A new partnership between the Conservatives and an independent at West Lindsey District Council has given the Tory leadership a new majority in support.
Authority leader Councillor Giles McNeill announced the formation of the cross-party West Lindsey Administration Group this week which saw the 18 Conservative members supported by Independent Councillor for Dunholme and Welton ward Diana Rodgers.
The move gives Councillor McNeill – who also takes on the mantle of the new group’s leader – a potential two-seat majority, having previously drawn with the 18 opposition party councillors (Liberal Democrat 12, Lincolnshire Independent 2, Gainsborough Independent 2, Independent 1).
Being a committee led council, the leader does not believe there will be any major shake-ups in the higher ranks and said he would not be having a reshuffle.
New West Lindsey District Council leader Councillor Giles McNeill next to his deputy Councillor Owen Bierley. Photo: Daniel Jaines
“It’s steady as she goes and continue to deliver for the local people, keeping their council tax low,” he urged.
However, the move does put him in a solid position to push through some of his policies with a majority vote of 19 against the opposition of 17.
Following May’s local elections, North Kesteven District Council leader Richard Wright undertook a similar move after he faced losing overall control of the authority.
Councillor Wright instead created the North Kesteven Administration Group and invited unaligned councillor Steven Clegg and Lincolnshire Independent Mervyn Head sit on his executive while retaining their own allegiances.
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Villagers in Fiskerton remain cautious yet optimistic in the face of potential flooding, a month after they were advised to evacuate following a considerable amount of rainfall.
Several residents have continued to vigilantly monitor the River Witham’s water levels, prepared with sandbags outside their homes as a precaution after Storm Babet damaged two sections of the riverbank. But, despite the looming threat, there is a prevailing sense of confidence among the community, suggesting that further flooding is unlikely.
News that a £165,000 improvement project on the Handley Monument in Sleaford will commence early next year has been supported by local residents, who feel it is a much needed addition to the town centre, but it hasn’t come without its fair share of criticism.
North Kesteven District Council unveiled its plans for the historic Handley Monument in Sleaford, with a view to improving the surrounding area and also lighting up the monument to attract more attention to its role in the town’s history.
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