Agenda and minutes

A webcast of the meeting can be viewed here.

The Chairman invited members who wished to do so to make declarations of interest in respect of items on the agenda for the meeting.

All members declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in the Notice of Motion on Local Government Reorganisation.  The Corporate Governance Committee on 23 June approved a dispensation for all members to allow them to take part in any discussion and vote on any matter relating to the office they hold at the County Council, so all members were able to stay in the room and vote on this matter.

“Following receipt of the Interim Plan Feedback document from the government in June on local government reorganisation proposals for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, and comments from the City Mayor of Leicester at the Full Council meeting of Leicester City Council on Thursday 3^rd July that “both the County Council Leadership in public, and District Council Leaders in private acknowledge that the case for boundary revision for the city is unarguable”, this County Council resolves to:

A)    Require that proposals for, or agreements to Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation made on behalf of Leicestershire County Council by the Leader and/or Cabinet and/or Chief Executive, be subject to debate by and a vote of Full Council before submission to the Government. A Special Council meeting will be scheduled in November 2025 in anticipation of this vote;

B)    Recognise that such a submission would only pass this County Council with the support of opposition Councillors and therefore requires the Leader to consult with all Group Leaders on a weekly basis to update them on progress of discussions with Leicester City Council and/or Rutland County Council and/or the Borough and District Councils;

C)   Confirm that Leicestershire County Council does not support any expansion of the Leicester City Council area boundaries.”

(A requisition for an Extraordinary Meeting of the Council for the purpose of considering this motion was put forward by the following members of the Council in accordance with the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12, paragraph 3: Mrs D. Taylor CC, Mr J. Poland CC, Mr N. Chapman CC, Mr D. Grimley CC, Mrs B. Seaton CC, Mr S. Bradshaw CC, Mr P. King CC, Mr O. O’Shea CC, Mr J. Melen CC.)

It was moved by Mrs Taylor and seconded by Mr Poland:

“Following receipt of the Interim Plan Feedback document from the government in June on local government reorganisation proposals for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, and comments from the City Mayor of Leicester at the Full Council meeting of Leicester City Council on Thursday 3rd July that “both the County Council Leadership in public, and District Council Leaders in private acknowledge that the case for boundary revision for the city is unarguable”, this County Council resolves to:

(A)      Require that proposals for, or agreements to Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation made on behalf of Leicestershire County Council by the Leader and/or Cabinet and/or Chief Executive, be subject to debate by and a vote of Full Council before submission to the Government. A Special Council meeting will be scheduled in November 2025 in anticipation of this vote;

(B)      Recognise that such a submission would only pass this County Council with the support of opposition Councillors and therefore requires the Leader to consult with all Group Leaders on a weekly basis to update them on progress of discussions with Leicester City Council and/or Rutland County Council and/or the Borough and District Councils;

(C)      Confirm that Leicestershire County Council does not support any expansion of the Leicester City Council area boundaries.”

An amendment was moved by Mr D Harrison and seconded by Mr Squires:

“That the County Council:

1. supports the Leader of the County Council in writing to the Government to request they hold a local referendum given the potential effect of local government reorganisation on Leicestershire and the importance of testing public support;
   
   
2. recognises that, if reorganisation is required by the Government, the key consideration in deciding on a new unitary structure for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland will be the proposed City boundary extension and therefore must be in an informed position about the consequences of a boundary extension in order to make a final submission for a new unitary structure to the Government in November 2025;
   
   
3. confirms its view that the best option is a two unitary model, one City, one County, and that both authorities must be financially sustainable with the capacity to enable strategic land use planning across the area, providing the optimum structure for devolution of powers, responsibilities and funding;
   
   
4. accordingly regards modelling of the different options for two unitary authorities, and other options, as a prerequisite for informed debate and decision, the initial results from the modelling to be shared with the opposition Group Leaders at the earliest opportunity;

5. notes that modelling the financial impact of an extended City boundary on the County is in line with the County Council’s interim plan for reorganisation submitted by the previous administration to the Government in March 2025;

6. notes that the submission to be made to the Government in November 2025 is a matter for the Cabinet.”

On the amendment being put and before the vote was taken, five members rose asking that a named vote be recorded.

The vote was recorded as follows:

For the Amendment

Mr Abbott, Dr Bloxham, Mr Boam, Miss Butler, Mr Cooke, Mr Crook, Mrs Danks, Mr England, Mr Fowler, Mr Hamilton-Gray, Mr D Harrison, Mr P Harrison, Mr Innes, Mrs Knight, Mr McDonald, Mr Morris, Mr Pugsley, Mr Richichi, Mr Robinson, Mr Squires, Mr Tilbury, Mr Whitford.

Against the Amendment

Mr Bailey, Mrs Bottomley, Mr Bray, Mrs Broadley, Mr Charlesworth, Mr Durrani, Mr Galton, Mr Gamble, Mr Grimley, Dr Hill, Mr Holt, Mr King, Mr Lovegrove, Mr Melen, Mr Miah, Mr Mullaney, Mr O’Shea, Mr Page, Mrs Page, Mr Poland, Mrs Seaton, Mr Smith, Mrs  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27a