North Kesteven councillors back proposal to re-shape Greater Lincolnshire into three authorities

By a majority vote of 29 to 1, with two abstentions, members agreed on Tuesday evening (March 18) to submit a proposal for reorganising the 10 Greater Lincolnshire councils into a structure of three councils, which would bring the areas of North Kesteven District Council, South Kesteven District Council, South Holland District Council, and Rutland together as one.

North and North East Lincolnshre would be another, while the third would be made up of City of Lincoln, East and West Lindsey and Boston Borough.

NKDC Leader Councillor Richard Wright explained that this is just ‘the starting point’ and that there will be ongoing discussions, explorations and engagement before final proposals are made in November in a process that Government will ultimately determine.

Recommending the successful proposal – which mirrors that backed by South Kesteven councillors the same evening – he said: “This is just the start of the process. A process we never sought, but which is being driven by the Government and whether we like it or not, if we believe it is fair, or not or even if it is the process we would have chosen or not, it is the process we have to deal with.

“Your choice is to either support the submission, a submission that is balanced and well thought out – a submission that looks to achieve the best outcome for our North Kesteven and wider communities – or not; leaving others to submit their proposals that we will have little say in and may not meet our aspirations for the people we serve.”

Members praised the clarity of the proposal, the quality of the data which had driven its formation, the fact that it delivered on all the criteria set by Government for achieving its aims, its principles anchored in place, logic and geography and most importantly that it maintained strong democratic connectivity at community level.