May 25, 2023 10.00 am This story is over 11 months old

Focus on smaller communities as East Lindsey leader re-elected

“We need to spread the joy a bit.”
Councillor Craig Leyland was re-elected into position on Wednesday night. | Image: Daniel Jaines

East Lindsey District Council leader Craig Leyland has been re-elected into his position.

He has wasted no time in expressing his commitment to prioritise smaller communities within the district.

Following the recent local elections, where the authority ended with no overall control, Leyland’s re-election signifies the Conservative Party’s retention of control in East Lindsey.

In May, the Conservatives held on to 26 seats, while Independent councillors took 15, Labour six, the Skegness Urban District Society taking five and the Greens, Lib Dems and an Unaligned Councillor all taking one each.

The loss dropped the party from the 31 it held previously and means it only has a 47.27% share of the vote.

During a council meeting held on Wednesday night, Leyland acknowledged the challenges ahead and welcomed both new and returning councillors.

He also paid tribute to those who lost their seats in the election, highlighting the importance of their contributions to the council.

Councillor Leyland emphasised the need to support communities, particularly the smaller hamlets and villages that often lack representation.

“There are parishes and parish meetings, but there are some communities that have no representation at all, and they might have a group that clears litter and all that sort of thing, but it’s important that we recognise that and support them,” he said.

“We need to spread the joy a bit. We know that there are small communities out there that are lovely places to live and they might want a bench, they might want some more bins and we should really make it easy for them to get that done.”

He praised the “unprecedented investment” that the district has witnessed over the past four years, attributing it to initiatives like the South East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership with Boston and South Holland.

This partnership has brought substantial benefits to the area, and Leyland intends to continue fostering strong relationships with neighbouring councils.

Following, Leyland outlined new initiatives aimed at addressing the needs of smaller communities.

This includes increasing councillor grants, providing financial support to local representatives, and establishing a community support program specifically tailored to smaller areas.

Additionally, the council plans to create a loan provision to assist smaller parishes in undertaking necessary projects. Speeding issues will also be investigated, ensuring the safety of residents in these areas.

Graham Marsh was confirmed as the deputy leader by Leyland, while the remaining executive positions mainly stayed unchanged.

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