The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
South Holland residents are being asked for their views on the creation of a Mayoral Combined Authority with a directly-elected mayor for the area.
Launched this week, the consulation will run until August 8 with South Holland among ten local authorities.
The authorities have joined together to devolve some powers, responsibilities and funding from government to Lincolnshire.
This means more decisions on public services would be made locally rather than nationally.
If all ten councils sign up, the Mayoral Combined Authority would be made up of elected councillors and a representative from the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
The authority would be chaired by the directly-elected mayor, chosen by resident. However, they would not replace existing councils or affect the services they already provide.
It would only be responsible for the new powers and funding devolved from central government which include transport, housing, skills training and flood risk management.
Under the deal an additional £450m over the next 30 years would be provided for investment in housing and infrastructure.
It could also help to develop a better approach to skills training provision and criminal justice services in the area.
The consultation is also seeking views on whether they would want to see the role of mayor combined with that of the police and crime commissioner if it reduced administrative costs.
For the roles to be combined there would need to be a change made by government to the police and crime commissioner boundaries, as currently Lincolnshire is served by both the Lincolnshire and Humberside commissioners.
Visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/greaterlincs to have your say or pick up a consultation form at either the South Holland District Council offices or library.
The consultation closes on August 8 and responses will be reviewed before each council will then have to formally agree the deal later this year.
