Greater Lincolnshire's new combined authority will be subject to review
A new authority that will be set up to cover the whole of Greater Lincolnshire will be subject to a review by the government after three years.
This review will assess whether the devolved arrangements are delivering the best outcomes for residents and businesses.
Central government has officially approved the Greater Lincolnshire devolution deal, which promises to bring an additional £24 million investment fund to the area each year.
As a result, an election for a mayor will be held in May 2025 and a Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority set up, bringing the current county council area under the same umbrella as Scunthorpe and Grimsby.
Upper-tier councils, Lincolnshire County Council, North Lincolnshire Council, and North East Lincolnshire Council, formally signed off on the proposed deal roughly six months ago, but it was placed on hold due to the General Election in July.
However, Coun Martin Hill (Conservative), leader of Lincolnshire County Council, has confirmed that the combined county authority being established will be reviewed with the government in 2028.
He stated: “The work of the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority will be regularly reviewed to make sure that it’s achieving the agreed outcomes.
“A review will be completed with the government during the third year after a Mayor is elected, to make sure the devolved arrangements are the best available for residents and businesses. Any recommendations will then be considered by the Authority.”
After raising concerns about the City of Lincoln Council having a “less strong voice” compared to the upper-tier councils, Lincoln’s Labour MP Hamish Falconer shared details of the review in a video posted to his social media channels.
He stated: “There will be an election for a mayor in May. Whoever that is, I will work with them to try and make sure we get the right outcome for Lincoln.
“The important thing for me is to reflect that there will be a review in three years of the arrangement that will be done by the government to ensure that the Greater Lincolnshire combined authority and the mayor are working for Lincoln as well as the rest of the county.”