The Scrutiny Commission of Leicestershire County Council met on Wednesday 29 October 2025 in the Sparkenhoe Committee Room, County Hall, Glenfield. The meeting included a presentation on local government reorganisation, and a discussion of the minutes from the previous meeting. Councillors Mr D. Harrison, the Leader of the Council, Mr K. Crook, the Deputy Leader, and Mr H. Fowler, Lead Member for Resources, were invited to attend the meeting.

Local Government Reorganisation

The Scrutiny Commission was scheduled to discuss local government reorganisation. As part of an engagement exercise to help shape Leicestershire County Council's business case, a presentation was planned covering:

• Introduction
• Criteria for decision making
• Options considered
• Financial case
• Benefits to service delivery
• Key to devolution
• Community engagement/neighbourhood empowerment
• Democracy and governance
• Implementation and transformation plan
• Engagement and feedback themes
• Conclusion

Previous Scrutiny Commission Meeting

The minutes from the Scrutiny Commission meeting held on 8 September 2025 were scheduled for review. During that meeting, the commission:

• Considered questions submitted by Mr Stares regarding the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS). Mr Stares asked about progress closing the budget gap and potential service cuts. The Chair responded that an external efficiency review was being commissioned.
• Discussed the Medium Term Financial Strategy, budget monitoring, and strategy updates. Members raised concerns about the council's financial position and progress toward a balanced budget for 2026/27.
• Reviewed the Corporate Asset Management Plan 2022-2026, including annual performance and strategy updates for 2024/25.
• Considered the Investing in Leicestershire Programme (IILP) annual performance update for 2024/25.
• Discussed the East Midlands Shared Service annual performance update for 2024/25.
• Reviewed the Corporate Complaints and Compliments Annual Report for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.