In Leicestershire, the county council runs services like social care, highways, waste disposal, public health, trading standards and country parks.
District councils run housing, street cleaning, council tax collection, benefits, planning, leisure centres and local parks. In some areas parish and town councils also run some services.
This isn’t a takeover, or a judgment of which organisation is better.
The Government asked all councils in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to propose a single tier of local government. They’ve said it should be the right size to save money and withstand financial shocks. It should deliver high quality and sustainable services and enable stronger communities.
Three proposals were put forward to Government in March 2026.
We’ve had confirmation that from April 2028 there will be two unitary councils for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
Those councils will be:
- A unitary council covering Leicester, Oadby and Wigston and parts of Blaby, Charnwood, and Harborough
- A unitary council for the remaining area of Leicestershire and Rutland
This map may help you understand the new areas:
The LLR Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland website has been developed to help keep residents informed about local government reorganisation. Further information will be added to it in the coming weeks and months.
About devolution
The greater prize of changing the way local services are run is devolution. This can bring more power and funding to Leicestershire - for economic growth, transport, housing and skills.
At the moment, Leicestershire is missing out on influence and funding streams because it sits outside of neighbouring ‘Combined Authorities’ which have elected mayors across multiple council areas.