Joint proposal put forward as ‘Best4GreaterLincolnshire’
A detailed joint proposal for reshaping local government arrangements across Greater Lincolnshire has been drawn up by North Kesteven and South Kesteven district councils working in partnership.
The approach involves the creation of two new unitary councils within Lincolnshire that take on the functions currently spread across one county council and seven district councils, bringing all council functions together; and the continuation, for now, of the two existing unitary councils serving North and North East Lincolnshire.
The scope of these new councils would cover the existing North and South Kesteven districts along with the current South Holland district within one authority area; and Lincoln City, Boston and both East and West Lindsey districts in the other, with a proposal to have fire and rescue overseen at an overarching level alongside the police.
The draft proposal is a local response to the request of Government on all councils within the Greater Lincolnshire area to come up with their own model of a best fit for council services and functions under its drive for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).
It will be discussed at a Full Meeting of all North Kesteven councillors at 5pm on Thursday November 20; the same day as South Kesteven’s Full Council meeting.
From there, each Council will make a recommendation to their respective Executive Board (for North Kesteven on November 27) or Cabinet (for South Kesteven on November 24), in order to agree the final proposal for submission in line with the Government’s deadline of November 28.
A further four proposals are expected to be submitted by other councils in Greater Lincolnshire. Government is expected to make its decision on the future shape of local government in Lincolnshire by the middle of next year, following its own period of consultation in the spring.
Key dates in the process are:
- November 28, 2025 – submission of final LGR proposals
- Spring 2026 – Government consultation begins
- July 2026 – Government decision announced
- May 2027 – Elections to the shadow authorities shaping the new successor councils
- April 2028 – LGR comes into effect, with new councils taking on local service delivery.
In a joint statement on the publication of their joint draft proposal in readiness for councillor consideration, the Leader of SKDC, Cllr Ashley Baxter, and the Leader of NKDC, Cllr Richard Wright, said: “More than 5,500 people responded to our public engagement and it was telling that, for 83% of them, keeping councils local was the most important thing.
“We believe that our proposal is the best option for achieving anything close to this. It is practical, pragmatic and, we believe, would be a popular outcome for reorganisation; maintaining the closest possible connection between councils and their communities of any of the others proposed.
“It will be right for Lincolnshire – big enough to satisfy the need for streamlined delivery of services whilst remaining efficient, effective and able to respond to the needs of the communities it will serve.
“Ours is a credible, evidence-led proposal that we believe will provide the best outcome of Local Government Reorganisation for our county; the Best4GreaterLincolnshire.”
In making the case for their joint proposal as being the Best4GreaterLincolnshire, Cllrs Wright and Baxter say it will be transformative, open up new opportunities, and efficiencies and consolidate services in the best interests of residents and businesses:
• Boosting economic growth and housing delivery
• Empowering local communities
• Securing a sustainable financial future
• Transforming the way we do business.
LGR affects only the current two-tier system of district and county councils, seeking to replace them with unitary authorities that will deliver all services within a single organisation. Town and parish councils will continue to operate and are seen as important stakeholders in providing a voice for local communities.
The joint approach can be viewed, in draft, within the North Kesteven District Council meeting paperwork at: Agenda for Council on Thursday, 20th November, 2025, 5.00 pm | North Kesteven District Council