Cllr Martin Hill, Leader of the Council, discusses devolution in Lincolnshire and how unitary authorities could benefit Greater Lincolnshire.

"For some time now, we've been asking for more funding for council services in our area recognising that providing services in rural areas is often more costly than in urban areas, and because our funding has dropped dramatically over the last decade.

We're still very much involved in conversations with government about this – particularly around sustainable funding for vital adult care services. However it's also important that we are doing everything we can in Lincolnshire to make the most of the funding we already have.

That's one of the reasons we are looking at re-organising local government in Lincolnshire, where we have one county council responsible for 90% of the money we spend on local services in this county, and a further seven district councils covering the same area.

New independent evidence suggests that with county councils facing billions in rising costs for care services, alongside financial pressures caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, merging district and county councils into unitary councils could save £2.94bn over five years nationally.

And of course there are other benefits in making council service less complex and giving our area a unified voice. I know it often seems strange to residents that one council collects your bins and another disposes of the waste!

Some district councils argue that having a single council for an area dilutes the needs of local communities. However I feel that the opposite is actually true and that by making services easier for residents to access, we are more responsive to their needs.

As a county council we provide incredibly local and personalised services – from helping people who need care in their owns homes as well as in residential accommodation – to supporting parents with new babies and with children's educational needs.

It's already been shown in other large, rural areas of England that unitary councils can enhance democracy, provide a voice for taxpayers in the area, and make the most of their resources. It can also be the key to unlocking more funding and responsibilities from the government so we can take local decisions on what our communities want.

And when we know we may all be facing continued challenges, we must ensure we are doing the best by, and for, our residents."