Welton

14
Dear Editor
On 4th July, I attended a meeting of
West Lindsey District Council (WLDC).
In accordance with the provisions of the
council constitution I took advantage of
a little-used facility to put a question to
council. Questions have to be received a
week before the meeting, they have to be
less than a hundred words, and they are
distributed internally so that a response
can be formulated.
In my question, I pointed out that at the
extraordinary meeting of council on the
question of devolution, the leader of the
council had made reference to Cornwall
and Greater Manchester. I asked if this
was a sensible comparison in the context
of a Greater Lincolnshire. In his response
the leader denied making a comparison;
but went on to say that the Greater
Manchester authority was in receipt of
£11.78 per head of population, whilst
a Greater Lincolnshire would stand to
receive £13.63 per head of population.
As he saw it, this was a good deal for
Lincolnshire.
R.W. Littlewood
Builders
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Welton NEWS
Under council procedure, the questioner
has no right of reply. However, if I had
been allowed to reply I would have pointed
out that the population of a Greater
Lincolnshire is just over one million, whilst
the population of Greater Manchester
is well over two and a half million. As
a consequence Greater Manchester will
receive £30 million a year, and a Greater
Lincolnshire will receive £15 million.
Is that really a better deal for Greater
Lincolnshire?
Greater Manchester is made up of ten
metropolitan boroughs of equal standing,
and has been evolving since 2011. Greater
Lincolnshire is made up of ten disparate
authorities which will continue to exist
as two unitary authorities, one county
council, one city council, one borough
council, and five district councils, which
are supposed to come together under an
elected mayor and cabinet in a matter of
months.
It is, of course a specious argument; but
if we follow the WLDC leader’s logic of
per capita values, West Lindsey would
be eligible for an investment of an extra
£1.2m per year; of which Gainsborough
would be eligible to receive an extra £300k
a year, and Welton would be eligible to
receive an extra £68k per year; rather less
than an elected mayor would expect to
receive.
Phil Rodgers
SIMON J
HUMPHREYS
Specialist in
built-up felt
roofing
8 Sudbrooke Lane
Nettleham
Telephone: 01522 751561
Mobile: 07905 092174