Directly elected Mayor confirmed for Greater Lincolnshire as part of a devolution deal

After years of debate and argument the Greater Lincolnshire area WILL now get a directly elected mayor as part of a devolution deal to bring more powers and funding to the region.

It'll also see a total investment of 720 million pounds over the next three decades.

The Mayor will be elected in May next year and will have powers that cover transport, housing, skills and investment to shape the future of the area.

The deal will include both North and North East Lincolnshire.

It's been agreed after years of talks.

The package is understood to be almost identical to the one agreed with the previous Government - with most of the new powers are being transferred from central Government.

This agreement will ensure local people will have a seat at the table as we drive forward our plans to deliver economic growth

The agreements will now go through it's final Parliamentary stage to allow the forming of the Combined County Authority.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced the deal will be getting to go ahead.

She said: “From day one we have been focused on rebalancing the power between Westminster and our communities, and that’s why today we’re pushing ahead with an agreement to give greater power to everyone in Greater Lincolnshire.”

She added: “This agreement will ensure local people will have a seat at the table as we drive forward our plans to deliver economic growth, and unleash the potential of towns and cities which have been neglected for far too long.

“Today marks the start of Greater Lincolnshire’s devolution journey, and we are committed to work hand-in-hand with local leaders to making a real difference to people’s lives.”

Lincolnshire County Council leader Martin Hill (Conservative) described it as “great news”.

It will give us the ability to liaise directly with the government about what is best for our residents

He stated: “I’m pleased we are able to move forward with devolution to deliver growth in Greater Lincolnshire."

"We have always been clear that strengthening local decision-making with the needs and wants of our communities in mind, will give the best results for residents and businesses."

“Having a combined authority will give us the ability to liaise directly with the government about what is best for our residents, and we’ll be able to achieve our ambitious plans more quickly."

"The decision reflects our strong partnership work with North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire councils, and the hard work we have all put in to making sure it’s the right deal for our area.”

The leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, Philip Jackson (Conservative), added:

At last, we can get to work on seizing this monumental opportunity

“I am sure I share the sentiments of my two colleagues, the leaders of Lincolnshire County Council and North Lincolnshire Council, when I say this is the best possible news we could have hoped for."

"Months and months of dedicated hard work and effort has been put into creating a vision for Greater Lincolnshire that will offer a cohesive approach – allowing this region to grow and prosper."

“Our deal was supported by the last government with millions of pounds of funding agreed to be devolved down to our new Mayoral Combined County Authority to ensure we would be able to truly invest in our key priority areas, which will underpin our positive way forward.”

North Lincolnshire Council leader Rob Waltham also commented: “Our £720m deal was supported by thousands of residents and has been on the table for years and negotiated earlier this year."

"At last, we can get to work on seizing this monumental opportunity – bringing better paid jobs to the area, boosting skills, expanding local infrastructure and enhancing our environment across Lincolnshire.”

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