Rutland and Stamford MP outlines ‘red lines’ for Rutland in local government reorganisation talks

An MP says there are things a county council’s leader negotiating the county’s future should have as red lines.

The leader of Rutland County Council Gale Waller (Lib Dem) is currently in talks with neighbouring council leaders ahead of a submission to government next month to suggest how local government in the area could be reorganised.

There are currently a number of different possibilities in the reorganisation equation, including looking towards Leicestershire or to the east and the South Kesteven area and after holding two public meetings Rutland and Stamford MP Alicia Kearns (Con) says there are six issues that she thinks should be considered.

These are: Keeping the ceremonial county of Rutland protected; not opting for a single unitary county to cover the whole of Leicestershire; arguing for lower council tax in Rutland when it joins with other councils; ensuring the county gets its fair share of funding in any deal; that there are smaller council wards so that the county has at least six councillors to represent it and insisting the Rutland name forms part of any new authority.

Mrs Kearns said: “Thank you to every Rutlander who has helped shape these tests by attending my public meetings, emailing, writing or stopping to chat with me while out and about in our communities.

“Rutlanders will not accept having our identity stripped from us, and given the serious repercussions of this re-organisation for our communities, the council must go into negotiations fighting our corner and clear on what we expect and what would be best for Rutland.

“These six tests provide a guide to try and deliver the best future for our communities and minimise the damage to us as a result of these reforms being imposed on us.”

However, like all MPs she has little say in the matter, as the government is asking local authorities to come up with their own options. The final say will be made by the government.

Rutland’s leader Coun Waller is currently involved in the talks and ata recent meeting agreed to come back to the full council before any deal was submitted to the government.

The local government reorganisation and devolution deals have been causing upset across the country, as councils are jostling to make alliances.

The Labour government says it wants to create large new unitary authorities and devolve power downwards to new combined authorities.

The area is not part of the first fast track of local government reorganisation, so it could be two to three years before any changes are made.