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.
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On 29 October, 2026, the Government withdrew its July 2026 decision to create two new unitary councils by April 2028, one covering a larger city and another for the rest of Leicestershire and Rutland.
The Government says it remains committed to the LGR process and that further LGR decisions will be forthcoming.
The LLR Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland website has been developed to help keep residents informed about local government reorganisation.
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.