Report published ahead of special council meeting on devolution
We've published a report explaining the government’s programme of devolution and local government reorganisation, ahead of a special meeting on Tuesday 11 February.
Rutland County Council has published a report explaining the government’s programme of devolution and local government reorganisation, ahead of a special meeting where councillors will discuss the issue.
The Devolution White Paper published in December 2024 outlines the government’s firm intention to devolve power from Westminster to a network of strategic authorities that cover the whole of England, led by mayors. Under these plans, all two-tier local authority areas, as well as smaller unitary authorities (like Rutland) and failing unitary authorities, must reorganise to form new unitaries with a population of around 350,000 or more.
This policy framework earmarks Rutland County Council as a candidate for local government reorganisation because it is a small unitary authority which neighbours a two-tier area. It is the government’s view that local government reorganisation, in tandem with devolution over a large strategic area, has the potential to improve public services and support economic growth.
The government has asked councils to provide interim proposals for reorganisation by March 2025, with final proposals to be submitted by Autumn 2025 for areas participating in the Devolution Priority Programme and May 2025 for areas in need of local government reorganisation to unlock devolution.
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner MP, announced in the House of Commons today (Wednesday 5 February) that councils will shortly receive further correspondence from the government, confirming precise dates and criteria for submitting reorganisation proposals.
It was also confirmed that Leicestershire is not among the areas that have been given approval to postpone local elections, which should allow more time for Leicestershire and Rutland to develop proposals and discuss a potential future local government structure with residents and communities.
“The government has made its intentions very clear. All two-tier areas and smaller or failing unitary authorities must develop proposals that embrace local government reorganisation and lead to the creation of new, larger unitaries. These new unitary councils are expected to be a certain size to achieve efficiencies and withstand financial shocks. For most areas, this will mean councils with a population of 500,000 or more. There may be exceptions to ensure new structures make sense for an area and we’ve been advised that decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, with priority given to the delivery of high quality and sustainable public services above all else.
I have spoken at length about the need to engage constructively and proactively in the process of devolution, as well as local government reorganisation. We are having to follow a very prescribed framework, which is spelled out in December’s White Paper. Discussions are therefore continuing between Rutland County Council, Leicestershire County Council, Leicester City Council and all Leicestershire District Councils about how best to enable devolution and shape these plans across our areas. Nothing has been decided yet but there is no way to opt out of this process and I believe we must have a confirmed position on local government reorganisation before progressing on to devolution.
Evidence is being gathered to make sure that any new structure makes sense for our area and achieves the government’s stated aims of delivering high quality and sustainable public services. We are all familiar with the concept of economies of scale but biggest does not automatically mean best. It has been proven many times over that councils perform best when their boundaries reflect the way people live their lives.”
Councillor Gale Waller, Leader of Rutland County Council
After publicly discussing the report that has been published for the special council meeting on Tuesday 11 February, Rutland county councillors will be asked to endorse the position that both devolution and local government reorganisation must be delivered in a way that recognises and promotes the needs of Rutland residents, businesses and communities, predicated on the understanding that councils perform best when their boundaries reflect the way people live their lives.
The meeting will be held in the main chamber at the council Catmose offices in Oakham from 7.00pm on Tuesday 11 February and can be watched live online via our website.
Due to limited seating in the council chamber, people are advised to stream and watch the meeting from home if they can.
The agenda and reports for the special council meeting can also be read on our Council meetings page.
