Lincolnshire councillors are considering major local government reforms as they prepare to submit proposals on restructuring the county into unitary authorities. The government has requested interim proposals by 21 March, aiming for authorities with at least 500,000 residents while minimising service disruption.
Lincolnshire County Council has outlined two main options. One plan would merge North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire into a single northern authority, with the rest of the county forming another council. The second option proposes combining North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, West Lindsey, and East Lindsey into one authority, while Lincoln, North Kesteven, South Kesteven, Boston, and South Holland would form another.
Cost projections differ between the options. The first would cost £27 million to implement, with expected savings of £250 million over 10 years. The second option carries a higher setup cost of £42 million but is projected to save £246 million over the same period.
Opposition councillors introduced a third option: splitting Lincolnshire into three unitary authorities to create a more balanced population distribution. Some councillors argue that this alternative could be more efficient and should be explored further.
The government makes the final decision, but the Lincolnshire County Council’s full meeting on 22 March will determine which proposals are formally submitted.
