'We believe this plan makes the most sense': ‘Your Lincolnshire’ proposal sets out clear case for change
One unitary authority for the county area to make things ‘simpler, smarter, and more joined-up’ could be the way forward in proposals for the reorganisation of eight Lincolnshire councils.
The ‘Your Lincolnshire’ proposal will go through Lincolnshire County Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Management Board on Thursday, November 20, before being taken to Full Council on Friday, November 21.
The final proposal will be submitted to government before the deadline of November 28.
Cllr Rob Gibson, Deputy Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We believe this plan makes the most sense for Lincolnshire because many services, like children’s services, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, and highways, already work well across the whole county. Splitting them up would obviously have a detrimental impact on these services.
“Compared to the other proposals (like having two or more Unitary councils), the ‘Your Lincolnshire’ proposal is expected to be less disruptive and more cost-effective. Costs to reorganise councils could be offset in just a year.”
Annual efficiencies included in the proposal are £3.78million from senior leadership savings and £1.8million from councillor allowances.
Over the past few months, the council has been talking to residents, staff, businesses, and community groups.
Here’s what people liked most:
· Better value for money
· More joined-up services
· Easier to understand who’s responsible
And here’s what people were worried about:
· A bigger council might feel too remote
· Will the savings really happen?
· Could services be disrupted?
Cllr Gibson continued: “We held events, ran an online survey, gathered feedback and 59% of you thought Lincolnshire has too many councillors so we’re addressing that in the proposal.
“We’ve also listened to concerns about one council feeling remote, we are proposing Neighbourhood Area Committees across the county that have proved successful in other areas of the country. These committees help preserve local identity, give residents a way to raise concerns more directly and make sure local decisions are informed by local knowledge.
“It’s really important to us that residents don’t see a loss in service, short-term or long-term, either through disruption to services, or through dividing up services that work well already. Our ‘Your Lincolnshire’ proposal is very clear on this and it’s why we believe it makes the most sense for out residents, businesses and communities.”