South Holland District Council Leader statement on Greater Lincolnshire devolution deal

Posted Wednesday 22 November, 2023

South Holland District Council's Leader, Cllr Nick Worth, has welcomed the prospect of a devolution deal for Greater Lincolnshire which will ensure Greater Lincolnshire, of which South Holland is an important part, gets the funding it needs to prosper and grow in the future.

Published in today's Autumn statement, the Greater Lincolnshire Devolution deal could see a new Mayoral Combined Authority created. 

Devolution enables more decisions to be made at a local level instead of by Government, provides the authority with additional responsibilities, extra funding, as well as greater control in how money is spent. 

A Combined Mayoral Authority is an additional layer of Local Government made up of an elected Mayor, Council Leaders and other members who make decisions about the region.

Lincolnshire County Council, North Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Council as upper-tier local authorities, are in the process of finalising their proposal that could lead to the formation of Mayoral Combined Authority for Greater Lincolnshire, potentially in 2025. 

Residents will have a say on this deal as a consultation across Greater Lincolnshire is likely to run this December and January before a potential deal is submitted to Government. 

Cllr Nick Worth, Leader of South Holland District Council, said: "The Autumn statement progresses many months of negotiations by Lincolnshire County Council, North and North East Lincolnshire Councils for a Mayoral Combined Authority for Greater Lincolnshire. This is something I look upon optimistically as an opportunity to bring in millions of pounds of new money over the next 30 years with investment in our businesses, skills and infrastructure and for the benefit of our residents in South Holland. 

"The views of South Holland as part of the Greater Lincolnshire authority are important in helping to shape the next steps in the process for a potential deal. The next phase will be a period of public consultation and when that starts in the coming weeks, I encourage you all to share your views and have your say as residents and businesses in South Holland."