Government rules out referendum on city expansion

The county council wants Leicester's existing boundary to remain as it is

The government has ruled out holding a referendum on any potential expansion of Leicester's political boundary.

Labour mayor Sir Peter Soulsby wants the city to grow into surrounding suburbs, towns and villages as part of a major shake-up of council boundaries ordered by ministers.

However, Reform UK-led Leicestershire County Council passed a motion last week saying residents should be offered a vote if ministers were "minded to implement an expansion" of the city boundary.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said there would be further public consultation on the future of councils but not a referendum.

A MHCLG spokesperson said: "Parliament has set out the process for establishing unitary councils in two-tier areas, and a referendum is not part of the statutory process that has already begun."

The pink-shaded area of the map shows the extent of the proposed new city boundary

The county council voted to oppose any extension of the city boundary into parts of the county.

The authority carried out an online survey in October and said that more than two-thirds of the people who responded disagreed with any extension of Leicester's boundary.

The government has asked councils to submit their finalised preferred cases for the future structure of local government by 28 November.

It says it wants to streamline the current two-tier council system by creating larger councils which will have greater powers devolved away from Westminster.

The county council proposes a single authority around Leicester's existing border

The call for a referendum was backed by opposition Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green county councillors on the basis that the cost of holding a vote would be met by the government rather than local council tax payers.

Two Labour councillors abstained when voting on the issue.

Council leader Dan Harrison said: "This was a unanimous cross-party decision and reflects what our residents want.

"We want to create an effective, efficient and responsive council that is fit for the challenges of the next generation.

"Re-drawing the map would mean destroying Leicestershire's history and identity.

"Our plan is about empowering our communities and giving more power to people to take decisions locally."

The county council is pressing for it to be merged with the existing seven district councils in Leicestershire, and Rutland County Council, to form a single unitary authority providing public services to around 800,000 people.

The city council's boundary would remain unchanged under County Hall's proposal.

The county council said its plan would save about £40m which could be invested in frontline services, while also conserving Leicestershire's established political borders and community identities.

Leicester City Council said its preferred option was for its boundary to be pushed outwards to absorb all of Blaby and Oadby and Wigston councils as well as parts of Hinckley and Bosworth, Charnwood and Harborough councils.

Soulsby said the move would save councils £46m, by eliminating duplication of services and cutting backroom costs because it would cut the number of existing councils in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland from 10 to two.

The mayor said the move would help the growing city become financially sustainable in the future, provide land to meet Leicester's predicted future shortfall of 18,000 homes.

The district and borough council say two new authorities should surround the city

Whatever the outcome of the process, the county's district councils are set to be abolished.

They, together with Rutland County Council, said they would be proposing three unitary councils across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland when they submit their plans to ministers at the end of November.

Their preferred option is called North, City, South.

A North Leicestershire and Rutland council would serve the area currently covered by Charnwood borough, North West Leicestershire district, Melton borough and Rutland County Council.

A separate South Leicestershire council would cover the areas of Blaby district, Harborough district, Hinckley and Bosworth borough and Oadby and Wigston borough councils.

The district leaders said their plan would create three equally balanced councils, each serving about 400,000 people, delivering economic growth, and saving £44m in efficiencies.

Once the three rival Leicestershire bids have been assessed by ministers, a public consultation will take place in the New Year before they choose a future model.

Elections for the new councils could be held in May 2027, with them taking over from 2028.