Bid to create ‘Greater Lincolnshire’ authority

A bid to make a Greater Lincolnshire authority which would replace both Lincolnshire County Council and South Holland District Council is to be made.

The county council has announced that together with North and North East Lincolnshire authorities, it will bid for local government reorganisation and is looking to create one council that serves the whole of Lincolnshire.

Currently in Lincolnshire we have a two tier system with South Holland District Council providing some services and Lincolnshire County Council.

Lincolnshire County Council is among those seeking to create an authority would look after all services for the entirety of the county.

It could also involve the electing of a mayor in the county.

The proposal was first mooted in 2016 and was supported by South Holland District Council leader Lord Gary Porter.

But some authorities voted against the proposal, including Lincolnshire County Council, amid concerns over the large area the authority would have to cover.

In a statement released today (Friday, July 17), leader Coun Martin Hill, said: “We had a successful meeting with Simon Clarke MP this week at which all 10 councils were represented.

“The minister indicated the government were keen for the county to progress a devolution proposal and indicated this would give both more power and more money to Greater Lincolnshire.

“As a county council we are excited by this prospect and are keen to ensure we are at the front of the queue to get this prize for Greater Lincolnshire residents.

“We will be building on the work we have already done for the previous devolution bid and are confident we can hit the government’s timescales of early Autumn.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for Greater Lincolnshire that we don’t want to lose out on.”

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