County council to provide extra £7m funding in budget for flooding, highways, anti-social behaviour, and environment

​On Friday (February 23), the council set its budget for the 2024/25 financial year, and it has been announced that a further £7.8m will be invested in these areas – on top of the £646m the council plans to spend on services such as adult care and children’s services.

Coun Martin Hill OBE, leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: “This extra investment will make a real difference to residents’ everyday lives. It’s thanks to our careful financial management over the years that we’re able to continue investing in our communities when many other councils are struggling.

"And we’ll continue to find ways to reduce bureaucracy and work more efficiently so we can continue to protect services despite the financial pressures we face.”

The extra investment includes £3.3m for flood alleviation and prevention, which will see £1m for the council’s flood and water management team to help communities get back on their feet after the storms and flooding investigations, and the highways team will see an extra £1.8m to clear drains, gullies and culverts.

Coun Lindsey Cawrey, executive member for Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, added: “The council had already allocated an additional £4m to support flood relief measures back in December 2023.

"We have now upped this to over £7m since Storm Babet in October. Although we are looking at preventing flooding, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue are often on the front line when the worst happens, so we’ve allocated £400,000 of this funding to provide crews with new equipment that will allow them to better deal with flooding.”

There will also be a further £2.5m for additional highways improvements to roads and footpaths across the county.

Coun Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: "This money is extremely welcome and vitally needed.

“In addition to the unprecedented funds LCC has previously put into road maintenance, this latest local funding boost further shows how seriously we take the condition of our roads. Keeping our county on the road is hugely important for the people of Lincolnshire, and that's something we continue to work extremely hard at to achieve."

There will be an additional £1m available to help tackle anti-social behaviour across the county, as well as another £1m for environment-related work.

Coun Mrs Patricia Bradwell OBE, executive member for community safety, explained: “Although Lincolnshire is a safe place to live, we know that, at times, anti-social behaviour can affect residents’ quality of life.

"This can range from something causing mild annoyance to an experience that causes real fear. So I’m delighted that the county council has today committed an additional £1m towards efforts to reduce anti-social behaviour in our communities.

"If you’re struggling with anti-social behaviour, please know you are not alone, and that Lincolnshire’s local authorities and the police are here to help.”

Coun Colin Davie, executive member for environment, added: “Our green spaces are a great asset to the county for both residents and visitors.

"We’ve allocated £1m this year to accelerating our green masterplan sustainability projects, encouraging and supporting green tourism and improving rights of way, so everyone can access our beautiful countryside.”

The council still faces a projected funding shortfall over the next few years, and the budget includes a 4.99 percent increase in the authority’s share of the council tax, which equates to an extra £1.44 per week for a Band D property.

Further details on this year’s budget proposals can be found on the council’s website at https://lincolnshire.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=120&MId=8605&Ver=4.