Councillors debate how to reorganize Lincolnshire into larger, single-tier councils following government request.
Lincolnshire council offered two options, presented on March 17. One merges North & North East Lincolnshire, creating one council in the north, with the rest of Lincolnshire becoming another council.
The second option merges different areas: North & North East join West & East Lindsey, and Lincoln joins other areas for another council. A leader will pick a plan for the government, with all council members having a voice on Friday.
November is the deadline for the final plans, but the council submission is only a suggestion. The government will make the final choice later. One councilor favored the first option, arguing that keeping the rural areas together makes sense.
The other option costs £42 million but saves £246 million over ten years. Option one costs less, about £27 million, yet saves more, around £250 million. Another councilor prefers the second option and believes all of Lincolnshire belongs together.
An opposition leader suggested a third option, a plan that splits the region into three parts. One area includes South & North Kesteven, South Holland, and Rutland. Another area includes Boston and more, while the last combines North and North East.
The leader thinks this balances the populations and claims it won’t be pricier to set up. He feels all options need looking at closely. Another council will discuss this Tuesday.
One council leader voiced concerns, stating this is a huge change since the 1970s. The government wants this done very fast, but he believes this pulls decision-making further away, resulting in fewer councilors representing the region.
They plan to work with other councils nearby to get the best result for people. Smaller councils might be acceptable, he believes, if they have a strong, clear reason. Working across existing boundaries could work too.
Combining with Rutland might make sense, as this option balances scale and finances while working with Lincolnshire’s geography.
One councilor claimed the third option fails criteria. He sees a good match around Rutland and Stamford. However, Rutland wants to join Leicestershire instead. The board will send both main options to another meeting before making a final decision soon.