As Rutland County Council continues to consult with its residents, councillors and other Leicestershire councils over local government reorganisation, currently favouring a partnership with Melton and Charnwood, Lincolnshire County Council is also proposing a north south split, either with all seven districts together as one authority, aside from north and northeast Lincolnshire, or including East and West Lindsey in the north, and the remaining five districts together.
Both would see a council of over half a million population, the seven districts a combined footprint of 780,000. Richard Cleaver, an Independent councillor for Stamford, with both Lincolnshire and South Kesteven, says both options would be too large and remote, and has written to fellow councillors saying he feels there should be an option where Rutland is included.
Lincolnshire also has a third option, which would have seen the seven districts further divided east and west, but discounted it, saying it wouldn't have been big enough for the government's criteria. and could create economic division, as it would have grouped together the most deprived areas of the county.
South Kesteven District Council will decide its position at a meeting at full council next Tuesday. Tomorrow night, Rutland County Council is holding a second special meeting, where councillors can once again have their say.
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