The leader of South Kesteven District Council has reacted cautiously to a push for devolution which could see SKDC and other district councils disbanded by 2022.

Coun Kelham Cooke says "the time is not right" for such a bid, noting priorities in handling covid-19, and adding any changes must account for the needs of local communities.

His comments add to those of other district council leaders, who accuse promoters of devolution of a lack of consultation and engagement.

In May, leaders from Lincolnshire County Council, North Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Council wrote to the Secretary of State Robert Jenrick as part of their "collective ambitions for devolution to Greater Lincolnshire with options for local government re-organisation".

County council leaders say they are "excited" by the bid and "keen to get Lincolnshire to the front of the queue".

The proposals could see the formation of two unitary councils for Greater Lincolnshire – North and South – and would see the existing councils abolished and disbanded.

But after a meeting this week with Simon Clark, the Minister of State for Growth and Local Government, where the seven district councils were invited to submit proposals for the reorganisation of local government, leaders instead banded together to put forward a different plan.

District council leaders said they were "disappointed with the lack of engagement and consultation so far" and raised concerns about the time-frame.

The councils said they believed the current proposals would "not take account of the county's complex physical, economic and social geography".

Instead, they have proposed a new 12-month "scoping exercise" to identify what a successful reorganisation could look like, with those proposals being implemented in 2023 instead of elections.

For SKDC, Coun Cooke said: "With the publication of the Government's Devolution White Paper due in the autumn, it is not surprising that discussions on this topic are gaining momentum.

"However, whilst I support and welcome the Government's general direction of travel, I remain concerned that the time is not right for Lincolnshire to push forward with plans that will have a profound impact upon our communities right across Lincolnshire.

"We are a vast and very diverse county and this must be fully considered and reflected in any plans for devolution and reorganisation to ensure that Lincolnshire's huge potential for growth is properly harnessed and enhanced by any future reorganisation, an ambition we know is shared and supported by the Government.

"Local authorities across the county have successfully supported their communities through the response phase of Covid-19.

"But the virus is still with us, and our focus right now must be on supporting and nurturing vital economic growth and recovery on the ground, and from the grassroots up, building on the trust we have already established with our local businesses.

"To retain this trust, we must bring people with us through a collaborative approach with our partners, with those we do business with, and those we serve.

"We have yet to see what is in the Government's White Paper, it would be prudent to ensure that as we move forward we do so at a pace and with a plan that is informed by the white paper, and has the interests of our communities front and centre during what is still an unprecedented time in our history."

Other council leaders have expressed more opposition.

Those at the City of Lincoln Council said the approach to implementation "cannot work" and is "likely to hit stumbling blocks like those seen in Devon and Norfolk over recent years".

Council leader Councillor Ric Metcalfe said: "[The authority] has been a long standing enthusiast for a devolution deal and has been an active and constructive partner within the Greater Lincolnshire partnership over many years to help try and achieve this.

"However, we are very clear that now is not the time to be pursuing a deal.

The council has shown a fantastic level of resilience to deal with the upheavals this year has thrown at us and to consider devolution at a time when we were all still responding to the Covid-19 pandemic is wholly inappropriate.

"It is imperative that, over the coming year, we use all our capacity to drive forward… economic recovery.

"Our consent was neither asked for nor given for Lincolnshire County Council to approach government on the issue at this time."

"The county council's views on local government reorganisation and devolution do not represent our own.

"There is no rush to get a deal in place, it is wholly unrealistic and inappropriate and we will work to ensure that our views and concerns are conveyed and addressed as part of any discussions with government."

Coun Giles McNeill, leader of West Lindsay District Council said: "The county's unilateral approach to the Secretary of State will lead to a divisive discussion into local government structures which is highly indulgent, when the clear priority of HM Government and our local authorities should, rightly, be on the current Covid-19 pandemic, the recovery following the current crisis and working to deliver the best possible public services to our residents."

However, Lincolnshire County Council leader Martin Hill said the meeting with Mr Clark had been "successful" and that if the proposal progressed it would "give both more power and more money to Lincolnshire".

"As a county council we are excited by this prospect and are keen to ensure we are at the front of the queue to get this prize for Greater Lincolnshire residents," said Councillor Hill.

"We will be building on the work we have already done for the previous devolution bid and are confident we can hit the government's timescales of early autumn.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for Greater Lincolnshire that we don't want to lose out on."

The devolution bid is the second time in recent years that a devolution deal for Lincolnshire has been considered, with the County Council choosing not to progress plans for a mayoral combined authority in 2016.