Unitary plans condemned at Leicestershire Council meeting

Plans to scrap Hinckley and Bosworth and the other Districts and Boroughs of Leicestershire and create one Unitary authority for all of Leicestershire were condemned at this afternoon's meeting of Leicestershire County Council.

Conservative leader of the County Council Nick Rushton's leaders statement included putting the case for a single Unitary.

Responding Lib Dem finance spokesman Hinckley Councillor Michael Mullaney said "I'm sorry to see the County Council leader pursuing one Unitary for Leicestershire and the abolition of Boroughs and Districts including Hinckley and Bosworth.

"To undergo time consuming, distracting local government reorganisation now or anytime in the foreseeable future while we are still enduring the scourge of Covid-19 would be a catastrophic decision.

"A single Unitary authority for Leicestershire would be huge, covering 700,000 people, 800 square miles and many sprawling towns and villages. At such as size local people in Hinckley and other places on the edge of the county will inevitably feel distant from it.

"Government say they will only proceed with Unitaries if there is local support. There clearly isn't. Not only are Lib Dems totally opposed to the Unitary for Leicestershire plans but so are a number of Labour and Conservative councillors.

"Now is not the time for a time consuming, disruptive local government reorganisation. The real issue here is the need for Fair Funding for Leicestershire. Our County is the worst funded County by government in Britain. It's time for Leicestershire's Tory MPs and County Council leadership to get our area the funding from the Tory government that local people deserve for their vital services."