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September 5, 2022 1.00 pm This story is over 30 months old

Councillor Ric Metcalfe, Leader of City of Lincoln Council

The Lincolnite’s coverage of the announcement of a devolution deal involving East Midlands neighbours Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire has renewed interest in the progress being made here in Greater Lincolnshire for a similar devolution deal with government.

As The Lincolnite rightly point out, a devolution deal will require the setting up of a new combined authority led by a directly elected mayor to exercise the new powers devolved to it by government.

All of the existing local councils will remain as now, and I expect will want to work with the new combined authority to help make a success of the devolution agreement.

The new combined authority is not meant to be a “supreme decision making authority” in a hierarchical relationship with other local councils in the area. It is there purely to take a strategic approach to mobilising a collective effort to realise the benefits of a devolution deal and play its part in addressing some of the long standing issues our communities face.

It will be vital that the new combined authority commands public confidence and democratic legitimacy and to do that it will need to show that it is adding value and will not become another unwelcome layer of self serving bureaucracy.

I agree with Cllr Martin Hill that existing district councils in Lincolnshire , including the City of Lincoln Council, should have “a strong role” in the whole process.

Your local district councils in Lincolnshire are highly successful organisations, providing many vital local services, are close to their communities and enjoy significant local support.

It would totally unsustainable to imagine a new combined mayoral authority without the full and equal participation of local district councils. 

Their sovereignty must be respected in any new governance arrangements for Lincolnshire with choice built in about partnership projects undertaken on the basis of proper judgements about what is best for their local communities

District councils are very well placed to be commissioned by the new combined authority to implement economic growth projects or whatever else that it has been collectively agreed is good for one and all.

I welcome the potential benefits of a devolution deal but robust democratic governance arrangements will be essential for its success.

February 28, 2022 4.30 pm This story is over 37 months old

The Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards 2022 are organised by Stonebow Media.

Nominations are now open for businesses to be recognised in the 2022 Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards.

The event is organised by Stonebow Media, publishers of The Lincolnite, to celebrate the best businesses in Greater Lincolnshire.

The headline sponsors making the awards possible are the University of Lincoln Enterprise & Research department.

Ten categories are now open for nominations. The deadline for nominations is April 22, with a judging lunch scheduled for April 27.

The awards ceremony will be held at the Engine Shed on May 26, and will be hosted by Lincoln actor and TV personality Colin McFarlane.

Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards categories:

  • SME of the Year — Sponsored by University of Lincoln Research & Enterprise
  • Family Business of the Year — Sponsored by Wright Vigar
  • Exporter/International Business of the Year — Sponsored by Duncan & Toplis
  • Business Innovation/Innovator of the Year — Sponsored by Productivity Programme
  • Agri-Food Business of the Year — Sponsored by Business Lincolnshire
  • Charitable Business of the Year — Sponsored by Ringrose Law
  • Environmental/Sustainable Business of the Year — Sponsored by Lincoln Minster School
  • Rising Star of the Year — Sponsored by University of Lincoln Research & Enterprise
  • Business Leader of the Year — Sponsored by Lincoln Science & Innovation Park
  • Business of the Year — Sponsored by Productivity Programme

Visit the Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards website to see all the categories, sponsors and judges.

Thanks to the sponsors of the Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards. Click/tap to visit the website.

Stonebow Media announces 2022 events programme

For more information, nominations opening dates, book tickets and more visit thelincolnite.co.uk/awards

Stonebow Media, publisher of The Lincolnite, will be hosting a number of events throughout 2022 to promote and reward Lincolnshire’s best businesses.

Starting in May, and in partnership with the University of Lincoln Research and Enterprise department, we will be hosting the Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards, which will recognise the work of businesses across our county for their resilience throughout the past 24 months as well as their plans for the future of business within our county.

Nominations are now open for the Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards. For more details visit www.lincsbusinessexcellenceawards.co.uk

In July we will be hosting the Lincolnshire Education Excellence Awards, in partnership with Lincoln College. These awards will recognise the fantastic achievements of our county’s teachers and support staff from nursery to college.

September will see the Lincolnshire Food and Farming Awards which recognises our county’s diverse food offering from farm to fork. Lincolnshire is responsible for growing 30% of the nation’s vegetables and 18% of the poultry, and these awards will promote and celebrate our rich crop of farmers, producers and food service industry.

In recognition of the fantastic work from the Lincolnshire tourism industry we will be hosting in October the Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards, in partnership with Lincoln College. These awards are a springboarding opportunity for county businesses to be nominated in the Visit England national Tourism Awards.

Our Lincolnshire 30 Under 30 will once again be a highlight of our events calendar in November, and after the fantastic nominations from 2021 we are excited to see what our county has to offer this year. With nominations from entrepreneurs, sporting stars, mental health advocates and many more the Lincolnshire 30 Under 30 gives recognition to the exciting work young people in our county have achieved.

November will also see us hosting the Lincolnshire Enterprise Awards, aimed at entrepreneurs and SMEs. With the fast pace of technology, research and development within our county, these awards offer opportunities for these fantastic businesses to get the recognition they deserve.

— Limited sponsorships opportunities are still available. Contact Partnerships Manager Katrina Burrill on [email protected] for details.

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