New leader for South Holland after former chief unseated

South Holland Conservatives have elected Councillor Nick Worth as their new leader, putting him in charge of the council.

Former leader Lord Gary Porter lost his seat during the recent local elections after leading the party for 20 years.

Councillor Worth acknowledged that he had “big shoes to fill” in taking the role.

Green energy, sports facility improvements and consolidating the South-East Partnership on his agenda for the next term.

“A week ago, I wasn’t expecting it. So it’s been a bit of an adrenaline rush since Friday morning. But I’ve been deputy leader for 20 years, so I guess it’s taken a long time but I finally got there,” said Councillor Worth.

“You’re not going to get another Gary, that’s for sure. He was his own person. He did a huge amount for not just South Holland but local government nationally and you’ve got to praise him for what he has done.

“He really put South Holland and Lincolnshire on the map.”

Outlining his plans for the future, Mr. Worth said he was excited about the proven plans for Spalding Town Centre, which were nearing completion.

He said the £20million Levelling Up funding which the council secured for the Castle Sports Complex would make a “massive difference to the area and people’s health and wellbeing.”

Mr. Worth was enthusiastic about the Southeast Lincolnshire Partnership, which he said brought “lots of opportunities” to bring inward investment into the area.

He said that he had spoken with the leaders of Boston and East Lindsey and that they were all of the opinion that they needed to consolidate the partnership.

South Holland District Council. | Photo: Daniel Jaines for The Lincolnite

Finally, Mr. Worth expressed his passion for green energy and mentioned that he was hoping to see an application come in for a hydrogen plant in the area in the next couple of months.

He said that this would be “quite exciting” as the area had one of the biggest concentrations of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) in the country. If they could be made to run on hydrogen, it would make a “massive difference to the carbon footprint of the area.”

Mr. Worth expressed his excitement about the future of South Holland Council and the challenges that lay ahead. He said he was looking forward to the challenge and was enthusiastic about the opportunities that were available to the area.

“The national situation had a big impact on the local elections and it was a message to the central government to listen to what people have to say on issues such as migration or the cost of living crisis, but locally the council could resolve issues going forward,” said Mr. Worth.

A Full Meeting of South Holland District Council next Wednesday will include a vote to confirm whether Councillor Worth will lead the council.

MyLocal Lincolnshire is the new home of The Lincolnite. Download the app now