Motion 1 - Back West Lindsey – Stop a Mega-Council
“This Council Notes:
1. The Government’s English Devolution announcement in December 2024, which included reference to supporting local government reorganisation.
2. The proposals being considered by some counties to merge existing district councils into large, county-wide unitary authorities, as seen recently in North Yorkshire.
3. The significant concerns of residents, businesses and the third sector across Lincolnshire regarding the negative impact a mega-council would have on local democracy, accountability, and the effective delivery of public services.
4. The financial situation of mega-councils created in recent years such as Somerset and North Northamptonshire have not improved post-unitarisation. The financial crisis in local government has not been solved by unitarisation.
This Council Believes:
1. Decisions affecting West Lindsey should be taken in West Lindsey.
2. In its 50 year’s of existence West Lindsey has been a successful council responding to the needs of its community. This level of localised action would be lost in mega-council, one county unitary.
3. Whilst the current two-tier system presents some challenges, the solution does not lie in the creation of vast and remote mega-councils that would diminish local voices and accountability.
4. If unitarisation is to be implemented in Lincolnshire, it should be based on smaller, more localised areas that are aligned with existing communities and their identities, rather than a single, county-wide mega-council.
5. That any restructuring of local government in Lincolnshire must be driven by the genuine needs and preferences of local communities, and should not be a top-down imposition that disregards local concerns.
This Council Resolves:
1. To reject the creation of a large, county-wide mega-council for Lincolnshire.
2. To call upon the Leader of the Council to write to all Council Leaders in Greater Lincolnshire and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to inform them of West Lindsey’s wish to remain West Lindsey, and request that they abandon any plans for a county-wide mega-council.
3. We instruct officers to ensure that the continuing identity of West Lindsey District as a major contributor to Central Lincolnshire is at the forefront of any thinking and planning that they undertake from now on
I so move
Councillor Matthew Boles”
Minutes:
The Chairman advised the meeting that one Motion had been submitted pursuant to Council Procedure Rule No. 10 and this was set out in the agenda.
As the mover of the first motion, Councillor Boles was invited to read aloud his motion to the meeting, as follows:
Motion 1 – Back West Lindsey – Stop a Mega-Council
“This Council Notes:
1. The Government’s English Devolution announcement in December 2024, which included reference to supporting local government reorganisation.
2. The proposals being considered by some counties to merge existing district councils into large, county-wide unitary authorities, as seen recently in North Yorkshire.
3. The significant concerns of residents, businesses and the third sector across Lincolnshire regarding the negative impact a mega-council would have on local democracy, accountability, and the effective delivery of public services.
4. The financial situation of mega-councils created in recent years such as Somerset and North Northamptonshire have not improved post-unitarisation. The financial crisis in local government has not been solved by unitarisation.
This Council Believes:
1. Decisions affecting West Lindsey should be taken in West Lindsey.
2. In its 50 years of existence West Lindsey has been a successful council responding to the needs of its community. This level of localised action would be lost in mega-council, one county unitary.
3. Whilst the current two-tier system presents some challenges, the solution does not lie in the creation of vast and remote mega-councils that would diminish local voices and accountability.
4. If unitarisation is to be implemented in Lincolnshire, it should be based on smaller, more localised areas that are aligned with existing communities and their identities, rather than a single, county-wide mega-council.
5. That any restructuring of local government in Lincolnshire must be driven by the genuine needs and preferences of local communities, and should not be a top-down imposition that disregards local concerns.
This Council Resolves:
1. To reject the creation of a large, county-wide mega-council for Lincolnshire.
2. To call upon the Leader of the Council to write to all Council Leaders in Greater Lincolnshire and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to inform them of West Lindsey’s wish to remain West Lindsey, and request that they abandon any plans for a county-wide mega-council.
3. We instruct officers to ensure that the continuing identity of West Lindsey District as a major contributor to Central Lincolnshire is at the forefront of any thinking and planning that they undertake from now on
I so move
Councillor Matthew Boles”
With the motion duly seconded, debate ensued, with Members voicing their support for, or opposition to, unitary councils.
As a point of information, a Member highlighted that the proposals in Lincolnshire under Local Government Reorganisation was not for one sole ‘mega-council’, rather for there to be authorities with around 500,000 residents, which meant dividing the approximately 1.1 million residents in Greater Lincolnshire. Concern was raised that, even if the Council did not support the proposals, it was important for the district to be represented in order to have a voice as far as was possible.
Attention was drawn to the success of West Lindsey District Council, both in managing the finances and supporting local communities as they needed to be supported. Concern was expressed that the larger a unitary council, the lower the focus on individual communities. Members stated this being particularly relevant in an area so rural as Lincolnshire.
There was recognition that some councils were failing financially, and the move to larger, unitary councils may afford some financial benefits to those areas, however this was countered with the costs involved with creating new unitary authorities, with Members voicing the thought that areas across the country should be able to decide what would best benefit them, rather than the government prescribing the same approach regardless of situation.
Members raised concerns regarding the potential impact on local democracy, with fewer seats available leading to Elected Members having to represent much larger areas, and the sense that it would lead to a loss of local representation. Members who had been liaising with their Wards reiterated the sentiment that residents welcomed being able to name their representative and knowing they stood for their specific area. It was felt this would be lost in a larger authority with fewer Members. Additionally, it was highlighted that the demands on Councillor time would radically increase, not least because of travel time across a much larger ‘patch’. This led to concerns that a much smaller pool of people would be able to commit to being a Councillor, with, for example, those working full time and / or with families, being unable to stand for election.
In supporting the motion, and voicing support for the current system and specifically the success of West Lindsey District Council, a Member proposed a recorded vote. With no seconder, the proposal fell.
Members expressed ongoing consternation that the communication between all authorities, from Lincolnshire County Council to the districts and boroughs, was seen to be one-sided, with the smaller authorities having a sense of being ‘told’ what was to happen, rather than being consulted with. It was felt that the best outcome for Lincolnshire would come from clear representation from all borough and district councils.
In bringing the debate to a close, the Chairman highlighted the importance of communication across all parties, including within the Council as well as involving staff. On putting the motion to the vote it was
RESOLVED that
a) the creation of a large, county-wide mega-council for Lincolnshire be rejected; and
b) the Leader of the Council be called upon to write to all Council Leaders in Greater Lincolnshire and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to inform them of West Lindsey’s wish to remain West Lindsey, and request that they abandon any plans for a county-wide mega-council; and
c) officers be instructed to ensure that the continuing identity of West Lindsey District as a major contributor to Central Lincolnshire be at the forefront of any thinking and planning that they undertake from now on.