Greater Lincolnshire to receive £52m government funding as combined authority agrees corporate plan
Mayor confirms four-year Local Growth Fund boost
The Mayor and Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority (GLCCA) are to get an extra £52m funding from Government between 2026 and 2030. It comes as the combined authority’s December meeting saw unanimous agreement on its corporate plan.
This sets out a framework of aims and ambitions that will guide how the combined authority operates. The £52m new funding was confirmed by the Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, Dame Andrea Jenkyns (Reform UK), at the GLCCA meeting.
She stated it would come into the GLCCA’s implementation and corporate plan on what it spends the money on. The £52m is spread across four years and is part of the Government’s Local Growth Fund.
It is targeted at mayoral city regions in the North and Midlands to look to improve regional disparities and encourage economic growth. Greater Lincolnshire’s allocated £52m is set to be split between £23m in resource spending and £29m in capital spend. The balance will change over each year from being mostly resource spending in 2026/27, to £13m entirely of capital spend in 2029/30.
Mayor would like combined authority run ‘like a business’
The GLCCA’s corporate plan contains core themes and general aims to guide its work. Beyond core themes of “Better Connected”, “Bolder Ambitions” and “Brighter Futures”, aims include:
Become a national leader in rural transport solutions.
Position Greater Lincolnshire as a global leader in food security, energy security and defence, AI and data.
Our residents have access to attainable, well-placed and appropriate housing.
There is also an ambition for average pay in Greater Lincolnshire to grow more quickly than the national average. “This plan reflects extensive engagement,” said Dame Andrea in the meeting, adding it “brings together a wide range of views into one clear vision, putting Lincolnshire people first”.
“At the heart of this plan are the principles that guide that everything that we do,” adding they will be held to account for delivering it. Asked why it matters by the LDRS, Dame Andrea noted the cross-party nature of the GLCCA.
“This is showing we are working in unity, working together as a voice, we’re all on the same page for our ambitions for the county.” The Mayor added a big part of the plan, which she wanted to be a strong message, was “we are open for investment”.
At the December GLCCA meeting, Dame Andrea also announced the formation of a Greater Lincolnshire Business Association in the Spring. This will meet three times a year, and she stated Government were “very keen to get involved”.
The Mayor and the leaders of Lincolnshire County Council, North Lincolnshire Council, and North East Lincolnshire Council are to meet in January to discuss key performance indicators (KPIs) for the corporate plan. It commits to an annual delivery plan. This will have specific delivery targets, timescales, and performance measurements, with progress reported every quarter.
“We are driving forward very much a KPI-focused driven environment to ensure value for money,” stated Dame Andrea, of work by her and the GLCCA’s chief operating officer, Lee Sirdifield. “I mean, I’d personally like to see it run like a business,” she added.
Dame Andrea stated she wanted the core team of officers for the GLCCA in place before the implementation plan. Interviews for senior roles are to take place in January.
She also said at the meeting the GLCCA was already consulting with Homes England on future housing. “You’ll see next year we’re bringing a list of prime sites for development.”
It is also “working on solid research on having a new town” in the county. Dame Andrea indicated she was looking at private investment to back this.