Fears thousands will be forgotten in city expansion

Conservatives have raised concerns some 45,000 people could be "forgotten" when their towns and villages become part of an expanded Leicester.

The government has announced a major redrawing of local authority boundaries, which will see the city extended into areas currently served by neighbouring councils from 2028.

Tory councillors at Charnwood Borough Council have said about a quarter of its current voting population will be absorbed into the enlarged Leicester unitary authority.

They said the majority of affected residents were opposed to the move, and they have called an extraordinary council meeting to debate the government decision on Monday.

Ministers said change would streamline councils and create more sustainable authorities.

Under the move, Leicester's council boundary will be moved outwards in all directions, and the rest of Leicestershire and Rutland will be served by a single unitary authority to replace the existing county council and districts.

Areas in Charnwood that will become part of a Greater Leicester include Anstey, Birstall, Thurmaston and Syston.

Anstey's Conservative borough councillor, Deborah Taylor, said: "The residents of Anstey do not want to be forced into the city expansion - they have been very clear about that.

"My residents fear the change will mean higher costs, reduced local influence, and poorer services.

"Anstey has long valued its identity as a village and its separation from the city.

"Many worry it risks becoming a forgotten village on the edge of a much larger urban authority, with local needs sidelined."

At the meeting on Monday, Conservative councillors will seek a vote supporting a motion, which says the city expansion will split communities from areas with which they have "longstanding geographic, civic and community ties".

They will call on the Labour Charnwood Borough Council leader Jewel Miah to write to Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner to express "profound disappointment and opposition" to the decision.

The motion adds: "Transferring approximately 45,000 Charnwood residents into an expanded Leicester authority is not an administrative technicality.

"It is a major and permanent change to democratic representation, local identity, accountability and the future delivery of local services."

The government has been accused of ignoring the result of its own consultation on the changes, which showed 87% of some 6,600 responses opposed city expansion.

The motion asks for a further explanation from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and requests an urgent meeting between Charnwood council bosses and ministers.

Naomi Bottomley, leader of the Green Party group on the borough council, said she supported the motion.

"Local government reorganisation has been handled in a massively undemocratic way by the government," she said.

"People's faith in politics is low and this is evidence they are not being listened too."

Miah told the BBC: "The government has made a decision which has upset some people, but I think it has been fair.

"They have given opportunities to all the councils in Leicestershire and Rutland to put their way forward and has gone with the sensible option of expanding the city.

"I do understand the concerns. People think it's a city takeover and I don't think that's the case.

"I think it's just going to be two brand new authorities that are taking over the services in Leicestershire as a whole and the city as well."

An MHCLG spokesperson said: "Decisions were considered on a case-by-case basis against published criteria.

"It clearly stated local people's views would play a part but were also taken alongside other important factors such as the creation of strong and sustainable councils and better value for money for taxpayers.

"Ultimately, reorganisation in Leicestershire will help communities by speeding up the construction of new homes and infrastructure, improving public services and boosting regional growth to put more money in peoples' pockets."

Leicester's Labour mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, who proposed the city expansion, said: "It's the right thing for the city and it's the right thing for the surrounding area as well.

"It's going to happen and I think what matters now is that we get on with making it happen in a way that enables the people of Leicester and the surrounding area to have their services preserved.

"I think it's also very important to say that what this does is to enable the people around Leicester, who are very much a part of the Greater Leicester area, to have a say in the governance of their city."

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