County Council responds after budget claims raise Skegness concerns
Lincolnshire County Council has responded after claims by the Lincolnshire Conservatives that key local projects — including the proposed Skegness Household Waste Recycling Centre — were being “cancelled” under Reform UK’s first full county budget.
The Conservatives issued a press release criticising the proposed budget, in which they say includes a 4.99 per cent council tax rise, cuts to road funding and changes to capital spending priorities. Among the concerns raised was the future of the Skegness Household Waste Recycling Centre, which they said had been scrapped.
However, Lincolnshire County Council has now clarified that, as part of the budget proposals, the executive is recommending that the £2 million capital allocation previously earmarked for the Skegness site be re-purposed, rather than proceeding with the original scheme.
A spokesperson explained that the cost of purchasing land and constructing a new recycling centre in Skegness would now far exceed the £2 million available, making the project unviable in its original form.
The council also confirmed that its recent survey on Household Waste Recycling Centres, which closed just before Christmas, will now be carefully reviewed. The feedback will be used to look at how services can be improved for residents across multiple recycling centres, rather than focusing on a single site.
In addition, some of the funding is proposed to be redirected to support South Holland’s Twin Stream recycling scheme, which separates paper and card to improve recycling quality and efficiency.
The Conservatives have argued that the changes represent broken promises and a loss of vital infrastructure for Skegness, while the council maintains the proposals reflect changing costs, resident feedback and a need to prioritise value for money.
The Skegness Standard has approached Reform UK representatives locally for comment and will update readers when a response is received.