An extraordinary meeting of Lincolnshire County Council has been called to approve a proposal for one unitary authority after reorganisation.
Members are being urged to back the official submission which will be submitted to central government in time for the November 28 deadline.
Under the banner of ‘Your Lincolnshire’ the proposal envisages a single tier of local government.
The Reform-led authority’s proposal says it will ‘strengthen our county, simplify how you contact your council and the services you rely on.’
A report going before members this week says the proposal is ‘clear and compelling’ and would have recurring benefits of £46.44m.
“We believe replacing the existing county and district councils with a single unitary authority covering Lincolnshire is the strongest, most sustainable and unified option robustly meeting all the Government criteria,” says the document.
It will ‘respect local dignity’ by operating Neighbourhood Area Committees to work with the council.
Currently the responsibilities are divided between the county council and seven district councils.
The county has a total of 70 members and Reform UK has 44 seats, with 14 Conservative, five Liberal Democrats, four Independent and three Labour.
It argues that a single unitary model will simplify governance with all services consolidated which would reduce bureaucracy and administrative costs.
“Accountability will be driven through Neighbourhood Area Committees, ensuring services remain responsive and meaningful to communities,” says the submission.
Every tier of local government has been asked to submit a proposal by next Friday (November 28).
South Holland and its partners in the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership want to add North and South Kesteven to form one authority, while the rest of the county would be a second authority.
A new Northern Lincolnshire Council would cover Lincoln, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire and West Lindsey.
But the current county council leadership is certain a single point of governance would be the best way forward.
“Greater Lincolnshire is a cornerstone of the UK’s food economy, contributing significantly to national food security.
“A county approach to this important sector will accelerate the growth of new businesses and harness research, development and innovation in food production and manufacturing,” says the proposal.
Local Government Reorganisation is the first time in more than 50 years that the system is changed.
