New proposal for councils

The leader of South Kesteven District Council has set out another option for a unitary authority to incorporate South Holland.
As part of local government reorganisation, bids are being submitted to create new authorities that will take on the work that both Lincolnshire County Council and South Holland District Council delivers in this area.
The county council wants to basically take on the district council’s workload, while SHDC, and its partner councils in the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, want to become one alongside North and South Kesteven.
The latter’s leader though has launched his own bid which would see South Holland merging with the Kestevens and Rutland.
Coun Baxter told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the county council’s plan would also mean that many councillors wouldn’t have as good an understanding of their area.
He added: “The county council’s proposal is too big. As a county councillor, I have to go to Lincoln on a regular basis.
“I don’t have the same understanding of the city’s issues in the same way that some of the other county councillors don’t have an understanding of the issues affecting my area.”
Coun Baxter also warned that the changes will result in fewer councillors and an increased workload for the remaining councillors.
He said: “My workload, and other councillor’s workloads, will get bigger.
“There will also be fewer councillors meaning councillors will have a higher workload and it will be more difficult to do the role.”