Devolution is the transfer of powers and funding from national government to local places, meaning decisions are made closer to the people, communities and businesses which are affected. This will lead to faster and better decision-making, which will create growth and more jobs.

With devolution local leadership can focus on the specific needs of its communities to bring about better outcomes for businesses and people.

Councils in Greater Lincolnshire have approved a devolution deal which means existing money and power can move from central government to decisionmakers in Greater Lincolnshire. The approved deal is the most ambitious available.

In exchange for this level of powers, money and decision making, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, and Lincolnshire County councils must set out how this would be run. The proposal to government is the creation of a separate body called a county combined authority (CCA). This level of deal would be chaired by an elected official (usually called a Mayor) who you, as Greater Lincolnshire residents, would elect.  All three councils have agreed and adopted the Greater Lincolnshire Devolution Proposal (the proposal), which can be seen, in full on the council websites at:

The three councils are now undertaking a consultation with residents in the Greater Lincolnshire area to get their views before deciding whether to submit the proposal to government in its current form.

This document summarises the proposal but we suggest you read the full version before answering the questions.

What does this mean for business?

The proposal explains the powers, funding and flexibilities required to address long term challenges and deliver on opportunities across Greater Lincolnshire and supports levelling up with a focus improving the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of people who live and work in Greater Lincolnshire.  It would see:

  • Local decisions and long term investment in infrastructure to turbo charge business growth and tackle low business productivity, particularly in key sectors that create high wage, high skills jobs that boost living standards.
  • Long term strategic planning and investment to protect our environment and unlock high quality housing in our communities that meets the needs of younger workforce and supports those in later life.
  • Local commissioning of high quality skills, training and pathways to attract and retain younger workers, meet the significant skills needs of our key industries and capitalise on economic opportunity through better alignment of skills, employment, and career opportunities across Greater Lincolnshire.
  • A stronger voice regionally and nationally to make the case for more investment, to work closely with government on Greater Lincolnshire’s priorities and to deliver on the potential of new green jobs from the Humber to The Wash.
  • Managing water as an asset, to mitigate the threat of coastal erosion and flooding, and meet the area’s unique demands for water to support growth in agriculture and innovations in manufacturing and carbon capture.

What funding does this bring?

  • £24 million per annum for 30 years to invest in infrastructure and skills development totalling £720m.
  • A multi-year transport budget with greater flexibility to spend the money on local priorities.
  • Funding for adult education to prioritise spending on the needs of people and businesses rather than national priorities.
  • £28.4m one-off capital investment in Greater Lincolnshire’s priority projects.

Further information