The leader of South Holland District Council has defended the authority allocating £175,000 on consultancy fees.
It and East Lindsey District Council are looking to create a combined pot of £350,000 to advise on their joint bid to create a new unitary local authority.
It would also involve both South and North Kesteven and their current partner Boston Borough Council.
As part of reorganisation plans, authorities are preparing bids to submit for new councils that will carry out the work both Lincolnshire County Council and South Holland District Council do in this area.
The latter’s leader Coun Nick Worth told a meeting of its Cabinet on Tuesday (May 6) that the money was needed to help it submit the best bid possible, particularly as the district council has no expertise of running the children’s services or adult care roles currently carried out by the county council.
“We feel our bid will benefit our residents the most,” Coun Worth said. “We need to employ some specialists to get the best possible advice we can, not just locally but so we can influence people in Whitehall itself.
“There will be some funding from central government.
“If it’s sufficient we won’t need to spend this but I think we’re saying it’s there so we can get cracking on putting this proposal together.
“When it comes to children’s services and adult social care, we do not have the expertise in those areas in particular and that’s a major part of any proposal coming forward.
“That’s why we’re going down this route.”
Despite being a fellow member of the South and East Lincolnshire Local Councils Partnership, Boston Borough Council is not putting money in for consultation fees.
“Boston hasn’t made it clear which option they want to support as far as I’m aware,” Coun Worth said. “We’re also working quite closely with West Lindsey who are quite supportive on our north/south split proposal and with the City of Lincoln on their economy.
“We’re trying to get more councils on board and that will be kept open.”
Some of those present at the meeting asked for more say from parish councils as it was possible some services may be passed down to them.
Coun Worth said the authority had spoken to the Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils but he pledged to talk to every such authority in the district.
Eight initial bids have been submitted, though Coun Worth said that now Lincolnshire County Council is being run by a new party it could change its current bid for just one council.
