South Kesteven District Council Considers Legal Action Over Lincolnshire Reorganisation
Leaders Say Government’s Plans Break Own Rules on Local Boundaries
South Kesteven District Council has taken its first formal steps towards a legal challenge against the Government’s plans to reorganise council services across Lincolnshire.
The move comes after council leaders agreed to send a Pre-Action Protocol Letter to ministers, setting out their legal concerns and arguing that the proposed changes would split existing council boundaries—something they say goes against the Government’s own guidelines.
The reorganisation, announced in July, would see two new unitary authorities created from April 2028.
Lincoln Council would take on the city and some areas in North Kesteven and West Lindsey, while Lincolnshire Council would serve the rest of the county’s districts.
Existing North and North East Lincolnshire councils would remain unchanged. In total, around two hundred and seven thousand people would fall under Lincoln Council, and five hundred and eighty thousand under Lincolnshire Council.
Council leader Ashley Baxter says the Government’s plan “removes its legal power to implement it” and insists any changes must be done properly, given the scale of the shake-up.
The council will decide whether to take legal action through a judicial review after hearing back from the Secretary of State.
In the meantime, council staff say their focus remains on maintaining day-to-day services and guiding the workforce through the next stages of the reorganisation process.