Leicester City Council is preparing to submit its final proposal to the government for a significant boundary expansion, positioned as part of England’s wider move towards larger unitary authorities.
The plan responds to the government’s timetable requiring Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland to present reorganisation proposals by late November 2025. Financial modelling commissioned with Leicestershire County Council indicates that the city’s preferred structure would produce efficiency savings of around £46 million a year across the region. The projected savings reflect the creation of two new unitary councils covering both Leicester and the surrounding counties.
Under the proposal, Leicester’s boundary would extend into parts of Blaby, Charnwood, and Harborough districts, as well as incorporate Oadby & Wigston. The expansion would increase the city’s population from 372,000 to an estimated 622,000 by 2028. The second unitary authority, covering the wider rural and market town areas, is projected to serve around 584,000 residents.
The city council argues that the proposed geography aligns with government expectations for unitary authorities capable of delivering improved service resilience and long-term financial stability. The expansion would also give the city the capacity to accommodate its assessed housing need of 30,000 additional homes by 2046.
The proposal has been reviewed by the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee and is due for consideration by Full Council ahead of the government’s submission deadline of 28 November.
