Council lodges court challenge over city expansion

Leicestershire County Council has commenced a legal challenge over a move to expand Leicester's political boundary.

The Reform UK-led authority said it had lodged a claim seeking a judicial review of a government proposal for a major shake-up of council boundaries across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Under the proposal, some 250,000 people currently living in the county face being moved within the boundary of an enlarged Leicester council.

The process, known as local government reorganisation (LGR), has been paused by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), which is reviewing its plans across the country.

Deputy council leader Kevin Crook said the government's handling of LGR had been "deeply disappointing" and that he hoped the government would scrap the proposal.

A spokesperson for the MHCLG said the continuing review would deliver the best possible outcome for councils and residents, but it would not be appropriate to comment on ongoing legal action.

On Tuesday, a meeting of the council's cabinet was told the claim had been lodged with the Administrative Court, but had not yet been served on Local Government Secretary Angela Rayner.

Crook said the approach the council was taking was "sensible and proportionate".

"A decision of this importance should have been reached through a process that was open, fair and robust," he said.

"Instead, the government has created uncertainty for our residents, communities and public services.

"We cannot simply stand by and hope that the government will eventually put matters right.

"We have a responsibility to stand up for the people we represent and to challenge a process that we do not believe has properly served their interests.

"We are not taking this step lightly nor are we rushing into unnecessary court action."

Cabinet colleague Dr John Bloxham told the meeting: "The people most affected by these changes deserve to know their interests have been properly considered and the decisions about their future have been reached through a fair and credible process.

"We don't believe the government has given residents that confidence.

"The council must therefore be prepared to act. Proceeding with the judicial review shows our residents that we are serious about representing them and protecting their interests."

The council has asked the government to cover the costs of preparing the legal challenge, but the request has been refused, the cabinet heard.

The city expansion is part of the Labour government's plan to reshape the political map of Leicestershire and Rutland by replacing 10 existing councils with two new local authorities.

If the city boundary is widened, the rest of the county and Rutland would be served by a single unitary council called Leicestershire and Rutland Council. It would mean the existing seven district councils would cease to exist.

A number of Leicestershire district councils are also considering similar but separate legal action.

The government said the move would improve public services, create larger, more financially sustainable councils, and provide land needed for new homes to accommodate Leicester's growing population.

The government has released the results of a consultation, revealing only 7% of respondents said they felt positive about creating a larger city local authority, while 87% said they felt negative about it.

Labour mayor of Leicester Sir Peter Soulsby has backed the city expansion, claiming it would benefit the 250,000 people who would become part of the new council by giving them a vote and a stake in how the city is run.

He also previously described the threats of legal action as "empty political gestures".

It remains unclear when the government will conclude the LGR review but ministers have said existing councils in Leicestershire have been told to go ahead with planned elections in May.

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