January 24, 2017 9.37 am
This story is over 65 months old
Single unitary authority ‘not viable’ for Lincolnshire, says district council leader
A Lincolnshire district council leader has dismissed the idea of a single unitary authority for the county, describing it as “not a viable proposal”. East Lindsey District Council leader Councillor Craig Leyland said that the size and geography of Lincolnshire meant that other options – such as more than one unitary authority – were more…
Councillor Craig Leyland, leader of East Lindsey District Council
A Lincolnshire district council leader has dismissed the idea of a single unitary authority for the county, describing it as “not a viable proposal”.
East Lindsey District Council leader Councillor Craig Leyland said that the size and geography of Lincolnshire meant that other options – such as more than one unitary authority – were more suitable options to explore.
As previously reported, Lincolnshire County Council leader Martin Hill has called for a radical shake-up in local government in the county, with plans to hold a referendum on scrapping county and district councils and replacing them with a unitary system.
A referendum could be held at the same time as the county council elections on May 4.
Councillor Hill estimated that any proposed changes could save as much as £150 million over five years.
Lincolnshire County Council leader Martin Hill
Despite agreeing with the principle of looking again at the structure of local government in Lincolnshire, Councillor Leyland said that more than one unitary authority would be needed for the county.
He said: “It’s not unreasonable to look at the structure of local government in Lincolnshire given the challenges that are faced – particularly in respect of adult social care, highways and health.
“All councils need to be exploring how they can work differently together to achieve savings and become more efficient in order to protect services to the communities we serve.
“However, I am of the firm belief that a single unitary council for Lincolnshire is not a viable proposal given the size and geography of the area.
“There are also other options to explore – such as more than one unitary council for the area.”
Devolution remains best opportunity for growth
Councillor Marion Brighton OBE has been awarded a lifetime achievement award
Lincolnshire has seven district councils (City of Lincoln, North Kesteven, South Kesteven, West Lindsey, East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland) and a county council.
North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire have their own separate unitary authorities.
Councillor Marion Brighton, leader of North Kesteven District Council, hoped that the county would revisit the principle of devolution, with a deal from central government ultimately rejected by Lincolnshire County Council and South Kesteven District Council in 2016.
She said: “I am not at all surprised to learn of Councillor Hill’s intentions following on from his abandonment of the Devolution proposals for Greater Lincolnshire late last year.
“North Kesteven District Council remains committed to a model of devolution as the best opportunity for achieving sustainable growth and excellent public services in Lincolnshire, with the considerable additional funds that would generate for Lincolnshire which cannot be facilitated by a unitary model.
“As an individual authority we have a strong vision, an excellent plan built on widespread support by partners and public, and a viable financial plan which we will continue to pursue that in the interests of our residents and we will continue to encourage a partnership approach to any proposals for change, based on dialogue and robust, substantiated information.”
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Drivers in Lincoln will face nearly a fortnight of disruption when electrical works cause a road closure on Skellingthorpe Road from next week (July 11).
Western Power Distribution will install a new electricity connection for a new primary school on Skellingthorpe Road.
The county council has been constructing a new 130-place school on the site of the former Priory Witham Academy Junior School, which will be for St Christopher’s primary-aged pupils.
As a result, Skellingthorpe Road will be closed between Tritton Road and Boultham Park Road between July 11 and July 22.
This is to ensure the safety of engineers and local people while work is taking place.
A diversion will be put in place via Tritton Road, Doddington Road and Newark Road.
Western Power Distribution said: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused while we complete this essential new connection.”
We are investigating a road traffic collision which happened just after 5pm today.
The crash happened on the A15 just south of Waddington and involved a black Peugeot 208 that collided with a tree. The driver of the car, a 56-year-old male, was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The A15 was closed just before 6pm and is likely to remain closed for some time.
We are particularly keen to hear from those who were driving along the A15 this afternoon between 4pm and 5:10pm and may have captured dashcam footage of the road during the collision.
If you have dashcam footage or any other information that will assist in our enquiries, there are a number of ways you can get in touch.
By calling 101 quoting incident 285 of 4 July.
By emailing [email protected] quoting incident 285 of 4 July in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report via the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
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