District Council Leaders in Lincolnshire have challenged the timing of published papers on Devolution which calls for a deal to be sought at the earliest opportunity.
The papers were presented at today’s Greater Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Oversight Committee, which was attended by the Leaders of Lincolnshire County Council, North Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Council.
A meeting of all 10 Greater Lincolnshire Councils Leaders earlier in the day was clear that District Leaders do not believe the papers being considered were complete or offered the best deal for Lincolnshire residents.
Calls to adopt ‘final proposals before the end of 2022’ have been criticised by District Council Leaders who say more work is needed to get the best deal for residents.
The message also comes after the Leaders of Lincolnshire County Council, North East Lincolnshire Council and North Lincolnshire Council wrote to the Secretary of State Simon Clarke MP last week, saying ‘we have agreed in principle the substance of our bid’. They also announced, ‘we will be ready’ to submit in the next round of ‘exciting proposals’.
District Council Leaders say that while productive discussions have been taking place around Devolution, current proposals do not reflect the best deal for residents. They also challenged the timing of publishing the documents as they are still under development.
In a joint statement District Council Leaders said: “We wholeheartedly agree that a Devolution deal is good for the area in principle, and believe that we will secure the best deal for Lincolnshire by working collectively, which is why we have invested significant time in working together as a group of ten Councils to create a 2050 vision for Greater Lincolnshire.
“Although all 10 Councils agree that devolution is a good thing for the County, the process cannot be rushed. We have challenged the timing of releasing the papers, which are not the finished article and therefore we cannot seek to adopt them. We did not expect these documents to be published at this time as they are incomplete.
“None of us want to miss out on an opportunity for devolution and the extra powers and money this could bring to the area. However, we have a responsibility to work collaboratively to get the best deal appropriate for our strategic geographies. We are equally keen to make sure that our communities are represented equally, regardless of where they live with access to the services they need. We are all committed to progressing this piece of work.”
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