February 8, 2017 9.01 am
This story is over 100 months old
Leading Lincolnshire Conservatives clash over referendum and county council performance
Lincolnshire County Council leader Martin Hill has hit back at criticisms of the proposed unitary authority referendum and council underperformance by fellow Conservative Sir Edward Leigh. In a column for Lincolnshire Reporter, the veteran Gainsborough MP claimed that Councillor Hill wanted to spend half a million pounds on the referendum – which would not even…
Gainsborough MP Sir Edward Leigh and Lincolnshire County Council leader Martin Hill have clashed over the proposed unitary authority referendum
Lincolnshire County Council leader Martin Hill has hit back at criticisms of the proposed unitary authority referendum and council underperformance by fellow Conservative Sir Edward Leigh.
In a column for Lincolnshire Reporter, the veteran Gainsborough MP claimed that Councillor Hill wanted to spend half a million pounds on the referendum – which would not even be binding.
The MP suggested that the county council had retreated into “a comfort zone of managed decline” over recent years, lacking innovative ideas and entrepreneurial thinking.
He also questioned how county councillors would be able to look their electorates in the eye and explain that they had wasted money when adult social care could have benefitted.
In response, Councillor Hill expressed his surprise at the comments made by Sir Edward Leigh.
He said: “Sir Edward is also well aware of the funding difficulties councils face as we strive to provide adult care services for our older residents with increasing demand and severe reductions in government funding over many years.
“Working as a unitary authority could save the county taxpayers £30 million a year – or £8,000 a day.
“I believe that it would be irresponsible to hide that fact and not at least ask the public what they think of the idea.
“The county council has always been very ambitious for Lincolnshire.
“The successful rollout of better broadband, the redevelopment of Lincoln Castle, the Energy from Waste plant and key infrastructure projects including the Lincoln East West Link Road and Eastern Bypass to name just a few, are bringing increased employment and prosperity to the area.
“We invest well over £100 million every year in key building projects in the county as well as providing good services.
“I meet with Sir Edward regularly, he is well aware of the work we are doing and I look forward to discussing our ideas at our next meeting.”
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!