Boston Borough, East Lindsey and South Holland District Councils have formally signed off on plans to create an ambitious new partnership – the largest such partnership of councils in the country.
While each council will continue to be politically independent and accountable to the communities they serve, the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership will enable us to work collectively, supported by a shared management team and workforce, to deliver on our aspirations for our communities and to tackle common challenges.
The total population of the three council areas is 304,000, covering a geography of 1,112 square miles.
The partnership builds on the existing alliance between Boston and East Lindsey, as well as the experience of shared working arrangements that South Holland has gathered from its previous partnership with Breckland District Council.
It will provide our three councils with the opportunity to share a stronger voice at a local, regional and national level, and will enable savings of up to £42 million to be achieved over the next 10 years.
With a shared management team and workforce of almost 1,000 officers, the partnership will look at providing improved services to local communities with greater efficiency, while also working to identify and secure investment for growth and regeneration in strategic infrastructure across the partnership area.
The South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership is extremely good news, and none more so than for residents, as we will be in a much stronger position to deliver on local needs because of the capacity and resilience this new partnership will bring.
This is a really exciting opportunity for our three areas, and by sharing our collective knowledge, and collaborating more closely than ever before, we’ll be able to deliver services for our residents and businesses with greater efficiency and innovation.
A more unified, shared voice presents us with the chance to have a greater say on the debates that will shape our area in years to come, and help us to realise ambitions that may otherwise have been missed out on.