Officials to spend £1 million on plans to improve public transport in Lincolnshire

The Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority has received greater powers over transport in Lincolnshire as part of the government’s devolution deal.

The department for transport has allocated the GLCCA a total of £1,063,000 in local transport resourcing funding this financial year – and this has been distributed to the three highways authorities in the county.

Lincolnshire County Council has received £367,996, North East Lincolnshire Council has been given £133,834 and £138,048 has been allocated to North Lincolnshire Council.

The GLCCA will use the remaining £423,722 to develop its Greater Lincolnshire local transport plan.

Members of the GLCCA’s transport board heard at a meeting on Wednesday, November 12, that the money will be specifically used to tackle the lack of public transport in rural areas.

Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, Dame Andrea Jenkyns (Reform UK), said: “That is why I have been fighting for this type of funding. To me, I don’t have any nimbyism.

“I want it to go where it’s most needed and we have the strategic overview which will be fed in from, obviously, the transport board, rural transport groups, etc and transport for greater Lincolnshire.

“We need those funds to come up with this plan and ensure that it’s widely spread across the county.

“We know out there, as politicians, that everything gets deemed through the Lincoln lens that it’s Lincoln-centric and we need to change that rhetoric.”

The GLCCA said it’s working with local authorities to improve connectivity, enhance customer experiences and reduce transport emissions.

It said some of these proposals will begin to be implemented in 2026 – with further reforms planned over the next three years.

Ms Jenkyns added: “My whole rhetoric was about making sure it’s a fair system and that it goes where it’s most needed. We’ve seen across the county, certain parts of the county, which have had zero investment.

“We’ve got to make sure that we serve these forgotten communities, while at the same time making sure that we have the balance right and have a strategic overview.”

Coun Craig Leyland (Conservative), leader of East Lindsey District Council, said that this funding should be allocated to the areas that need it most.

He added: “For residents, and certainly for my residents, we want to see the mayoral combined authority deliver things that have been lacking for some years and are strategic to our area.

“The idea of fairer funding is probably not necessarily the point here. It’s about strategic needs and the direction of travel.”