i) Chairman of Council
ii) Leader of the Council
iii) Head of Paid Service
Minutes:
Chairman
The Chairman addressed the Council, referencing briefly some of the events in which he had been involved and attended since assuming the role of Chairman at the Council’s Annual General Meeting in May 2025.
First reference being to the Lincolnshire Show, and what the Chairman considered had been a really successful couple of days. Engagement levels had been high and the cinema project and the robotic dogs had drawn the crowds, the marquee had been as busy as the Chairman could recall and he advised Council that he had emailed both Officers and Staff involved in the event to congratulate them on the success of the event.
The second event referenced being the GO festival. Again, the Chairman considered the event to have been a successful one, the Gainsborough Market Place had been busy for the entire day, and Councillor Barrett ringing his bell attracting the crowds had been a noticeable part of the day. Thanks were again expressed to those Members and Officers involved, with a number of Officers volunteering their time to ensure the event ran smoothly.
Finally, the Chairman referenced the opening of the Meatery in the Gainsborough marketplace, commenting on the improved street scene along that row of shops. He paid credit to those shop owners and businesses and looked forward to welcoming forward- thinking business and entrepreneurs to the Town and District.
Leader
The Leader addressed Council and advised that himself along with his Deputy and the Director of Change Management, ICT and Regulatory Services had attended the LGA conference the previous week. The key theme of the conference had been Local Government Reorganisation, its likelihood and the timescales involved.
The Leader also took time to celebrate the imminent opening of the Savoy Cinema in Gainsborough. He praised the Council as a whole and the Officers involved in delivering what he considered a real success for the Town and District, and something to be truly proud of. Reference was made to the all Councillor invite to visit the facility and the regenerated Whitton’s Gardens on Friday 11 July and encouraged and welcomed Councillors attendance.
Head of Paid Service
The newly appointed interim Head of Paid Service addressed Council and spoke of the privilege at attending Full Council on what was his first full day in post and his delight at working for West Lindsey. Mr Cullen outlined his previous local government experience, having been a Chief Executive for the last eight years in Leicestershire, and his aspirations for his time with the Authority, these being to support both Members and Officers in continuing to provide high-quality services for our communities. He spoke of the enormous passion that existed across this council, demonstrated through his early meetings with teams and of the strong, shared commitment to delivery.
Whilst announcements would be brief, he believed they reflected the vibrant energy of West Lindsey and the ambition of the Council’s priorities.
· Go Festival 2025 – A Celebration of Culture
As referenced by the Chairman of Council , on 14 June, Gainsborough had hosted its very own arts and culture festival, Go Festival 2025, themed “Go With the Flow.”
The event had featured dance performances, water-themed acts, and yoga flow workshops, bringing together local schools, community groups, and internationally renowned artists across multiple venues in the town centre.
Engagement had been strong, both in the lead-up and on the day itself, with tremendous coverage on social media and overwhelmingly positive feedback.
Planning was already underway for the festive season, and work continued to explore sustainable resourcing and funding for future events.
· Lincolnshire Show – Showcasing Local Excellence
The Lincolnshire Show had returned on 18 and 19 June, offering two days celebrating the District’s proud agricultural heritage. Thanks were expressed to the Officers, Members, and the Council’s partners—from Savoy Cinemas, STEP, and Lincoln Rugby Club—who had come together to create an outstanding experience in the West Lindsey Marquee. The show had attracted visitors from near and far, including members of the Royal Family!
· Wolds Word Fest – Literature in the Heart of the Wolds
This past weekend had seen Market Rasen come alive with the Wolds Word Fest, a celebration of all things literary. This had included a packed programme of community-led events with the festival continuing throughout the month, bringing people together through storytelling and creative expression. Again, thanks were expressed to all the staff involved in delivering the Council’s ongoing programme of events.
· Sports & Leisure Consultation – Help Shape the Future
The Council had now launched its Sports and Leisure Consultation, which invited residents and participants across the district to share their views. This would help shape future provision and complemented the wider work which was ongoing in reviewing facilities across Central Lincolnshire, in support of the shared goal: enabling healthy, active lifestyles for all.
· UK Shared Prosperity Fund – Supporting Communities & Growth
Following recent decisions by the Prosperous Communities Committee and the Corporate Policy & Resources Committee, the Council now had an agreed programme for the 2025–2026 UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
This would build on the success of the 2022–2025 programme, with Council poised to invest over £1 million to support community initiatives, businesses, and town centres across the district.
· STEP Skills Collaboration – Investing in our Workforce
The recent announcement of the STEP Skills Collaboration Agreement was very pleasing with West Lindsey having played a key role in championing the initiative alongside local skills providers.
It represented a vital step towards preparing the workforce to meet the demands of the STEP programme, creating meaningful job and training opportunities for our communities.
· Draft Accounts Published
Since the last Full Council meeting, the Council had published its draft accounts. The hard work involved in producing the annual accounts was acknowledged. Whilst the accounts were currently subject to audit, it marked a significant milestone in the Council’s financial management processes.
· National Spending Review & Local Government Finance
Members’ attention was drawn to the recent announcements following the Government’s Spending Review, which included consultation proposals for changes to the local government funding formula and Council Tax arrangements.
Assurance was given that Officers were actively reviewing these developments and would respond accordingly to the technical consultations in due course.
· Local Government Association Annual Conference
Finally, Mr Cullen referenced the Local Government Association Conference, as highlighted by the Leader of the Council.
The Conference provided a great opportunity, nationally, for Council Leaders,
Chief Executives and other senior Officers and Members to come together
to share good practice and hear about all the new transformation opportunities that were out there, and to showcase the fantastic work local government does, particularly districts.
Mr Cullen highlighted some notable sessions, including an emotional and emotive presentative from the Chief Executive of Sefton Council, and the community work the Council had delivered, in the aftermath of the Stockport attacks last July, and in recovering from those challenges and tragedies, work that was still continuing.
Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, and Wes Streeting, had remotely attended the conference, where attendees had heard pledges around consolidating economic growth funds and funding pots, simplifying funding mechanisms and also seeking to differentiate impact on local service delivery from rural areas to areas of key deprivation.
.
There was a further commitment from Ministers to cut bureaucracy and to the recently published new local government outcomes framework, which was a new reporting regime that underpinned the work of local government.
This brought announcements to an end.