UNITARY AUTHORITY: Labour calls for '˜end to shambles'

This Friday (February 24) at Lincolnshire County Council, the Labour Party opposition is planning to vote against plans for a unitary authority in Lincolnshire.
PoliticsPolitics
Politics

As reported last week, plans for a new ‘super council’ to govern the county were plunged into chaos, after Lincolnshire County Council was forced to ditch proposals to hold a public referendum about creating a unitary authority - after the district councils took legal advice and refused to co-operate with hosting the referendum.

The district councils would subsequently be abolished if this unitary authority

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The Labour Party claims that Lincolnshire County Council leader Martin Hill will ask the council to agree to give him the power to seek the views of Lincolnshire residents by any means - which “might be a postal ballot, opinion polling, consultation through County News or the council’s website”.

Labour leader of the opposition at Lincolnshire County Council, John Hough, said: “What a shambles.

“Councillor Hill has made Lincolnshire County Council into a laughing stock. He has gone round the houses four times and now wants a blank cheque to do whatever he wants about this. This is no way to consider any plans for the future of Lincolnshire.

“The County Council should be concentrating on getting its own house in order and delivering services before trying to interfere in what district councils are currently doing.”

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“Who will want to support a unitary council in Lincolnshire based on a county council that cannot even keep the lights on?”

Coun Hough added: “District councils are more accessible and closer to the people than the remote county council.

“We are calling for this grab for power by the County Council to be rejected on Friday, and we will be voting against it.”

• Visit our website to read more reaction from other political parties and district councils regarding the unitary authority plans.