District leaders encouraged after devolution plan meeting with minister

The government is committed to streamlining the current two-tier structure of local government to eradicate duplicated services and release extra funding for communities.

There are rival proposals for how councils should be reorganised for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland with the county council favouring one large Leicestershire authority, a city council with expanded boundaries and a separate Rutland council, all overseen by a Mayor.

The district leaders want a different set-up, composed of Leicestershire being divided into north and south councils, with Melton and Rutland in the north, a city council and an overall Mayor.

And these district council leaders met with Baroness Sharon Taylor, the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government on Tuesday (March 11) to discuss their plan.

Speaking afterwards on behalf of the leaders, Councillor Pip Allnatt, leader at Melton Borough Council, said: “We were all delighted to have the opportunity to meet with the minister and explain our current thinking prior to submitting our joint interim plan for local government reform and devolution on March 21.

“We also discussed the initial engagement we have carried out and our plans for full and wider engagement with the public prior to submitting our joint final proposal in November.

“It was an extremely helpful meeting, and we were all encouraged to hear that our general ideas for unlocking devolution and establishing a new regional strategic authority, supported by three local unitary councils, represented a serious and credible proposition, and that we are on the right track in how we are approaching the response to the White Paper.”

Councillor Allnatt added: “We are all extremely positive about the next steps, and are clear that it is up to us to make the case, backed up by data and evidence, and demonstrate strong local support, as well as the way our proposals will drive economic growth.

“Preserving local identity is central to our approach, and so it was also helpful to receive a commitment to further explore how we can retain Rutland’s ceremonial status as part of any change.”