'I would not be happy to cede land to the city of Leicester and will do my best for that not to happen'

COUNTY LEADER'S APPARENT BACKTRACKING AS HE PLEDGES TO FIGHT THE LOSS OF ANY AREAS

- By HANNAH RICHARDSON

LEICESTERSHIRE County Council leader Dan Harrison has promised to do his “absolute best” to block a city expansion in what appears to be a backtrack on his previous stance on Leicester's local government restructure.

In July, the Reform UK boss at County Hall told the Mercury that he believed negotiations had got to be held over Leicester City Council’s ambitions for a larger city boundary.

Without these, he said, he feared Leicester would end up taking “more” land from the county than he “would like”

However, Coun Harrison has now said he will “not be happy to cede land” to the city and will do his “absolute best for that not to happen”.

Among the areas being eyed up to join the city are Glenfield, Oadby, Wigston, Blaby, Whetstone, Syston, Anstey, Leicester Forest East, Birstall, Kirby Muxloe, Thurmaston and Countesthorpe, with the city council describing this as a “sensible expansion”.

Coun Harrison has also reiterated his preference for a single Leicestershire council as the outcome of the government's demands for areas with two-tiers of local government to reduce these to one.

Leicestershire is a two-tier area as Leicestershire County Council and the seven district and borough councils share responsibilities.