Lincolnshire County Council questions government over reorganisation decision
Council seeks clarity from the government
Lincolnshire County Council has sent a Pre-Action Protocol letter to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, following the government's decision on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).
In July, the government revealed its preferred model for LGR in Lincolnshire, proposing the creation of two new unitary councils, while keeping existing North and North East Lincolnshire councils unchanged.
The county council's letter aims to clarify various aspects of the decision-making process behind this position.
It seeks explanation and information on how different proposals were evaluated against the government’s criteria and whether public and organisational consultation responses were considered.
A Pre-Action Protocol letter does not indicate that judicial review proceedings have begun or that the council has committed to pursuing a judicial review.
Councillor Sean Matthews, Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, emphasised the importance of transparency:
"Local Government Reorganisation will shape how council services are delivered across Lincolnshire for decades to come, so it is important that there is complete confidence in the process that led to the Government’s decision."
"While we will continue working with the other councils across Lincolnshire to prepare for reorganisation, we still have a number of legitimate questions about how the proposals were assessed, how the consultation responses were used, and ultimately how the preferred option was chosen."
"We believe those questions deserve clear answers, and this Pre-Action Protocol letter gives the Government an opportunity to provide the clarity we have requested."
"I want to be absolutely clear that this is not a decision to pursue a judicial review. No such decision has been taken. We will carefully consider the Government's response and then decide what, if any, further action we might take."
Further information on the government’s LGR consultation for Greater Lincolnshire is available on their website.