Petition launched against Harborough boundary changes

A petition has been launched calling on the government to rethink controversial plans to redraw council boundaries in Leicestershire.

The campaign follows last week’s announcement that areas including Great Glen and Wistow will be transferred into an expanded Leicester City, while the remainder of the Harborough district will become part of a new unitary authority covering the whole of Leicestershire.

Harborough MP Neil O’Brien has launched the parliamentary petition alongside Conservative MPs and council leaders from across the county, arguing the government has ignored the wishes of local people.

Within 24 hours, the petition had attracted more than 2,000 signatures.

Harborough MP Neil O’Brien has launched the parliamentary petition alongside Conservative MPs and council leaders from across the county

Mr O’Brien said the campaign was being launched because the fight was “not over”, despite ministers approving the changes.

He said the petition would be presented in the House of Commons on behalf of local residents, alongside similar petitions being organised by Conservative MPs across Leicestershire:

The areas of the county to be absorbed into Leicester City

Harborough District Council and Leicestershire County Council are both considering legal action over the government’s decision.

A spokesperson for HDC said: “Any legal challenge would be brought through a judicial review of the government’s decision, as is already happening in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

“Following the government’s announcement last Thursday it is still very early days, and we are considering our options. We will engage with other authorities in the county that have also raised concerns about the proposals and look at challenges being pursued elsewhere in the country to learn from their approach.”

The boundary changes form part of a wider programme of local government reorganisation, which will replace district and county councils with larger unitary authorities across Leicestershire.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “Local government reorganisation will put one council in charge of decisions in their area.

“This will speed up the construction of new homes and infrastructure, improve public services and boost regional growth to put more money in peoples’ pockets.”

If the plans proceed, elections for the new shadow authorities are expected to take place in May next year, with the new councils due to take over local services in April 2028.