Council shake-up announced for Lincolnshire

Two new unitary authorities will be created in Lincolnshire under plans announced by the government.

An expanded City of Lincoln Council and a Lincolnshire unitary authority will replace seven existing district councils and Lincolnshire County Council.

The new Lincoln authority will incorporate nearby parts of North Kesteven and West Lindsey.

Local Government Secretary Steve Reed told the House of Commons that reorganisation could save £1bn across England by the end of 2033, which would be reinvested into front-line services.

In February 2025, the government asked all authorities to put forward options to reform the current system and create larger, single-tier organisations.

A unitary council is a single local authority responsible for delivering all local government services within an area, bringing together services such as planning, housing, waste and recycling, education, social care and economic development.

After months of talks, political leaders in Lincolnshire were split on the way forward with claims of authorities being "splintered into competing groups".

City of Lincoln Council welcomed the government announcement.

The leader, Labour's Naomi Tweddle, said: "I am delighted that the government has recognised Lincoln for the special place that it is.

"This proposal gives Lincoln the opportunity to shape its own future alongside neighbouring communities that share our economic links, transport connections and ambitions for growth."

However, the Conservative MP for Gainsborough, Sir Edward Leigh, said: "The only logic is this is a stitch-up by the Lincoln Labour Party, the only Labour-controlled council in Lincolnshire, and everyone else has been treated with complete contempt."

The shadow local government secretary, Conservative Sir James Cleverly, said the new council boundaries were "clearly jerrymandered", as he criticised the reorganisation.

He told the House of Commons: "This is blatant. These changes, like so many of his (Steve Reed's) decisions, have been driven by party politics."

Reed responded: "The majority of proposals that I've just outlined today as decisions have cross-party support."

Councillor Sean Matthews, Reform UK leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said the announcement was "a significant change and a long-term piece of work to implement, working with all councils to get the best outcomes for residents".

South Kesteven District Council leader Ashley Baxter said he was disappointed the authority's joint bid with North Kesteven to form a unitary had not been accepted.

"The decision to go with an expanded City of Lincoln unitary leaves the rest of Lincolnshire with no common ground," he said.

"Grantham, for example, will now be in the same local authority area as Gainsborough, but not Lincoln."

North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire Councils remain unchanged under the government plans, with the potential to combine in the future.

A joint statement from the leaders of Boston Borough, East Lindsey District and South Holland District Councils reassured residents it was "business as usual" for the immediate future.

Existing councils will continue to deliver all current services until the new unitary authorities are established.

Shadow elections are expected to take place in May 2027, with the new authorities beginning work in April 2028.

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