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10 – 14 Main Street, EmpinghamPhoto: Alan Murray-Rust · CC BY-SA 2.0
Town Hall & politics · Rutland County Council

No party holds a majority on Rutland County Council

Empingham is run by Rutland County Council, with Empingham parish council for local matters. No party holds a majority on Rutland County Council. Its MP is Alicia Kearns (Conservative), member for Rutland and Stamford.

Council tax 2026–27

£2,749

Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.

Where it goes →
Band D council tax
£2,749
2026–27, a year
Ward councillors
2
1 ward · Rutland
MP
Alicia Kearns
Conservative · Rutland and Stamford
Turnout, July 2024
68%
Rutland and Stamford · England 60%
What stands out · In brief

How Empingham’s politics has changed since 2021

No majority on Rutland County Council

The Liberal Democrats, the largest group, hold 11 of its 25 seats as elected, 2 short of the 13 needed. The Conservatives hold 7, independents 5 and Labour 2. Who’s in charge ↓

Council tax

A Band D bill in Empingham is £2,749 for 2026–27; Rutland County Council keeps 82% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 54% in ten years, against England’s 56%. Council money ↓

Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.

Who’s in charge

No party has a majority

Seats by party as elected. A party needs 13 of Rutland’s 25 seats to run the council alone.

Unitary council · 25 councillorsRutland County CouncilNo overall control
LabourLabourLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservative25seats
  • Liberal Democrat11
  • Conservative7
  • Independent5
  • Labour2

Latest election: May 2023.

LabourLiberal DemocratIndependentConservative

Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.

Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.

Who runs Empingham

The councils that run Empingham

One council runs every main service here.

Town or parish councilEmpingham parish council

Local matters: allotments, play areas, halls, footpaths and benches; it is consulted on planning and adds a precept to the council tax bill. A town council is a parish council by another name.

100% of Empingham’s residents · Band D precept £78

Unitary councilRutland County Council

Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.

Website ↗

Who to ask

Bins and recyclingRutland County Council
Planning applicationsRutland County Council
Council housing and homelessnessRutland County Council
Council tax billsRutland County Council
Parks and leisure centresRutland County Council
Allotments, play areas, benchesEmpingham parish council
Potholes, roads and streetlightsRutland County Council
Schools and school placesRutland County Council
Adult and children’s social careRutland County Council
LibrariesRutland County Council
Tips and recycling centresRutland County Council
Police priorities and budgetLeicestershire Police police and crime commissioner
Fire safety visitsLeicestershire Fire and Rescue

From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: here one council runs every main service.

Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.

Who represents Empingham

From the parish to Westminster

Every elected tier that speaks for Empingham, from the most recent elections.

  1. 1
    Town or parishParish tier
    Empingham parish council
  2. 2
    Rutland County Council1 ward · 2 councillors
    Gale Frances WallerTim Smith
  3. 3
    Police and crime commissionerLeicestershire Police · elected May 2024
    Rupert Matthews
  4. 4
    House of CommonsRutland and Stamford
ConservativeLiberal Democrat

Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.

Councillors

2 councillors for 1 ward

Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.

Normanton
878 residents · 28% in Empingham
  • Gale Frances WallerLiberal Democrat · May 2023
  • Tim SmithLiberal Democrat · May 2023
Liberal Democrat
Show as a table
WardSeatsElectedWhen
Normanton28% in Empingham · 878 residents2 seats · May 20232
Gale Frances WallerTim Smith
May 2023

Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Rutland County Council’s website lists who sits now.

Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).

Local elections

Rutland council election, May 2023

Results in the wards that make up Empingham, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.

Seats won in Empingham’s wards2 seats · 4 May 2023
Liberal Democrat2

1 ward voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.

Next elections

No election is scheduled yet for Empingham’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.

Who can I vote for? ↗
Normanton4 May 2023
Gale Frances Waller ElectedLiberal Democrat36.3%
Tim Smith ElectedLiberal Democrat35.0%
Jonathan GibbsConservative14.6%
Ian ColemanConservative14.1%

1,663 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each

ConservativeLiberal Democrat

Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.

Parliament

Empingham is in Rutland and Stamford constituency

The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Empingham).

Rutland and Stamford · general election4 July 2024
Alicia Kearns ElectedConservative43.7%
Joe WoodLabour22.3%
Chris ClowesReform UK14.4%
James MooreLiberal Democrat12.9%
Emma BakerGreen5.8%
Joanna BurrowsRejoin EU0.8%

48,577 votes for candidates · majority 10,394

MP for Rutland and Stamford

Alicia Kearns

Conservative, MP since 12 December 2019.

68%

turnout in July 2024: 48,577 votes from 71,763 registered voters. England: 60%.

Majority 10,394 of 48,577 votes (21.4%): wider than in 69% of England’s 543 constituencies.

LabourConservativeLiberal DemocratReform UKGreenOther parties

MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.

Council money

Empingham’s Band D council tax is £2,749 a year

Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.

COUNCIL TAXBand D · 2026–27 · a Band D home in Empingham
Empingham parish councilparish precept£78.38
Rutland County Councilcouncil£2,263.33
Leicestershire police and crime commissionerpolice and crime£315.23
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Authorityfire and rescue£91.65
A year£2,748.59
Bills by band run from 6/9 of Band D (Band A) to 18/9 (Band H). Discounts and support reduce many bills.

Rutland County Council keeps £2,263.33 of a Band D bill (82%); the rest goes to the Empingham parish council, the Leicestershire police and crime commissioner and the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Authority.

Band D since 1993

£0£500£1K£1.5K£2K£2.5K£3K1995200020052010201520202025England, 1993–94: £567.95England, 1994–95: £580.11England, 1995–96: £609.00England, 1996–97: £646.00England, 1997–98: £688.00England, 1998–99: £747.00England, 1999–00: £798.00England, 2000–01: £847.00England, 2001–02: £901.33England, 2002–03: £975.56England, 2003–04: £1,101.75England, 2004–05: £1,166.56England, 2005–06: £1,213.81England, 2006–07: £1,267.91England, 2007–08: £1,321.32England, 2008–09: £1,373.08England, 2009–10: £1,413.84England, 2010–11: £1,439.22England, 2011–12: £1,439.33England, 2012–13: £1,444.13England, 2013–14: £1,455.60England, 2014–15: £1,467.98England, 2015–16: £1,483.58England, 2016–17: £1,529.56England, 2017–18: £1,590.55England, 2018–19: £1,671.46England, 2019–20: £1,749.88England, 2020–21: £1,817.67England, 2021–22: £1,898.48England, 2022–23: £1,965.71England, 2023–24: £2,065.05England, 2024–25: £2,170.99England, 2025–26: £2,280.21England, 2026–27: £2,391.52Rutland, 1993–94: £517.50Rutland, 1994–95: £572.63Rutland, 1995–96: £609.75Rutland, 1996–97: £631.70Rutland, 1997–98: £793.31Rutland, 1998–99: £864.03Rutland, 1999–00: £944.89Rutland, 2000–01: £1,021.97Rutland, 2001–02: £1,088.21Rutland, 2002–03: £1,164.41Rutland, 2003–04: £1,236.17Rutland, 2004–05: £1,343.66Rutland, 2005–06: £1,410.07Rutland, 2006–07: £1,477.89Rutland, 2007–08: £1,533.70Rutland, 2008–09: £1,606.38Rutland, 2009–10: £1,656.42Rutland, 2010–11: £1,689.45Rutland, 2011–12: £1,691.31Rutland, 2012–13: £1,696.26Rutland, 2013–14: £1,701.47Rutland, 2014–15: £1,704.67Rutland, 2015–16: £1,709.71Rutland, 2016–17: £1,773.38Rutland, 2017–18: £1,842.05Rutland, 2018–19: £1,935.87Rutland, 2019–20: £2,043.20Rutland, 2020–21: £2,125.24Rutland, 2021–22: £2,194.76Rutland, 2022–23: £2,300.03Rutland, 2023–24: £2,421.58Rutland, 2024–25: £2,543.29Rutland, 2025–26: £2,671.01Rutland, 2026–27: £2,737.58Rutland £2,738England £2,392

Rutland’s Band D bill has risen 54% in ten years, from £1,773.38 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £517.50 in 1993–94.

Your bill by band

Band A 6/9£1,832
Band B 7/9£2,138
Band C 8/9£2,443
Band D 9/9£2,749
Band E 11/9£3,359
Band F 13/9£3,970
Band G 15/9£4,581
Band H 18/9£5,497

A Band D home in Empingham, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.

Council budgets per resident, 2026–27

ServiceRutlandvs England
Adult social care£510+£23
Children’s social care£220−£70
Roads and transport£105+£64
Housing (not council homes’ rents)£34−£27
Bins, street cleaning, environment£168+£49
Libraries, leisure, culture£29−£15
Planning and development£43+£17
Public health£41−£37
Running the council£118+£59
Other£0−£19
Empingham’s councils, per residentEngland, all councils
Show as a table, with Rutland
RutlandEmpingham’s councilsRutlandEngland
Adult social care£510£510£487
Children’s social care£220£220£290
Roads and transport£105£105£41
Housing (not council homes’ rents)£34£34£61
Bins, street cleaning, environment£168£168£119
Libraries, leisure, culture£29£29£44
Planning and development£43£43£26
Public health£41£41£78
Running the council£118£118£59
Other£0£0£19
Total, schools apart£1,268£1,268£1,234

Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. Rutland and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.

Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.

Get involved

Having a say in how Empingham is run

Register to vote

It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.

gov.uk ↗
Contact your councillors or MP

Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.

WriteToThem ↗
Report a pothole or a broken streetlight

GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.

gov.uk ↗
Watch or speak at a council meeting

Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.

rutland.gov.uk ↗
Comment on a planning application

Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.

rutland.gov.uk ↗
Stand for election

The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.

Electoral Commission ↗

Questions about how Empingham is run

Which council runs Empingham?

Empingham is run by Rutland County Council.

Does Empingham have a town council?

Yes: Empingham has its own parish-tier council (Empingham parish council; town councils are parish councils by another name), which adds £78 to a Band D bill in 2026–27.

Who is the MP for Empingham?

Alicia Kearns (Conservative) is the MP for Rutland and Stamford, which covers Empingham.

How many councillors does Empingham have?

2 ward councillors represent Empingham’s 1 ward.

When are the next elections in Empingham?

No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Empingham’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.

How much is council tax in Empingham?

Band D council tax in Empingham is £2,749 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).

Who controls Rutland County Council?

No party has a majority. As elected, Liberal Democrat 11 · Conservative 7 · Independent 5 · Labour 2 of 25 seats; a majority needs 13. The council’s website lists who leads it now.

Who won the 2023 council election in Empingham?

In Empingham’s wards on 4 May 2023, Liberal Democrat 2 of the 2 seats up. The Liberal Democrats had the largest share of votes, 71.3%.

Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.