Councils working together for Greater Lincolnshire

The 20 councillors assembled at County Offices in Lincoln to discuss how their authorities could work more closely together to provide residents with improved and more efficient services.

Among the topics under consideration was collaboration across a range of key service areas, with councillors agreeing that there were potential benefits to working in partnership that should be explored further.

The councillors were also keen to give Greater Lincolnshire a stronger voice at a national level to ensure the area gets a fairer deal from central government in future. This was seen as the key to improved roads, ports and broadband infrastructure.

Coun Martin Hill, Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: "I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved in recent years, and will be looking to build on those successes in the future."

"All our councils are committed to providing good services to our residents, and, together, we can do that in a more effective and efficient way.

"We're determined to innovate at every opportunity, making services better rather than just keeping them the same. This is no easy task at a time of hugely reduced funding, and with both demand and our responsibilities growing.

"However, working together I'm sure we can achieve a great deal."

Coun Philip Jackson, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “When we took control of the council in May, one of our commitments was to look at more innovative and creative ways of working to make the best use of the limited resources we have.

“Working with our neighbouring authorities potentially offers a number of opportunities to do just that and I’m looking forward to the next stage of developing this work into some concrete proposals which will hopefully benefit not only our local residents, but people across the whole of the Greater Lincolnshire area.’’

Coun Rob Waltham, Leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “Together we provide vital services to over a million residents across Lincolnshire, and it makes sense for us to work together to achieve the best outcomes possible for those residents.

“We’ve worked hard to forge a strong working relationship across Lincolnshire, and erase that invisible line that historically has separated North Lincolnshire from the rest of the county.

“This closer, county-wide partnership will now give us a stronger voice on the national and international stage, and help us deliver an even better deal for all our residents.”