Leading figures have held the first meeting of the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority – marking a milestone moment for major political changes underway in the area.
The meeting took place on Thursday (March 6) at Lincoln Cathedral’s Chapter House, bringing together leaders from Lincolnshire County Council, North Lincolnshire Council, and North East Lincolnshire Council after nearly a decade of negotiations, writes Local Democracy Reporter James Turner.
The new authority, which will be led by a mayor following the May 1 election, was created after the government formally approved the devolution deal in September, despite a delay caused by July’s General Election.
The deal promises an additional £24 million per year for the next 30 years and the transfer of more powers from Westminster, enabling greater local decision-making.
Four of the seven district councils in the county are represented on the board. They include Coun Nick Worth of South Holland District Council and his opposite numbers from East Lindsey District Council, City of Lincoln Council, North Kesteven District Council.
One of their first decisions was to appoint Coun Martin Hill (Conservative), leader of Lincolnshire County Council, as chairman.
He described the day as a ‘historic moment’ for Lincolnshire, particularly as the new authority will be one of the first rural county combined authorities in the country.
Before heading into the meeting, he explained some of the benefits of having this new authority.
“It keeps Lincolnshire together,” he said. “There was always a risk that we could be carved off and become part of somewhere else. For example, North and North East Lincolnshire used to be part of the North East, and the rest of us used to be part of the East Midlands.
“Lincolnshire is big enough, strong enough and good enough to stand alone so, nationally, we will be recognised as one distinct entity of the United Kingdom.
“We know we have got a lot to offer the country, and we will do that as a standalone unit.”
Leaders were originally in talks for a devolution deal in 2016, but it was abandoned due to the lack of compromise from the government on a mayor.
“It has taken a long time, it all started in 2016 and it wasn’t right at the time to go ahead, which is why we pulled out,” he added.
“Now, the new government has said that mayoral combined authorities are the way forward so our view is that, as well as keeping Lincolnshire intact, it also makes sure that we’re ahead of the game, so we can design it how we want, instead of having something imposed on us.”
Coun Rob Waltham (Conservative), leader of North Lincolnshire Council, insisted there would be connectivity benefits from having the new authority and that the area would start to see a ‘revolution’ around skills funding.
“This is an opportunity to prove that we are going to make a difference with this money,” he told reporters.
“Most residents that I speak to understand that devolution has made a difference in other areas, they can see a marked difference.
“That means that people are getting better access to jobs, they’re seeing better connectivity, and they’re also seeing a difference for them and their families.”
In December, Coun Waltham was nominated as the Conservative candidate for the forthcoming mayoral election and claimed he will be knocking on doors until May 1, trying to get as many votes as possible.
He explained that, should he be successful, a new leader would need to be chosen for his current council – but deputy leader Coun Richard Hannigan would take over responsibilities in the meantime.
Other candidates for the mayoral election announced so far include Jason Stockwood for Labour, Andrea Jenkyns for Reform UK, and Marianne Overton for the Lincolnshire Independents.
With council tax levels for 2025/26 increasing across the county, the Tory candidate was asked if there would be a precept, similar to that of the police and crime commissioner, for the combined county authority.
He responded: “That’s down to the politics. I’ve made it clear as the Conservative candidate that there will never be a precept if I am the mayor. I believe devolution means getting money from government, which taxpayers have already paid in – they shouldn’t have to pay it twice.”
The devolution process has sparked some criticism over the past few years, with some labelling it as just another layer of bureaucracy. However, Coun Phillip Jackson (Conservative), leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, insisted that isn’t the case at all.
“It isn’t just another layer of bureaucracy because the mayor on the combined authority will have additional funding – we’ve got an additional £24 million a year coming to the county over the next 30 years which will enable us to develop various projects.
“We’ll have much more strategic overview on things such as transport and we’ll be able to direct the developments in the area much more to what local people want rather than decisions being made in Westminster.”
He added that the additional funding and added powers will help “turbocharge” the Greater Lincolnshire economy.
