Across Rutland, flags are flying high. Green banners, adorned with a signature golden horseshoe and acorn emblem, can be seen waving proudly all throughout the UK’s smallest county. But Rutland residents are not merely displaying pride of place- they’re fighting for their independence.
As one of the smallest unitary authority areas in England, covering just 151 square miles, Rutland County Council is facing unique challenges as it navigates local government reorganisation (LGR). Home to just 41,000 residents, Rutland is nowhere near the government’s target population threshold of 500,000, required to be considered as an independent unitary council. But teaming up with Lincolnshire to the east or Leicestershire to the west has its own trials and tribulations, not least the potential loss of their ceremonial county status. Rutland was previously absorbed into Leicestershire as a district under the Local Government Act of 1972, prompting a campaign spanning almost two decades to regain independence. A structural review of English local government in 1994 finally saw the restoration of Rutland’s unitary authority status in 1997, with Rutland County Council- although remaining formally a non-metropolitan district council- regaining control of county functions including education and social services. The council has, however, continued to preserve ties with Leicestershire through shared services such as adult social care and youth/family support.
Today, Rutland County Council is once again threatened by the prospect of merging with its larger neighbours, losing its status as a unitary authority, and, in turn, its position as a distinct county. This, despite the efforts of Rutland & Stamford MP Alicia Kearns, whose proposed amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill in the name of safeguarding Rutland’s autonomy was rejected by the House of Commons. Rutland residents have also made their voices heard, with over 7,000 residents (more than one in six of the county’s population) signing a ‘wet signature’ petition to Parliament demanding the preservation of ceremonial status- one of the biggest petitions of its kind in the 21st century. They are proud to be ‘Rutlanders’, fearing that to be subsumed into a larger authority would result in the deterioration of their unique heritage, history and identity.
What the Rutland case highlights is regional identity, and how it is perceived to be under threat by the prospect of merging smaller district authorities into larger super-councils.
The future of Rutland County Council- and indeed, all councils undergoing reorganisation- is not yet clear, and 2026 will see dramatic changes to the structure of local government as we know it. What is explicit, however, is that these new models will have more than a purely bureaucratic impact on the populations they seek to serve, but rather a lasting legacy of redefining regional sense of identity.
At Cavendish, we pride ourselves on ‘knowing our patch’. With 12 regional offices across the UK and Ireland, we are uniquely placed to truly understand regional diversity and identity. We are specialists in helping our clients to better understand the conversations taking place in the regions we serve, crafting communications to better connect and resonate with target audiences. If you’d like to know how our team can support you to positively engage with communities, please reach out here.