A devolution deal for Greater Lincolnshire will go forward, following successful meetings between local authority leaders and the new government.
The three lead authorities - North East and North Lincolnshire unitary councils, and Lincolnshire County Council, will now complete the arrangements to form the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority with a mayoral election scheduled for May 2025.
Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, Cllr Martin Hill OBE, said:
“This is great news and I’m pleased we are able to move forward with devolution to deliver growth in Greater Lincolnshire. We have always been clear that strengthening local decision-making with the needs and wants of our communities in mind, will give the best results for residents and businesses.
“Having a combined authority will give us the ability to liaise directly with the government about what is best for our residents, and we’ll be able to achieve our ambitious plans more quickly. The decision reflects our strong partnership work with North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire councils, and the hard work we have all put in to making sure it’s the right deal for our area.”
Earlier this month a Greater Lincolnshire delegation visited Westminster to meet Jim McMahon, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, to discuss taking devolution forward.
Following those successful talks, the deal will now progress through its final parliamentary stage. The financial deal remains the same as finalised between the three lead authorities and the previous government with a total investment fund of £720m over the next 30 years. This will be for priority areas of jobs and skills, housing and highways, transport, the environment and nature, net zero, digital improvements, and innovation and trade.
There is also an initial capital funding pot of £28m, of which £20m is allocated to projects in the Lincolnshire County Council area. It will be spent on:
- roundabout works at Nettleham and streetworks in Grantham
- flood prevention works
- work to Old Roman Bank at Sandilands
- a grant programme within the UK Food Valley business grant programme
- a grant to Sleaford Moor Business Park for the next phase of this low carbon business park
The Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, Cllr Philip Jackson, said: “I am sure I share the sentiments of my two colleagues, the Leaders of Lincolnshire County Council and North Lincolnshire Council, when I say this is the best possible news we could have hoped for. Months and months of dedicated hard work and effort has been put into creating a vision for Greater Lincolnshire that will offer a cohesive approach - allowing this region to grow and prosper.
“Our deal was supported by the last Government with millions of pounds of funding agreed to be devolved down to our new Mayoral Combined County Authority to ensure we would be able to truly invest in our key priority areas, which will underpin our positive way forward.”
North Lincolnshire Council leader, Cllr Rob Waltham CBE, added: “I am pleased that the devolution deal has been approved for Greater Lincolnshire and the generational change this will deliver for local people.
“Our £720m deal was supported by thousands of residents and has been on the table for years and negotiated earlier this year. At last, we can get to work on seizing this monumental opportunity – bringing better paid jobs to the area, boosting skills, expanding local infrastructure and enhancing our environment across Lincolnshire.
Notes to editors
A letter from Jim McMahon, Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution to the three Leaders, states:
“Thank you for all your hard work to get to this point. The establishment of the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority will be a significant step in realising that ambition for your region, giving you as local leaders the power to make decisions that benefit your communities, boosting economic growth and driving reform, which is at the forefront of the government’s agenda.”
In his letter, the Minister recognises the work that is being done to grow relationships between Greater Lincolnshire and the Hull & East Riding which has also had its devolution deal accepted.
Find out more about the Greater Lincolnshire devolution deal.