North, City, South - the case for three unitary councils
A bold vision which puts people and places at the heart of future council structures in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland was submitted to Government on 21 March 2025.
The seven district and borough councils of Leicestershire and Rutland County Council have worked closely together to create the shared vision which is built on a foundation of collaboration, evidence and engagement.
The plan is in response to the Government’s request for the area to submit interim proposals to reduce the number of councils and replace them with new unitary authorities. It is part of its devolution agenda.
The interim plan is entitled North, City, South: Big Enough to Deliver, Close Enough to Respond.
It has been developed by the partnership of councils and proposes three equally-sized unitary councils to deliver all council services.
One would serve North Leicestershire and Rutland, and one would serve South Leicestershire. They would work alongside Leicester City Council.
The district councils and Rutland County Council say their interim proposal will:
- Keep councils connected and accountable to local communities
- Simplify services for residents, businesses, and partners
- Protect the vulnerable and get support to people sooner
- Deliver devolution and economic growth
- Boost efficiency, saving nearly £43 million a year
Visit the North, City, South website
A dedicated website has been created to host information relating to local government reorganisation, including how you can have a say on the plans as part of an engagement exercise being run between 9 June and 20 July 2025.
The website also contains frequently asked questions and more information about local government reorganisation and devolution.
Interim plan and government feedback
The full interim plan and an executive summary, as well as feedback from government on local government reorganisation, are available on the North, City, South website.
They are also available via the links below.