December 2, 2015 9.18 am This story is over 99 months old

Lincoln council gives approval to ‘ambitious’ devolution bid

Bid supported: City of Lincoln Council has given its unanimous backing to devolution proposals which would see significant powers transferred to Lincolnshire from Westminster.
A previous bid for devolution was rejected in 2016 due to government not compromising over the mayoral requirement.

City of Lincoln Council has given its unanimous backing to devolution proposals which would see significant powers transferred to Lincolnshire from central government.

As previously reported, the Greater Lincolnshire authorities submitted a bid for a multi-million pound devolution settlement on September 4.

The councils involved in the application include all seven Lincolnshire district councils, Lincolnshire County Council, plus North and North East Lincolnshire Council.

The proposals could see the county receive more powers and responsibilities in a similar settlement to Greater Manchester last year.

Councillors behind the project have claimed that the settlement would grow the value of the Greater Lincolnshire economy by £8 billion, creating 29,000 new jobs in the process.

Some of the specific powers sought include:

  • The transfer of prison services to local political control
  • Powers to apply a discounted fuel duty scheme to support transport in rural areas
  • Amendment to the Highways England programme to invest in transport routes in the region
  • Decision-making for local school funding and power to reshape and re-structure Further Education provision
  • Enhanced powers in regards to housing, to deliver 100,000 new homes across the region
  • Tax incentives for agri-food businesses and the steel industry
  • Devolution of the range of commissioning resources that support the health and wellbeing including the resources of Public Health England, NHS England and Health Education England

Lincolnshire County Council will be the final authority to decide on the proposals on December 18.

Powers could start to be devolved from as early as 2017 if the bid is successful.

Click here to read the Greater Lincolnshire Devolution Proposal in full.