North East Lincolnshire Council

The district of North East Lincolnshire and its council were created on 1 April 1996. The new district covered the area of two former districts, both of which were abolished at the same time: Cleethorpes and Great Grimsby. Both had been lower-tier districts within the county of Humberside prior to the 1996 reforms, with Humberside County Council providing county-level services to the area. Humberside had only been created in 1974; prior to 1974 this area had been part of Lincolnshire.^[4][5]

The way the 1996 changes were implemented was to create both a non-metropolitan district and a non-metropolitan county called North East Lincolnshire, each covering the combined area of Cleethorpes and Great Grimsby, but with no separate county council. Instead, the district council also performs the functions that legislation assigns to county councils, making it a unitary authority.^[6]

At the same time, the new district was transferred for ceremonial purposes back to Lincolnshire, but as a unitary authority the council has always been independent from Lincolnshire County Council.^[7][8] The district was awarded borough status with effect from 23 August 1996, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.^[9]

In 2025 the council became a member of the new Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority, along with North Lincolnshire Council and Lincolnshire County Council.^[10] The combined authority is chaired by the directly-elected Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire.^[11]

The local authority derives its powers and functions from the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent legislation. For the purposes of local government, North East Lincolnshire is within a non-metropolitan area of England. As a unitary authority, North East Lincolnshire Council has the powers and functions of both a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. In its capacity as a district council it is a billing authority collecting Council Tax and business rates, it processes local planning applications, it is responsible for housing, waste collection and environmental health. In its capacity as a county council it is a local education authority, responsible for social services, libraries and waste disposal.

In July 2017 it was announced that the Council and the local Clinical Commissioning Group would have a joint chief executive.^[12]

The council has been under no overall control since the 2024 election, being led by a Conservative minority administration.^[13]

The first election to the council was held in 1995, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect 1 April 1996. Political control of the council since 1996 has been as follows:^[14]

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in North East Lincolnshire. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since the council's creation in 1996 have been:

Following the 2024 election,^[27] and a subsequent change of allegiance later in May 2024, the composition of the council was:^[28]

The next election is due in May 2026.^[28]

Council meetings are held at Grimsby Town Hall, which had been built in 1863 for the old borough council of Great Grimsby.^[29] The council's main offices are in the Municipal Buildings opposite the town hall, which had been completed in 1941.^[30][31]