Sutton Bridge councillor blasts Lincolnshire’s devolution deal

A devolution deal does not do the county any ‘favours’, according to a senior councillor.

South Holland district councillor Chris Brewis estimates Lincolnshire has lost more than £190 million in Government funding over the last 15 years and has long been calling for the county to get a fair deal from Westminster.

Now he is urging people to vote ‘no’ during the public consultation, which is due to take place next year on the plans to introduce a mayor and a combined authority – with Lincolnshire County Council and the unitary authorities in north and east Lincolnshire taking greater control.

Coun Brewis said: “I am strongly opposed to this and it doesn’t do Lincolnshire any favours at all.”

He fears the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership (SELP) – of which South Holland is a member – is going to suffer due to the power and money being ‘sucked up’ by the north.

He would like to see the partnership, which includes Boston and East Lindsey, grow and become a unitary authority instead.

Coun Brewis said: “If you want a free port in Immingham or if you want all the money to be sucked up to the Humber, Lincoln or Grantham then voting for this will ensure that happens.

“All the powers will be sucked away from SELP and given to urban areas – and we will be getting even less than we are now.

“I don’t see how this can be advantageous to us whatsoever.

“I would most certainly encourage people to vote no. The present situation may be pretty poor but this would not make it any better at all for our part of Lincolnshire as it is fairly remote. We have to think about sea defences and growing most of the food for the country.

“London would soon start squealing if we are flooded and they have no vegetables.”