesday, 22 April 2026, at 10.00 am.