Public 'strongly opposes' merger in North East Lincolnshire
Survey shows overwhelming support for keeping local decision-making as Government pushes reorganisation of Lincolnshire councils
Strong public support has been expressed for keeping North East Lincolnshire Council as it is and not merging it with any neighbouring councils.
The Government is pushing the reorganisation of local government, with particular emphasis on abolishing ‘two-tier’ areas, where there are district or borough councils and a county council.
The Lincolnshire County Council area is one such two-tier area.
North and North East Lincolnshire councils are already unitary authorities.
But with guidance on new councils created covering populations of around 500,000, northern Lincolnshire’s councils have faced the prospect of merging together, or with Lincolnshire district council areas.
The results of recent North East Lincolnshire Council survey work shows residents of Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Immingham area do not want their council to be merged.
“Momentum is growing"
1,400 people engaged with the council’s survey earlier this year.
88 per cent of those who participated live in North East Lincolnshire.
Of all respondents, 94 per cent said that it was important or very important that council decisions that affect residents and services are made as locally as possible.
78 per cent want the council to continue to cover the same area as now, with only 16 per cent saying that they would prefer a bigger geographical area.
The data is part of the council’s draft proposal on Lincolnshire’s local government reorganisation that it must submit to Government this month.
A special full council meeting on November 12 will make the final decision on whether to submit the proposal as it is.
The draft proposal argues for North East Lincolnshire Council to remain covering the same area, and likewise for North Lincolnshire Council.
It suggests Lincolnshire County Council area simply abolishes the district and borough councils and covers the same geographic area as now. This is also the position advocated by Lincolnshire County Council and North Lincolnshire Council.
It has a joint foreword from the leaders of the council’s political groups, Conservative, Labour, Independents for North East Lincolnshire Group, and the Liberal Democrats.
"weak"
The foreword states: “Momentum is growing in our place as we look at regeneration, economic activity and improving lives for all. We sit on the cusp of real change, and we ask for longevity as a unitary authority to complete that change.”
It later adds what the council is achieving “is possible thanks to this unitary authority’s size, flexibility, and personnel”. The draft proposal also says based on independent financial analysis, the financial case for merging North and North East Lincolnshire councils “is weak”.
It estimates the transitional costs of such a merger would range between £34m and £47m. The payback period for any new authority to gain a benefit from the merger would only occur after a minimum of seven to 12 years.