Greater Lincolnshire Mayor Andrea Jenkyns promises improvements to transport and measures to boost skills to win over the south

The mayor of Greater Lincolnshire has vowed to serve all parts of the county — including sceptical south.

Dame Andrea Jenkyns (Reform UK) told the Local Democracy Reporting Service at the Great Exhibition at the Lincolnshire Showground today (Wednesday October 22) - that she’s working on a plan to improve public transport in rural areas and fill skills shortages.

Since the introduction of the mayor, residents and politicians in south Lincolnshire have raised fears that having a Lincoln-based figurehead could see them miss out.

Ms Jenkyns said: “My vision is for the whole of the county. It’s to upskill everybody.

“It’s making sure that right across the county, including the south, that you have the infrastructure needed to get across the county.

“We know in the south of the county, especially in the rural villages, they haven’t got the transport links.”

Ms Jenkyns said she would be leading a Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority (GLCCA) transport meeting next month to develop this proposal into a policy.

The event — inspired by the Great Exhibition of 1851 — showcased local businesses and industries across Lincolnshire - including firms specialising in AI, nuclear fusion, technology and agriculture.

Companies at the event included Anglian Water, STEP Fusion, Siemens and British Steel.

The mayor told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that she wants to develop an international reputation for Lincolnshire.

She added: “We’ve got national media here. This is shining a positive light on our great industries.

“We’ve had Sky walking around, we’ve got BBC walking around speaking to the businesses. This is great. I want the world to see how great our county is.”

Ms Jenkyns went on to say that the GLCCA - which brings together all of the county's councils - is still in its infancy and it is working to develop its plans into policies.

She said: “What you need to understand is that it’s a brand new combined authority. When I got elected in May we had five members of staff.

“Look at combined authorities across the county, they have hundreds of staff. They have people who are experts in housing and transport, there’s infrastructure and investment.

“It’s putting our plans together first, recruiting the right people, making sure we’re spending tax payers’ money wisely and then it goes to the delivery stage.”

Ms Jenkyns is also working with companies across the county to provide training for people in areas where businesses are facing skills shortages.

She added: “When I’ve gone throughout the county, businesses of all industries are saying to me they do not have the technical skills in the workforce and also the engineering skills."

She said her aim is to 'upskill people so we can retain the talent in our great county'.