Report of the Chairman of Executive Board.

Ahead of presenting his report, the Leader of the Council addressed Members with a verbal update as follows:

‘While I am leader of the largest group at East Lindsey, I lead a minority administration, and I am fully aware of the privilege that all Councillors in this room grant me in allowing me to stand here and give my Leaders Report.  Thank you. 

This AGM follows on from the Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) and Mayoral election on May 1st. 

And politics is brutal.  My commiserations to my colleagues who lost their seats and also to those who stood and lost.

My congratulations to those that stood for the first time and won. To both Danny and Jimmy Brookes you now have the responsibility of taking our issues to the new Reform UK administration direct, from our health inequalities to dealing with some of the most deprived wards in the country.  LCC has contracted part of its Wellbeing Service to the districts and ELDC officers play a major role in that and we need to ensure that the cost, curricular activity and work continues positively.  LCC also provides a number of roles that are critical to all of our residents, including adult and children’s services and education where residents will be affected by, but these services will still have to be delivered at a high quality.

This administration will engage positively with Lincolnshire County Council under its new leadership and we will also engage with the new Mayor.  We have much to look forward to and much to shape and make happen for our residents and businesses as we understand Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and its implications. 

One issue we know residents will be keen to see concluded is the withdrawal of Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) from the Nuclear Waste Services Geological Disposal Facility siting process.  The sooner that is concluded, the better for all concerned. 

We will of course hold LCC to account where needed. 

The Executive Board will continue to work with partners to progress and shape our LGR proposal. We will also keep Group Leaders updated and the wider Council.  Dates have already been diarised for Member briefings.

I am pleased to see the East Lindsey Investment Fund now starting to positively impact our communities.  We will make sure information is shared as widely as possible and of course our Councillor Community Grant Scheme is now active.  

We are facing an incredible change that will change the structure that we operate in and I think it's important that while this will be an executive led process in terms of the engagement that we have with other partners,
it's important that we share their responsibility with this wider Council because it affects all of our residents equally and some more so than others because of the issues that they face’.

The Leader of the Council continued to present Members with his report, page 47 of the Agenda refers.

Following which, questions and comments were put forward as follows:

Councillors’ Community Grant Scheme 2025-26 Launch

A Member commented that she was pleased to see the launch of the Councillor Community Grant Scheme for 2025/26 and the increase to £4000 to spend in the communities which would make an incredible difference to small community groups.  Following which, a query was raised in relation to unspent funds.

In response, the Leader of the Council advised Members that he was in discussion with the Chief Executive with regards to unspent funds and the future potential for this.

Following which, several Councillors highlighted their appreciation for the grant and acknowledged the potential for what could be achieved in the communities.

Future Leaders Programme

A Member was pleased to see that the Future Leaders Programme had been very successful across the Partnership in making sure that aspiring officers who had ambition and showed leadership potential received full support and encouragement.

In response, the Leader of the Council acknowledged that the Future Leaders Programme had proved itself many times.

Further comments received

A Member commented that there was no formal update on Local Government Reorganisation and asked the Leader of the Council if he had any further insight on this and also requested regular updates.

In response, the Leader of the Council advised Members that there would be Council-wide briefings on a regular basis and when any notable milestones were reached these would also be shared with Members.

Further to the Leader’s verbal update, the East Lindsey Independent Group Leader wholly agreed in relation to health inequalities and stressed that it was extremely important that ELDC fought for the East Coast and it was vital that the Council achieved the best for its residents.

Councillor Danny Brookes thanked the Leader for his report and comments received on his recent success in being appointed as a Reform UK County Councillor.  He added that he had always stood up for East Lindsey and the coast and would continue to do so.

A Member commented that ELDC was a successful Council and was well run both financially and operationally and recognising the success in the funding achieved for projects, he hoped that the Council would continue to be aspirational going forward.  He further thanked the Leader for his strong leadership, in particular with listening and supporting local residents to reject the Geological Disposal Facility.

In response, the Leader of the Council thanked the Member for his kind comments.  He continued that the Council had been phenomenal in bringing in grant monies and that this had impacted positively on many lives.

The East Lindsey Independent Group Leader highlighted the success of a local resident Ros Canter, a British Equestrian who had achieved success at the Paris Olympics and Badminton Horse Trials who had brought in lots of people to the area and suggested that the Council should recognise her tremendous achievement.

In response, the Leader of the Council recognised Ros Canter’s fantastic achievements and recalled that talks had been underway about promoting this after her last success.