Here is a summary of the items scheduled for discussion at the Rutland Council Cabinet meeting on 14 October 2025. The meeting will cover a local government reorganisation proposal, a flood investigation report, and a local flood risk management strategy. Attendees will receive reports from Councillor Gale Waller, Leader of the Council, and Councillor Christine Wise, Portfolio Holder for Transport, Environment and Communities.

Local Government Reorganisation Proposal

The cabinet will be asked to agree on principles to guide Rutland County Council's debate on local government reorganisation, scheduled for 20 November 2025. This debate is framed in response to several documents, including:

• a formal invitation from the Secretary of State dated 5 February 2025
• feedback from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) on interim plans, dated 3 June 2025
• engagement conducted since 9 June 2025.

According to Report No. 99/2025 - Local Government Reorganisation Proposal, councils across England have been involved in local government reorganisation since December 2024, following the publication of the English Devolution White Paper. The government wants to create a network of strategic authorities for the whole of England by 2029.

Rutland County Council was invited to work with the two-tier councils and unitary council in Leicestershire to develop a proposal for local government reorganisation for their area. The two unitary authorities are Rutland County Council and Leicester City Council, and the two-tier authorities are Leicestershire County Council, Blaby District Council, Charnwood Borough Council, Harborough District Council, Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, North West Leicestershire District Council, Oadby and Wigston Borough Council and Melton Borough Council.

Rutland has been included in three interim proposals for local government reorganisation:

• North, City, South, developed collaboratively by Rutland County Council and Leicestershire Districts and Boroughs.
• Leicester City Council's proposal for two unitary authorities, one incorporating Rutland with Leicestershire and the other a City Council with an enlarged geographical footprint.
• South Kesteven and North Kesteven proposal forming a unitary authority with Rutland, North Kesteven, South Kesteven, and South Holland.

The MHCLG feedback emphasises that proposals must:

• cover the entire invitation area
• have a population size of 500,000+ as a guiding principle
• demonstrate financial sustainability, service quality, and community engagement
• ensure collaboration across boundaries and alignment with devolution goals.

The report pack states that public engagement has been extensive, with two major programmes conducted between June and July 2025.

Cabinet will be asked to consider that the council utilises its debate on 20 November 2025 to identify the proposal which provides the best means of ensuring long-term financial sustainability and high quality, sustainable public services for Rutland. They will also be asked to note that if there is access to all final proposals which include Rutland in sufficient time, an appraisal will be commissioned of which final proposal best serves the needs of Rutland in terms of long-term financial sustainability and delivery of high quality and sustainable public services.

The report pack says that declining to submit a proposal is not recommended, because other authorities will include Rutland in their proposals anyway, and Rutland would risk having no say in its own future.

The report pack also contains a summary of Rutland County Council's LGR engagement, which took place between 9 June and 20 July 2025. The engagement found that most respondents have strong feelings about local government reorganisation and would prefer Rutland to remain a small, independent unitary authority with control over its budget and local services. A loss of representation and influence resulting from fewer local councillors is also a serious concern. Rutland's name and ceremonial status are regarded as being vital for preserving the County's unique history, character and local identity. There is a strong sense that any new unitary authority which encompasses Rutland must ensure fair and equitable distribution of funding and other resources. The Council's LGR survey captured mixed feedback in relation to the three interim plans that include Rutland, but results indicate a preference for merging with South Lincolnshire. Of the Leicestershire options put forward for reorganisation, support was strongest for the three unitary North, City South proposal, while there was little to no support for a single Leicestershire unitary that consumes Rutland.

Section 19 Flood Investigation Report

The cabinet will be asked to note the findings of the Section 19 Flood Investigation Report and approve its publication. The report presents the findings of an investigation by Arcadis Consulting on behalf of Rutland County Council (RCC) following significant flooding during:

• Storm Babet (19–21 October 2023)
• Storm Henk (2 January 2024)
• Storm Event (6 January 2025)

The investigation covers the communities most affected: Whissendine, Langham, Barleythorpe, Oakham, Whitwell, and Barrowden.

According to the report pack, flooding was primarily the result of surface water runoff and high-water levels in local watercourses due to intense rainfall and saturated ground. Mechanisms varied by location, including overtopping of watercourses, highway flooding, and blocked drainage infrastructure.

The report also outlines the impacts, identifies relevant Risk Management Authorities¹, and sets out recommendations for future flood risk management.

The cabinet will also be asked to support continued partnership working with the Environment Agency, water companies, parish councils, and landowners to progress the recommendations set out for each affected community, and endorse the prioritisation of identified actions in line with available resources and funding opportunities.

Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (LFRMS)

The cabinet will be asked to approve the draft Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (LFRMS) for public consultation. The LFRMS sets out Rutland County Council's approach to managing local flood risk from surface water, ordinary watercourses², and groundwater over the next eight years.

As the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), the council is required under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 to develop, maintain, apply, and monitor a strategy for local flood risk. The LFRMS provides the framework for delivering this statutory duty and for working with partners to protect communities, property, and infrastructure.

The updated strategy:

• reflects lessons learned from recent flooding, including Storm Babet (October 2023), Storm Henk (January 2024), and the January 2025 event
• incorporates findings from Section 19 flood investigations and input from partner organisations, parish councils, and local communities
• aligns with national flood risk policy and climate change adaptation objectives
• sets an eight-year action plan with annual progress reviews, focusing on priority areas, maintenance, and resilience.

Key challenges to delivery include funding availability, limited LLFA resources, riparian owner responsibilities, and the need to maintain community engagement. The Strategy addresses these through prioritisation, partnership working, targeted communications, and proactive pursuit of external funding.

The report pack states that approval of the draft LFRMS for public consultation will allow the council and its partners to seek wider feedback, ensuring the final strategy is informed by local priorities and supports efforts to strengthen flood resilience, reduce future risk, and protect the health and wellbeing of residents across Rutland.