Proposed changes to local government structures could strip Rutland of its unitary authority status, a position it regained in the 1990s after previously being absorbed into Leicestershire.
Residents have voiced strong opposition to the plans, with many expressing deep concern over the potential loss of a historic county identity.
One local resident stated she would continue to identify as a Rutlander regardless of administrative changes, while another warned that two decades of effort to restore the county would be rendered meaningless.
A petition to preserve Rutland has gathered more than 7,000 signatures in a county of roughly 41,000 people.
The proposal targets Rutland because of its small population. The government aims for councils to serve around 500,000 residents, a shift that would affect 15 million people across England.
A Conservative MP warned that unless action is taken, Rutland will lose its ceremonial county status and centuries-old identity through administrative reordering.
The MP described a proposed expansion that would pull Rutland's villages into a Leicester-centered authority against local wishes.
Neighbouring areas including Stamford and South Kesteven would be merged into a single rural council of approximately 580,000 people stretching to the coast.
The representative argued that market towns and villages are being treated as afterthoughts while cities are prioritised in the reorganisation.
