North East Lincolnshire Council

History

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.

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.

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. The district was awarded borough status with effect from 23 August 1996, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.

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

Powers and functions

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.

Governance

Political control

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

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:

Leadership

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:

Composition

Following the 2024 election, and a subsequent change of allegiance later in May 2024, the composition of the council was:

The next election is due in May 2026.

Premises

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

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2003 the council has comprised 42 councillors representing 15 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with roughly a third of the council elected each time for a four-year term of office.

Wards

The wards are:

• Croft Baker
• East Marsh
• Freshney
• Haverstoe
• Heneage
• Humberston and New Waltham
• Immingham
• Park
• Scartho
• Sidney Sussex
• South
• Waltham
• West Marsh
• Wolds
• Yarborough

Wider politics

The borough straddles the parliamentary constituencies of Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes and Brigg and Immingham.

References

References

1. "Mayor of North East Lincolnshire".
2. (15 May 2025). "New Mayor chosen for North East Lincolnshire". Grimsby Live.
3. (3 February 2025). "Recommendation made for Council's Interim Chief Executive".
4. "Lincolnshire (North Part): Diagram showing administrative boundaries, 1972". Ordnance Survey.
5. {{cite legislation UK. (1972)
6. {{cite legislation UK. (1995)
7. {{cite legislation UK. (1995)
8. {{cite legislation UK. (1997)
9. (1997). "Bulletin of Changes of Local Authority Status, Names and Areas, 1 April 1994–31 March 1997". Department of the Environment.
10. (5 February 2025). "Council elections go ahead as authority confirmed". BBC News.
11. (2 May 2025). "Reform's Andrea Jenkyns elected Lincolnshire mayor". BBC News.
12. (14 July 2017). "CCG and council appoint 'first of its kind' joint chief". Health Service Journal.
13. (24 May 2024). "Conservatives to continue running minority council". BBC News.
14. "Compositions Calculator". University of Exeter.
15. (6 October 2018). "Tributes to first leader of North East Lincolnshire Council Muriel Barker". Grimsby Live.
16. (10 May 1999). "NELC leader ousted". Grimsby Evening Telegraph.
17. (12 September 2014). "Len Taylor: Tributes paid to 'caring' and 'loyal' first Mayor of North East Lincolnshire". Grimsby Telegraph.
18. "Cabinet Structure 2003–2004".
19. (17 June 2004). "Plans for joint council control". BBC News.
20. "Cabinet structure 2004–2005".
21. (31 July 2024). "Tribute to 'passionate' former North East Lincolnshire Council leader Andrew De Freitas". Grimsby Live.
22. "Council minutes, 26 May 2011".
23. (2014). "No overall control: Learning further lessons from councils without a majority administration". Local Government Association.
24. (11 February 2015). "North East Lincolnshire Council leader Chris Shaw to quit". BBC News.
25. (11 March 2019). "Live updates and reaction as Ray Oxby announces resignation from North East Lincolnshire Council". Grimsby Live.
26. "Council minutes, 21 May 2019".
27. "North East Lincolnshire result - Local Elections 2024". BBC News.
28. "North East Lincolnshire". Thorncliffe.
29. {{NHLE
30. (30 April 1941). "Tonight's gossip". Grimsby Daily Telegraph.
31. "Contact Us".
32. {{cite legislation UK. (2001)
33. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey.