Big changes could be on the way for how Lincolnshire is run – and it’s all about making things simpler, smarter, and more joined-up.
Lincolnshire County Council has put forward a bold new proposal to the government to combine the current eight councils (yes, eight!) into one single council. From bin collections to benefits, social care to speed limits — one council, one contact, one clear way to get things done.
What’s the plan?
Earlier this year, the government asked areas like Lincolnshire, which currently has both county and district councils, to rethink how local services are delivered and create ‘unitary’ councils that do it all.
Lincolnshire County Council came up with the ‘Your Lincolnshire’ plan. It’s a vision for a single council that would replace the seven district councils and the county council. One organisation delivering everything from pothole repairs to planning applications.
Why this plan?
We believe this plan makes the most sense for Lincolnshire, because many services, like children’s services, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, and highways, already work well across the whole county. So why split them up?
Bringing everything under one council could mean:
• Less confusion about who does what
• Quicker decisions
• Fewer layers of bureaucracy
Cllr Rob Gibson, Deputy Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said:
“Splitting up services would obviously have a detrimental impact. Compared to the other proposals (like having two or more Unitary councils), the ‘Your Lincolnshire’ proposal is expected to be less disruptive and more cost-effective. Costs to reorganise councils could be offset in just a year.”
Annual efficiencies included in the proposal are £3.78million from senior leadership savings and £1.8million from councillor allowances
Talking to you
Over the past few months, we’ve been out and about — talking to residents, staff, businesses, and community groups. We held events, ran an online survey, and talking to you gathered feedback from 2,679 people
(including 374 who came to events in person — thanks if you were one of them!)
What you liked most:
1. Better value for money
2. More joined-up services
3. Easier to understand who’s responsible
What you were worried about:
1. A bigger council might feel too remote
2. Will the savings really happen?
3. Could services be disrupted?
Cllr Gibson continued:
“We held events, ran an online survey, gathered feedback and 59% of you thought Lincolnshire has too many councillors so we’re addressing that in the proposal.
“We’ve also listened to concerns about one council feeling remote, we are proposing Neighbourhood Area Committees across the county that have proved successful in other areas of the country. These committees help preserve local identity, give residents a way to raise concerns more directly and make sure local decisions are informed by local knowledge.
“It’s really important to us that residents don’t see a loss in service, short-term or long-term, either through disruption to services, or through dividing up services that work well already. Our ‘Your Lincolnshire’ proposal is very clear on this and it’s why we believe it makes the most sense for out residents, businesses and communities.”
Timeline
Now proposals have been submitted, the government will take a closer look and launch a formal public consultation. A final decision is expected by summer 2026, and if all goes ahead, elections in 2027 could kick-start the new council structure.
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