‘Lincolnshire is always given everything last!’ Shoppers share their views on county devolution deal
Shoppers in Lincoln have reacted with mixed views to the devolution deal for Greater Lincolnshire, which was formally signed off by central government last week.
While some were excited about what the additional promised funding could do for the region, others at the city's Carlton Centre remained sceptical, describing it as just ‘another layer of government’.
On Thursday (September 19), the Government officially approved the deal, which promises to bring an additional £24 million to the region.
Lincolnshire County Council, North Lincolnshire Council, and North East Lincolnshire Council all signed off on the deal roughly six months ago but were forced to wait longer than expected due to the General Election in July.
The upper-tier councils conducted an eight-week consultation at the start of the year, which received around 4,000 responses.
Excited about the notion of more money and power being brought to Lincolnshire, Shirley Helgesen, 89, supported the deal.
She stated: "I think, given a bit of time to see how it works, it probably is a good idea, as long as it’s not some airy-fairy notion that doesn’t actually do anything.
"I’ve lived a lot of years, and I’ve always felt that Lincolnshire is always given everything last. If having a mayor could do something about that, I think it could be a good thing."
Debora Whittaker, originally from Boston, shared a similar view but wasn't entirely convinced. She added: "I'm Lincolnshire born and bred, and for me, we've always been forgotten. Will it make a difference? I'm not sure, to be perfectly honest."
Mrs Whittaker also voiced her disapproval of former Skegness and Boston MP Matt Warman running for Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire. When asked who she would prefer, she simply replied: "Somebody better than him. I don't think he did a lot for Boston at all."
Meanwhile, her husband, Nick, who has experience living under a mayor in the West Midlands, shared that while it will bring benefits to the region, it can also cause problems.
He recounted: "It formed an extra layer of politics, and yes, we'll have a lot more say in Westminster, but it does cause problems at the lower end of local government because there are lots of clashes of interest."
Jeff Vause questioned the need for a mayor, asking: "What will be the gain? There are people already doing the job, surely?"
"We had a similar thing with the Police and Crime Commissioner, didn't we? We've got a Chief Constable, so why do we need a commissioner? The cost is huge, and the effect is nil."
His wife, Pat, also raised concerns about the amount of funding promised, describing it as "a little drop in the ocean" for such a large area.
Lastly, Liz Lobb, 55, remained indifferent to the devolution deal, stating she was "fed up" with politics at the moment.
She added: "I don't know if it's a good thing or not. The big thing for me is how much they're going to get paid and whether they're going to do any good."
Recognising that the deal would bring much-needed funding to the region, Liz insisted that money should be spent on introducing more community spaces, something she feels is desperately needed after the Covid-19 pandemic.