Leicestershire and Rutland is expected to be a unitary authority area in the ceremonial counties of Leicestershire and Rutland, England. It was planned to be formed on 1 April 2028 but in September 2026, proposals were halted by the government and placed under review. The largest settlement would be Loughborough, and it would also include Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Coalville, Hinckley, Lutterworth, Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray, Oakham, and Uppingham.Ref for table.
Formation It would be formed from the existing two-tier Leicestershire districts of Hinckley and Bosworth, Melton and North West Leicestershire and the existing unitary authority of Rutland, with portions of Blaby, Charnwood and Harborough districts.
The remaining portions of those districts would form part of an enlarged Leicester.
Leicestershire and Rutland was proposed as part of ongoing local government changes throughout England, in which all areas of the country that have separate county councils and district councils would see those replaced with single-tier, or unitary, local governance. The alternative proposal for two unitaries for the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland area, and the proposal for three unitaries were not accepted.
The council would have had shadow elections in May 2027 and come into full existence on April 2028. In September 2026 the government announced that the proposals were being placed on hold for a review of the process; local elections in May 2027 will take place for the existing local authorities.
Governance It will be run by Leicestershire and Rutland Council, which will comprise 94 councillors. Parishes
Coalville, Hinckley, Loughborough, Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray and the Thringstone area are currently unparished, the rest of the area is parished. In Charnwood, a civil parish will be created for Loughborough in 2027, as well as a new parish for the new Broadnook development, which will be formed out of part of the existing Rothley, Thurcaston and Cropston and Wanlip parishes. In Harborough a parish council for Market Harborough is under consideration.
The unitary authority will include the following civil parishes:
In Blaby Croft Elmesthorpe Potters Marston Sapcote Sharnford Stoney Stanton Thorpe Astley Wigston Parva In Charnwood Anstey Barrow upon Soar Broadnook Burton on the Wolds Cossington Cotes East Goscote Hathern Hoton Loughborough Mountsorrel Newtown Linford Prestwold Quorn Ratcliffe on the Wreake Rearsby Rothley Seagrave Shepshed Sileby South Croxton Stonebow Village Swithland Thrussington Ulverscroft Walton on the Wolds Woodhouse Wymeswold In Harborough Allexton Arnesby Ashby Magna Ashby Parva Billesdon Bitteswell with Bittesby Blaston Bringhurst Broughton Astley Bruntingthorpe Burton Overy Carlton Curlieu Catthorpe Claybrooke Magna Claybrooke Parva Cold Newton Cotesbach Cranoe Drayton Dunton Bassett East Langton East Norton Fleckney Foxton Frisby Frolesworth Gaulby Gilmorton Glooston Goadby Great Bowden Great Easton Gumley Hallaton Horninghold Houghton on the Hill Hungarton Husbands Bosworth Illston on the Hill Keyham Kibworth Beauchamp Kibworth Harcourt Kimcote and Walton King's Norton Knaptoft Laughton Launde Leire Loddington Lowesby Lubenham Lutterworth Marefield Medbourne Misterton with Walcote Mowsley Nevill Holt North Kilworth Noseley Owston and Newbold Peatling Magna Peatling Parva Rolleston Saddington Shangton Shawell Shearsby Skeffington Slawston Smeeton Westerby South Kilworth Stockerston Stonton Wyville Swinford Theddingworth Thorpe Langton Tilton on the Hill and Halstead Tugby and Keythorpe Tur Langton Ullesthorpe Welham West Langton Westrill and Starmore Withcote In Rutland
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