Extraordinary Meeting Over City Expansion Fears

Harborough District Council will hold an extraordinary meeting over mounting concerns about the possible expansion of Leicester city’s boundaries.

The controversial move is being suggested by Leicester City Council as part of its proposal for local government re-organisation in Leicestershire.

Opposition Conservative councillors at HDC have secured the meeting after Leicester Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby claimed borough and district council leaders had ‘acknowledged’ the case for such a move.

However, HDC’s leader rejects that and says he is completely opposed to the idea.

An expansion of boundaries would see some areas in the north of the Harborough district absorbed into the city and over 8,000 people have signed a petition opposing the idea.

The pink-shaded area of the map shows the proposed new city boundary

The extraordinary meeting will take place on September 8th and Cllr Simon Whelband, Leader of the Conservative Group, told HFM the issue needs to be debated:

Cllr Phil Knowles, Leader of Harborough District Council said: “The council has never agreed to concede any land to the city and to claim it has done so is simply wrong.

“As Leader, I have consistently made it very clear that horse trading parts of Harborough District was never, and still is not, on the table.

“My position as leader on the issue of the city boundary has been confirmed in a letter from the Chair of the Leicestershire district and borough council and Rutland County Council’s Leaders’ group very clearly and the council’s Conservative group has been provided with a copy.

“When the matter comes to Cabinet for Decision in November we will carefully consider the options alongside residents’ responses to the public engagement and feedback from both Council and from Overview and Scrutiny.”