Lincolnshire County Council

The committee received internal and external audit updates, with strong focus on risk management, school auditing, and the council’s capacity to respond to local government reorganisation (LGR). Members also discussed SEND pressures, academy audit limitations, Microsoft/AI use in audit work, and the implications of property and pension valuation risks. A statutory change on members’ home addresses was noted, and the committee selected AI as the next strategic deep dive theme.

The committee heard substantial updates on flood risk management, including ongoing section 19 investigations, multi-agency flood resilience work, and the Greater Lincolnshire Groundwater Project. It also scrutinized two major waste-related procurement items: a new contract for street cleansing residues and proposals to introduce booking systems and infrastructure upgrades at household waste recycling centres. The meeting highlighted service pressures, capacity and cost challenges, supplier continuity risks, and potential efficiency savings.

The committee reviewed Q4 performance across emergency planning, fire and rescue, fraud prevention, coroner registrations, volunteering support, and the new Safer Lincolnshire place-based model. Key procurement-related themes included seeking further funding for community resilience work, replacing or extending the existing community resilience officer contract, maintaining and improving ICT/data systems for anti-social behaviour case management and insight dashboards, and sustaining project funding for serious violence prevention and community safety activity. Members also pressed for better evidence on outcomes, more granular engagement data, and stronger plans to share successful pilot learning across the county.

The meeting was dominated by a planning application to extend operating hours at Skillington Quarry, with members debating noise, HGV traffic through Colsterworth, and whether voluntary 20 mph routing measures or a liaison group should be pursued alongside the permission. The committee also considered several traffic regulation orders, mostly approving parking and waiting restrictions near schools, bus stops, and junctions, while withdrawing one long bennington item for separation and updated information. A 40 mph speed limit revision at West Willoughby was also approved despite some concerns about enforcement.

The panel discussed Lincolnshire Police’s improved funding settlement, the force’s ongoing financial and operational pressures, and planned recruitment of officers and PCSOs. Significant attention was given to digital/data capability, CCTV and facial recognition, cybercrime, fraud, victim services, road safety technology, and innovation tied to a changing national policing model. Members also debated panel composition and governance arrangements, while noting a budget issue that prevented an independent survey briefing.

The Lincolnshire Pension Fund committee discussed the upcoming Investment Strategy Statement (ISS) and a plan to consult stakeholders, including fund employers and the Greater Lincolnshire Combined Authority. The ISS introduces new governance requirements, outlines local investment ambitions (0–5% target) and a cautious approach to committing capital, with Border to Coast as the due-diligence manager. A pilot with Northeast funds and a staged approval process are planned, with final sign-off expected in September 2026.