Decision on local government reorganisation in Greater Lincolnshire expected in July
A decision on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Greater Lincolnshire is expected to be made in July, in what could prove to be one of the biggest shake-ups of local government in the county’s history.
Last updated 12th Feb 2026
The Government has launched a public consultation on reorganising councils across the whole county as part of a wider push to abolish two-tier systems, where an upper-tier county council sits above district and borough councils.
Consultation under way
Under the proposals, the Government wants to make two-tier areas extinct and replace them with single-tier unitary authorities.
North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire are already single-tier unitaries. However, they could still be affected due to Government guidelines on the preferred population size of future councils.
All ten of Lincolnshire’s current councils submitted their final positions on LGR to the Government in November.
North East Lincolnshire Council’s submission was recently praised in Parliament by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire councils have both stated they want to remain as they are and not be merged with neighbouring authorities.
The Government’s consultation runs until Thursday, 26 March, giving residents the opportunity to comment on proposals submitted by councils. Once the consultation closes, ministers will assess the options before making a final decision in July.
Timeline for change
If proposals move forward, necessary legislation will be prepared and laid before Parliament between August and December.
Elections to any newly created unitary councils would take place in May 2027. These would be known as “shadow elections”, with councillors elected before the new authorities formally come into operation.
In April 2028, any new unitary authorities would officially take over services from the councils that are abolished — a milestone known as “Vesting Day”.
How to take part
Residents can take part in the consultation and read the proposals online via the Greater Lincolnshire LGR Hub.
Paper copies of the consultation and the Greater Lincolnshire proposals are also available at several locations in North East Lincolnshire:
Grimsby Pop-Up Library, Freshney Place (behind Costa), DN21 1QL
Cleethorpes Library, Alexandra Road, DN35 8LG
Waltham Library, High Street, DN37 0LL
Immingham Library, Pelham Road, DN40 1QF
Municipal Offices, Town Hall Square, Grimsby, DN31 1HU
Overall, five positions are detailed in the consultation, with councils that submitted similar visions grouped together.
The Government consultation website states:
“Out of all of the 21 ‘Invitation Areas’ nationally, Greater Lincolnshire is the biggest and most rural which has led to differing views on how best to deliver LGR here.”
Combined authority unaffected
Local Government Reorganisation does not involve the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority (GLCCA) or the Mayor.
The GLCCA was established last year, with Dame Andrea Jenkyns (Reform UK) elected as Mayor. The authority is currently appointing senior officials and is set to take on local transport powers from April.