South Kesteven District Council agreed to take the first formal step towards a potential legal challenge to the Government’s decision on Local Government Reorganisation in Lincolnshire.
SKDC Cabinet approved the necessary pre-action steps in contemplation of a formal legal challenge, which included issuing a Pre-Action Protocol Letter to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The letter sets out the legal grounds for the Council’s proposed claim for judicial review of the Government’s decision.
Cross-party concern at the proposed changes for Lincolnshire was expressed at a full council meeting of SKDC in July.
The Leader of SKDC, Cllr Ashley Baxter, said: “We do not believe the preferred proposal for LGR in Lincolnshire met the Government’s own criteria, thereby removing its legal power to implement it.
“We followed the criteria not to split existing local authority boundaries, yet the Government decision does just that.
“This is the biggest shake-up of Local Government in a generation and it needs to be done right.”
A decision on whether to pursue legal action through a Judicial Review will be based on the Government’s response to the letter.
Cllr Baxter said: “In the meantime, our focus remains on delivering vital day-to-day services and supporting our workforce as the next stages of the LGR process are worked through.”
In July the Government announced that, from April 2028, council services will be delivered by two new unitary authorities – Lincoln Council covering the city as well as some wards in North Kesteven and West Lindsey; and Lincolnshire Council covering the rest of North Kesteven and West Lindsey and the county’s four other districts.
Services currently provided by Lincolnshire County Council will, therefore, be taken on by the two new unitary councils.
Lincoln Council will serve a population of approximately 207,000, while Lincolnshire Council will have a population of approximately 580,000.
The existing North and North East Lincolnshire councils will remain as they are.
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