October 19, 2016 11.21 am
This story is over 104 months old
Lincolnshire devolution deal rests on final approval from councillors
Lincolnshire county councillors are set to vote on a proposed devolution deal tomorrow which would see significant powers transferred to the county from Westminster. The Greater Lincolnshire devolution deal covering an area from the Humber to the Wash was announced by former Chancellor George Osborne in March 2016. Ten councils are involved in the proposed deal:…
Lincolnshire county councillors are set to vote on a proposed devolution deal tomorrow which would see significant powers transferred to the county from Westminster.
Ten councils are involved in the proposed deal: Lincolnshire County Council; City of Lincoln Council; North Kesteven District Council; South Kesteven District Council; West Lindsey District Council; East Lindsey District Council; Boston Borough Council; South Holland District Council; North Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Council.
Key points of the proposal include:
A new combined authority would receive £15 million a year, for the next 30 years, for infrastructure projects
Funding and responsibilities would include transport, housing, skills training and flood risk management
A directly elected mayor would lead the combined authority, with elections potentially taking place in 2017
All the councils would continue to exist in their current form
All 10 councils must approve the devolution deal before it can proceed.
Mayoral elections could in theory then take place in the first half of 2017.
Councils begin to approve deal
A number of councils across the Greater Lincolnshire region have approved the devolution deal in the last few weeks.
Below is a guide to the councils which have approved the deal:
City of Lincoln Council – unanimously approved
North Lincolnshire Council – approved
West Lindsey District Council – approved
East Lindsey District Council – approved
Boston Borough Council – approved
North Kesteven District Council – vote on October 19
North East Lincolnshire Council – vote on October 19
Lincolnshire County Council – vote on October 20
South Kesteven District Council – vote on October 24
South Holland District Council – vote on October 26
Councillor Peter Bedford, leader of Boston Borough Council, which has approved the plans, described the deal as “the only game in town”.
He said: “First of all, there has been a long and meticulous public consultation exercise about this. The public has indicated that it is broadly in agreement with devolution.
The only real sticking point was the requirement for a new combined authority to have an elected mayor. Some were concerned that this would be another needless level of bureaucracy that we can ill afford.
East Lindsey District Council leader, Councillor Craig Leyland, added: “The recent consultation supported the principle of joint working between the 10 councils and demonstrated the community’s support for East Lindsey to continue to pursue devolution powers from central government along with the associated funding.
“After careful consideration, the council agreed that we should be part of this exciting agenda which will also enable us to negotiate further devolution deals with government in the coming months that benefit the residents of East Lindsey.”
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!
Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!