North Kesteven District Council rejects devolution referendum call

Despite acknowledging certain reservations, the council ultimately decided against the motion put forward by Councillor Ann Mear (Lincolnshire Independents), which would have allowed residents to vote on the proposed deal.

Lincolnshire County Council, North Lincolnshire Council, and North East Lincolnshire Council have all officially approved the deal, which is estimated to bring an additional £50 million per year to the region. The deal has now progressed to an eight-week consultation phase, inviting feedback from communities across the region.

Key features include a £24 million yearly Mayoral Investment Fund for 30 years, an elected Mayor from 2025, a one-time £28.4 million capital investment, and the transfer of control over the adult education budget starting in 2026.

However, some opposition councillors argued that not allowing tax-paying residents to have a say undermines democracy.

“This new authority will be headed by an elected mayor with tax-raising powers,” said Cllr Mear. “Jurisdiction will extend to around 7,000 square kilometres from Scunthorpe in the north of the county to Stamford in the south. The population of the proposed combined authority will exceed one million residents.”

She added: “The proposed new geographical area is far too big. Such an important decision, therefore, must be made by the tax-paying residents.”

The representative for Sleaford Westholme ward also voiced concerns regarding the potential for additional taxes to support the mayoral position, though this has not yet been officially confirmed.

“I say that this is not right, and it is not right that local residents do not get a say in this,” she continued.

The referendum motion was seconded by opposition leader Marianne Overton (Lincolnshire Independents). She stressed the significance of the issue, arguing that “the weight of the decision was too large” to exclude public involvement.

Councillor Peter Lundgren (Lincolnshire Independents) also backed the motion. He observed that the deal appears to be merely adding an additional layer of government.

“I’m not really seeing how this helps our residents,” said the representative for Branston ward. “All they’re really doing is creating another layer of government [based] somewhere between Lincoln and Whitehall.

“Our residents should be far greater involved in the decision making process.”

Meanwhile, Councillor Dave Parry (Conservative) argued that holding a referendum would incur significant costs and have minimal impact.

“The result of such a referendum would be legally non-binding, meaning we could spend over £200,000 and gain no legal sway whatsoever,” he said.

Echoing his sentiments, Councillor Lindsey Cawrey, (North Kesteven Conservatives), agreed such that a referendum would carry “no weight.” She added: “I don’t see the point in wasting public money on this.”

She later highlighted that Lincolnshire County Council, who also rejected a £1.3m referendum earlier this month, is conducting a series of roadshows during its public consultation phase of the deal.

NKDC Leader Richard Wright (Conservative) recommended that councillors reject the motion, citing a “technicality” in the submission. He pointed out that the motion failed to specify the purpose for the referendum.

He later underscored that the deal aims to create a “locally-focused decision-making body.” He added: “Whether we like it or not, the framework for devolution has been set,” emphasising that three upper tier councils have already approved the deal.

Councillor Wright then suggested that embracing the government’s deal could open doors for future agreements. He advised: “What we should be doing right now is taking what is on offer and making it work.”

The elected official for Ruskington ward reflected on a past devolution deal offered years ago that was not accepted, labelling it a ‘missed opportunity’.

He concluded by saying: “We either embrace this opportunity, or we miss the bus again.”

Ultimately, the council decided against the proposed referendum. The final vote saw 13 councillors in favour and 23 against.