Eddisons welcomes next step on Greater Lincolnshire’s devolution path

Property professionals at Eddisons incorporating Banks Long & Co have welcomed the Government’s announcement (22 September) prioritising the progression of a devolution deal for Greater Lincolnshire that will see an elected mayor lead a combined authority for the region next May (2025).

The announcement by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) renews the Government’s support for devolution deals for a number of local authority areas including Greater Lincolnshire and its near neighbours, Hull & East Yorkshire – among others in the South West and North West – in setting out the formal, legislative pathway.

The devolution deal mapped out will see North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and Lincolnshire County Council come together and operate key, collective powers under the umbrella of a Greater Lincolnshire Combined Authority.

Eddisons incorporating Banks Long & Co – alongside businesses who already operate in and across what will be the combined authority area – believes the announcement conveys an immediate confidence in Lincolnshire, even ahead of the formation of the final authority and the election of its mayor.

Will Wall, who is part of the firm’s senior commercial agency team at its Lincoln office on Westgate, commented, “A combined authority will not only raise the profile of Lincolnshire to commercial investors and operators as an attractive place to do business, but it will also be equipped with statutory powers and access to levers of funding at a strategic level that will make things happen.

“There have been many inputs in taking the area on its path to devolution. Now we can look forward, with confidence, to a combined authority that is formulated and tasked with realising outputs.”