Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

This is the highest of the three options which were being considered by the council.

However, an extra £7m will be invested in Lincolnshire’s roads as the council says it’s in a stronger than expected position. That means the highways budget for 2023/24 has now risen to around £93m.

The rise for the county council share of Council Tax bills will be made up of a 2.99 per cent general precept rise and two per cent adult social care rise.

Lincolnshire County Council executive. (Stock image)

Despite this, and additional government funding, the council will still need to use £9.5m from its reserves to balance the books, based on current projections.

The rise was approved by the council’s executive, and is expected to be signed off by full council next week.

Leader Councillor Martin Hill said the rise will help to prepare the council in case inflation and energy prices continue to cause pressure.

“For the moment we’re in a fairly strong place compared to a lot of other councils, which are talking about spending cuts. We’ve been cautious and prudent,” he said.

'A good budget for people of Lincolnshire' - Coun Martin Hill - Leader of Lincolnshire County Council.

“We received a better settlement than anticipated from the government.

“However, there are some financial icebergs on the horizon, including children’s and adult’s services.

“The majority of councils who are responsible for social care will be making five per cent rises, which is expected by the government.”

The additional £7million allocated to highways will be spent on pedestrian crossings, footpaths, network improvements and Traffic Regulation Orders.

“Roads are always the number one issue for residents. We are aiming to clear the backlog with TROs over the next year, putting into effect the changes that district councils and residents want,” Councillor Hill said.

He added: “This is a good budget for the people of Lincolnshire, protecting the frontline services residents rely on while living within our means.

“Like households across the country, the council is facing steeply rising costs because of inflation, particularly for school transport, and we also continue to see increasing demand for services, most notably adult care and children’s services.

“We continue to find smarter ways of working, which we estimate will save more than £23m over the next few years. In addition, the government has recognised the pressures faced by local councils, and is providing some extra funding, including around £19m for social care.

“Despite this additional money, we will need to draw on our reserves again this year. We’re able to do that because of our track record of strong financial management. We’ve not been afraid to take difficult decisions in the past, which means we are in a better position than some other councils to meet these latest challenges.

“We know good roads are important to both residents and businesses, and this additional funding will help make up for the significant cuts in government funding for road repairs over the last few years.

“However, officers have recommended that we increase council tax by five per cent to ensure the authority’s long-term financial stability.

“We’ll continue to push government for long-term solutions to the major issues facing local councils. It’s vital that we start to see progress on fairer funding, the resetting of business rates and plans for making adult care more sustainable. We will also continue to work towards a devolution deal for Greater Lincolnshire, giving local authorities more control over funding.”

Councillor Tom Smith described the rise as “a necessary evil to continue doing things we need to do for residents.”

Executive committee members said the county was weathering economic problems well compared to other areas.

Councillor Patricia Bradwell said: “Listening to colleagues around the country, we are lucky in Lincolnshire. There are no drastic cuts to services and we are fortunate to be able to take money out of reserves.”

Councillor Sue Woolley said: “We are not in this position by luck but by judgement”, having resisted calls to spend the reserves before.

The proposals will be discussed by the full council at their meeting on Friday February 17, at which the budget for 2023/24 will be agreed.