Lincolnshire County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Lincolnshire in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county; the latter additionally includes North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire which are both unitary authorities and therefore independent from the county council.
Lincolnshire County Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Debbie Barnes since 1 January 2020[2] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 70 seats |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 4 years |
| Elections | |
| First-past-the-post | |
Last election | 4 May 2021 |
Next election | 1 May 2025 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| County Offices, Newland, Lincoln, LN1 1YL | |
| Website | |
| www | |
History
editLincolnshire was one of the historic counties of England. From the middle ages it was administered in three parts, called Holland, Kesteven and Lindsey, each of which had their own quarter sessions. From 1409 the city of Lincoln was also an independent county corporate. When elected county councils were created in 1889 taking over the administrative functions of the quarter sessions, each of Lincolnshire's three parts became a separate administrative county with its own county council, and Lincoln was made a county borough, maintaining its independence.[3]
That arrangement continued until 1974 when the Local Government Act 1972 abolished Holland County Council, Kesteven County Council and Lindsey County Council and the County Borough of Lincoln, creating a Lincolnshire County Council for the first time.[4]
Governance
editLincolnshire County Council provides county-level services. District-level services are provided by the area's seven district councils:[5][6]
Much of the county is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[7]
Political control
editThe council has been under Conservative majority control since 2017.
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[8][9]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| No overall control | 1974–1977 | |
| Conservative | 1977–1993 | |
| No overall control | 1993–1997 | |
| Conservative | 1997–2013 | |
| No overall control | 2013–2017 | |
| Conservative | 2017–present | |
Leadership
editThe leaders of the council since 1974 have been:[10]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Thorold | Conservative | 1974 | 1981 | |
| David Guttridge | Conservative | 1981 | 1987 | |
| Bill Wyrill | Conservative | 1987 | 1993 | |
| Rob Parker[11] | Labour | May 1993 | May 1997 | |
| Jim Speechley[12][13] | Conservative | May 1997 | 13 Sep 2002 | |
| Ian Croft[14] | Conservative | 4 Oct 2002 | 18 Mar 2005 | |
| Martin Hill | Conservative | Mar 2005 | ||
Composition
editFollowing the 2021 election and a change of allegiance in summer 2023, the composition of the council was:[15]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 54 | |
| Labour | 4 | |
| South Holland Independents | 4 | |
| Independent | 4 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | |
| Lincolnshire Independent | 1 | |
| Total | 70 | |
Of the four independent councillors, three sit with the Lincolnshire Independent councillor as the "Independent Group", and one does not belong to any group.[16] The next election is due in 2025.
Elections
editSince the last boundary changes in 2017 the county has been divided into 70 electoral divisions, each of which elects one councillor. Elections are held every four years.[17]
Premises
editThe council has its main offices and meeting place at County Offices on Newland in Lincoln. The building was built in 1926–1932 as the headquarters for the former Lindsey County Council, one of Lincolnshire County Council's predecessors.[18]
Chief executives
editChief executives have included:
- 1973–1979: David Drury Macklin
- 1983–1995: Robert John Dudley Proctor
- 1995–1998: Jill Helen Barrow, who was the first woman chief executive of a county council in England.[19]
- 1999–2004: David Bowles
- 2005–2018: Tony McArdle[20][21]
- 2018: Keith Ireland [22][23][24][25]
- 2020–present: Debbie Barnes [26]
References
edit- ^ "New council chairman to support Blind Veterans UK and Macmillan Cancer Support". Lincolnshire County Council. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ Hodkin, Sharon (30 December 2019). "New Lincolnshire County Council chief executive appointed". Newark Advertiser. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ Local Government Act 1888
- ^ Local Government Act 1972
- ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
- ^ "Understand how your council works". www.gov.uk. HM Government. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ "Lincolnshire". BBC News Online. BBC. 5 June 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
- ^ "Council minutes". Lincolnshire County Council. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ Ionescu, Daniel (6 May 2013). "Lincolnshire Labour leader Rob Parker steps down". The Lincolnite. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ Fear, Victoria (26 April 2021). "Tributes paid to former Crowland councillor who died aged 84". Spalding Today. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ "Council leader resigns". BBC News. 13 September 2002. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ "Council leader leaves after audit". BBC News. 18 March 2005. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ Boothroyd, David (4 August 2023). "Conservative majority disappears over Beachy Head". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ "Your Councillors by Political Grouping". Lincolnshire County Council. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ "The Lincolnshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2016", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2016/1226, retrieved 18 November 2023
- ^ "Contact us". Lincolnshire County Council. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ "People", Times Education Supplement, 18 August 1995. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
- ^ "Lincolnshire County Council chief executive Tony McArdle to step down after 12 years", Lincolnshire Echo, 11 January 2018.
- ^ "Lincolnshire County Council leader pays tribute to outgoing chief executive", 23 February 2018.
- ^ "Lincolnshire County Council appoint Keith Ireland as new chief executive",Lincolnshire Echo, 8 May 2018.
- ^ "'We do not share the same approach' - chief executive of Lincolnshire County Council to leave just months after joining",Lincolnshire Echo, 26 November 2018.
- ^ "KEXIT: Lincolnshire County Council chief leaves after just four months", Lincolnite 26 November 2018.
- ^ "Sacked or resigned? County Council CEO set to serve notice", Lincolnshire Reporter, 26 November 2018.
- ^ "County council leaders gagged over departure of chief executive", Boston Standard, 16 December 2018.