Plans for Lincolnshire 'super councils' rejected

Councillors in North Lincolnshire have said they will not support proposals for "super councils" in the county.

The government introduced plans to reduce the number of councils by creating single-tier unitary super councils across the wider Lincolnshire area earlier this year.

Council Leader Rob Waltham said the local authority did not back the proposed changes following discussions with parish councils, residents, and businesses.

"The feedback we have received was clear that there is no support for a large council to take over North Lincolnshire," he said.

Mr Waltham said the council restructure could end initiatives like free parking in Ashby, Brigg, and Scunthorpe, and the Imagination Library scheme, which provided books to young children.

Community grants and road investment could also be cut, he said.

Mr Waltham added that relocating the council away from Scunthorpe might weaken local government support for the town's steel industry.

"We are keen to make sure we continue to support our communities, making sure that we continue to create better paid jobs, invest in support for leisure and play facilities and to keep listening and working with local people," he said.

"The thought that super councils could undermine this great work and ignore the views of our residents and communities is a distraction that we will no longer have."

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