Motion 1 - Protecting British Family Farms and Preserving Rural Communities.
“West Lindsey District Council notes with concern the proposed changes to inheritance tax announced by the Labour Government in the recent Autumn budget of 2024. These changes would scrap Agricultural Property Relief (APR), which has been instrumental in allowing British family farms to remain intact across generations, supporting food security, sustaining rural communities, and aiding environmental stewardship.
This tax is estimated to impact over 70,000 family farms, leaving the average farming family with a tax bill of at least £240,000. It forces many to sell portions of their land or close entirely, paving the way for corporate ownership and lifestyle buyers over family ownership.
This Council believes this inheritance tax will have severe impacts on:
1) Food Security: Selling off land or closing farms will risk our national food independence when global stability is already fragile. British family farms are critical to ensuring a steady supply of homegrown food.
2) Rural Community Stability: Family farms are the foundation of West Lindsey District Council, and rural Britain, contributing to local jobs, schools, and essential services. Labour's proposed tax risks destabilising communities, eroding the rural way of life, and causing a negative ripple effect across the countryside.
3) Environmental Stewardship: Farms cover 70% of the UK's land, with family farms playing a leading role in nature recovery, biodiversity enhancement, water quality improvement, and sustainable land management. The sale and fragmentation of these lands would hinder conservation efforts and undermine efforts to combat climate change.
As such I request the Chief Executive and Leader of Council, on behalf of this Council write to the Chancellor, setting out the District Council’s view on this matter and the very negative impacts it will bring to our communities.
I so move
Cllr John Barrett”
Motion 2 -Banking Hub
“Council I note the continuing trend of closing banks across the country. I further note that whilst many people are comfortable and able to bank online, some (often the older generation) still rely on banking in person.
The worrying trend of closing bank branches means people having to travel substantial distances when many are in poor health, unable to drive and therefore having to rely on disjointed public transport links or friends and relatives.
The Market Rasen area recently opened a banking hub in a centrally located building, thanks in part to the support of the Chairman of the Council Stephen Bunney. This banking hub is already proving to be an essential part of the community.
With this in mind, I ask the Chief Executive on behalf of the Council, to consider as part of the wider market place regeneration, a review of the banking facilities available in the Gainsborough and surrounding area and provide a report to CP&R by November 2025 on whether or not a banking hub, similar to that in Market Rasen is necessary and deliverable.
I so move the motion
Cllr Mandy Snee”
Motion 3
West Lindsey District Council transferred the Council Housing stock to West Links Housing which became the Acis Group around 25 years ago, and I’m pleased to say that I was elected and involved in this major change. This created a large capital receipt for the Council changing its outlook from being a debt-ridden authority to a Council which was able to operate ‘in the black’ and provide quality services that our Council tax payers deserved.
The District Council (over many years predominantly run by the Conservative Group) has maintained a lower than UK average Council tax payment made by residents whilst managing these balances by a process of good decision-making and strategic investment, and this has clearly been illustrated from the papers available to the recent Corporate Policy and Review Committee.
Last month the Government announced a white paper regarding Local Government Review which may mean the dissolution of District Councils and the Conservative Group are concerned that if West Lindsey District Council was to be dissolved then the balances of the authority should be utilised within the current boundaries of West Lindsey to the tax payers who have paid into this authority.
Therefore, would the Leader and Administration Group agree with the Conservative Group, that Officers should be charged with handing over the assets in excellent condition to a new unitary council (by way of example a new Leisure Centre In Gainsborough, an indoor swimming pool in Market Rasen, new infra-structure in Caistor and Lincoln fringe areas) with some mechanism for any residual balances to be made available to Parish/Town Councils as a way to ensure that as many areas as possible are covered of the ‘old Council’.
I propose we ask Officers to review the options for the Council in light of the Government’s white paper and bring forward a paper to CP&R by the end of the calendar year.
I so move
Cllr Ian Fleetwood
Conservative Group Leader
Opposition Group Leader”