Lincolnshire County Council
Elected administrative body for the county
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lincolnshire County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Lincolnshire in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county; the latter additionally includes North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire which are both unitary authorities and therefore independent from the county council.
since 1 January 2020[2]
Lincolnshire County Council | |
|---|---|
| |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Debbie Barnes since 1 January 2020[2] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 70 seats |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 4 years |
| Elections | |
| First-past-the-post | |
Last election | 1 May 2025 |
Next election | May 2029 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| County Offices, Newland, Lincoln, LN1 1YL | |
| Website | |
| www | |
History
Lincolnshire was one of the historic counties of England. From the middle ages it was administered in three parts, called Holland, Kesteven and Lindsey, each of which had their own quarter sessions. From 1409 the city of Lincoln was also an independent county corporate. When elected county councils were created in 1889 taking over the administrative functions of the quarter sessions, each of Lincolnshire's three parts became a separate administrative county with its own county council, and Lincoln was made a county borough, maintaining its independence.[3]
That arrangement continued until 1974 when the Local Government Act 1972 abolished Holland County Council, Kesteven County Council and Lindsey County Council and the County Borough of Lincoln, creating a Lincolnshire County Council for the first time.[4]
In 2025 the council became a member of the new Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority, along with North Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Council.[5] The combined authority is chaired by the directly-elected Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire.[6]
Governance
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Lincolnshire County Council provides county-level services. District-level services are provided by the area's seven district councils:[7][8]
Much of the county is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[9]
Political control
The council has been under Reform UK majority control since 2025.[10]
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[11][12]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| No overall control | 1974–1977 | |
| Conservative | 1977–1993 | |
| No overall control | 1993–1997 | |
| Conservative | 1997–2013 | |
| No overall control | 2013–2017 | |
| Conservative | 2017–2025 | |
| Reform | 2025–present | |
Leadership
The leaders of the council since 1974 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Thorold[13][14] | Conservative | 1 April 1974 | May 1981 | |
| David Guttridge[14][15] | Conservative | May 1981 | 8 Sep 1987 | |
| Bill Wyrill[16][17] | Conservative | Nov 1987 | May 1993 | |
| Rob Parker[17][18][19] | Labour | May 1993 | May 1997 | |
| Jim Speechley[20][21][22] | Conservative | May 1997 | 13 Sep 2002 | |
| Ian Croft[23][24] | Conservative | 4 Oct 2002 | 18 Mar 2005 | |
| Martin Hill[23][25] | Conservative | 24 Mar 2005 | May 2025 | |
| Sean Matthews[26] | Reform | 23 May 2025 | ||
Composition
Following the 2025 election, the current composition of the council is:[27]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Reform | 44 | |
| Conservative | 14 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 5 | |
| Labour | 3 | |
| Independent | 3 | |
| Lincolnshire Independent | 1 | |
| Total | 70 | |
The three independent councillors and the Lincolnshire Independent councillor form the "Independent Group."[28] The next election is due in 2029.[29]
Executive
| Party key | Reform | Liberal Democrats |
|---|
| Post | Party | Councillor | Ward | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman and Deputy Chairman | ||||
| Chairman of the Council | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Bunney | Market Rasen Wolds | |
| Deputy Chairman of the Council | Reform | Mike Beecham | Alford and Sutton | |
| Leader and Deputy Leader | ||||
| Leader of the council | Reform | Sean Matthews | Tattershall Castle | |
| Deputy Leader and Executive member for Communities | Reform | Robert Gibson | Spalding East | |
| Cabinet members | ||||
| Executive Councillor for Environment | Reform | Danny Brookes | Ingoldmells Rural | |
| Executive Councillor for Resources | Reform | Thomas Catton | Louth South | |
| Executive Councillor for Highways and Transport | Reform | Michael Cheyne | Boston West | |
| Executive Councillor for Adult Care and Health | Reform | Steve Clegg | Sleaford | |
| Executive Councillor for Growth | Reform | Liam Kelly | Swallow Beck and Witham | |
| Executive Councillor for Community Safety | Reform | Alex McGonigle | Louth Wolds | |
| Executive Councillor for Children's Services | Reform | Natalie Oliver | Woodhall Spa and Wragby | |
Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2017 the county has been divided into 70 electoral divisions, each of which elects one councillor. Elections are held every four years.[31]
Premises
The council has its main offices and meeting place at County Offices on Newland in Lincoln. The building was built in 1926–1932 as the headquarters for the former Lindsey County Council, one of Lincolnshire County Council's predecessors.[32]
Chief executives
Chief executives have included:
- 1973–1979: David Drury Macklin
- 1983–1995: Robert John Dudley Proctor
- 1995–1998: Jill Helen Barrow, who was the first woman chief executive of a county council in England.[33]
- 1999–2004: David Bowles
- 2005–2018: Tony McArdle[34][35]
- 2018: Keith Ireland[36][37][38][39]
- 2020–present: Debbie Barnes[40]