Plans to strengthen, simplify and save money in local government.
Did you know that one council currently empties your bins, and passes the waste to another council to get rid of? Or that one council fixes the roads, and another council cleans them?
Last year, the Government said it was planning to change this system and replace all county and district councils in England with new authorities – known as unitary councils – that would deliver all council services.
The Minister responsible wrote to all council leaders in areas where he would like to see local government reorganisation, inviting them to submit their own proposals for how this could work.
After receiving feedback from the Government in June, our plan is to create a new unitary council covering the county council’s current area, and explore options for combining services in North and North East Lincolnshire councils. A new authority would combine the structural and support services of Lincolnshire County Council with the local skills and experience from the seven districts.
We’re now developing the details of this plan to show what it would mean for residents, communities and businesses in Lincolnshire, and how costs would be reduced by making taxpayers’ money go further.
Strengthen
One of the most important roles for your council is supporting vulnerable adults and children, and keeping residents safe. Lincolnshire County Council already has outstanding-rated children’s services, and good-rated adults services.
The county council also operates Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, responding to thousands of emergencies every year.
Our proposal avoids any disruption to these vital services, by keeping them completely in-tact and allowing us to continue this lifesaving work and maintain strong support networks for those that need them most.
One new council for your area would also mean a stronger financial position to help grow our economy for the future.
Simplify
Reorganising local government would make it easier for residents to know who to contact, who their local councillors are, and what they are responsible for, because a single local authority would lead on services from start to finish.
Town and parish councils wouldn’t be affected by reorganisation, so they would continue to be the voice of their communities, and empowered to influence local decisions.
Save
Reducing the number of councils across the county would provide the best value for taxpayers’ money, by stopping duplication of services and providing more opportunities to join them up. These savings can then be re-invested into council services.
Residents and businesses would also save time by reducing the red-tape and bureaucracy involved in having to interact with more than one council.
It’s Your Lincolnshire – tell us your thoughts
We want to hear from you about your experiences. Do you find it confusing knowing which council to go to when you need help? Do you think joining-up services could make councils more efficient?
You may see that other councils in Lincolnshire have different plans for the future of local government in the county. You can find more information on ours and other proposals on our website.