South Holland District Council looks set to be abolished and the starting gun fired on a race to replace it.
This week the government published details of its ‘devolution’ proposals which include one authority (known as a unitary) looking after day-to-day services in the area.
Currently they’re shared by both the district council and Lincolnshire County Council.
Its leader, Martin Hill, wants to create a Greater Lincolnshire unitary authority covering the whole of the ceremonial county.
The South and East Lincolnshire Local Council Partnership, which has seen South Holland District Council share staff and procedures with Boston and East Lindsey councils, is likely to also apply to be the unitary authority.
The unitary eventual chosen will take on everything from highways, adult care and children services (like the county council do now) to bin collections, leisure facilities and council housing (currently the domain of the district council).
It’s been said in the national press that ideally the government would like the unitary authorities to serve 500,000 people each.
That could mean the South and East Lincolnshire Partnership, which currently covers just over 300,000, having to persuade another council to come in with it.
Leader of South Holland District Council Nick Worth said the authority had received a letter on Tuesday asking for proposals for the new unitary authorities to be in by the end of March.
“It’s something we’ve been expecting for a long time, though the surprise is the pace of it,” Coun Worth said. “The good thing is that it seems certain this is the way the government want to go.
“I would rather that than there be messing around.
“From my point of view one single unitary for the whole of Lincolnshire will be too big.
“People wouldn’t be accountable at that sort of level.
“I think if we had two unitary authorities in Lincolnshire, that would be sensible.
“It’s important people can recognise their elected members and hold them to account.”
Coun Worth said that he thought the reorganisation would be in 2027 or 2028, and wasn’t sure how it would affect decisions the district council were planning to make, including the future of bin collections, something due to be revealed early in the New Year.
He also raised that the district council would have to look at forming a Spalding Town Council at the same level as current parish councils.
Coun Hill welcomed the devolutions plans: “Following these announcements, our devolution deal puts us in a good position to get even more local powers and investment for growth and improved services in Greater Lincolnshire.
“In terms of re-organisation, we are broadly supportive as it makes a lot of sense, will save a lot of money and be more efficient for people in Lincolnshire.
“Most of England now has unitary government that is working well.
“Having so many tiers of government creates unnecessary bureaucracy and cost. For example, it really makes no sense that one council collects all the bins and then pass the rubbish on to another council to dispose of it.
“These proposals will make change and reform quicker and easier.”
As previously reported, a Greater Lincolnshire Strategic Authority headed by a mayor elected next May will be created next year. It will be above the unitary authority and is proposed to receive some powers that currently come from central government.
