The Council considered a wide range of topics, including the adoption of new Contract Procedure Rules, the appointment of the local Returning Officer for the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority Mayoral elections, and the proposed changes to the acute services offered by the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust.

Community Governance Review

The Council considered the final recommendations of the Community Governance Review (CGR) that commenced in January 2024. The CGR considered the existing governance arrangements for each Parish Council and Parish meeting in North Lincolnshire.

A CGR is the mechanism used by local authorities to review parish-level electoral governance. This includes, for example, the creation or naming of a parish, the establishment of a separate parish from an existing parish, alteration of parish boundaries, abolition or dissolution of a parish, change to parish electoral arrangements or parish grouping. It does not consider or amend ward-level governance arrangements.

The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 states that:

“The principal council must have regard to the need to secure that community governance within the area under review —

(a) reflects the identities and interests of the community in that area, and

(b) is effective and convenient.”

The review recommended a series of changes to the number of Councillors on each of the Parish Councils to ensure that the arrangements are effective and convenient.

It also recommended warding Gunness Parish Council, and Haxey Parish Council to ensure that their governance arrangements reflected the interests of their communities. Gunness Parish Council would be divided into three wards, covering the settlements of Lodge Moor, Hilton Avenue and Gunness itself. Haxey Parish Council would be divided into three wards covering the settlements of Westwoodside, Haxey itself and a 'Villages' ward, covering the remainder of the parish.

The review also recommended that the boundary between Ulceby Parish Council and South Killingholme Parish Council be amended so that the hamlet of Ulceby Skitter was included in the Ulceby Parish.

Appointment of Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority Returning Officer and the Appointment of the Local Returning Officer for the Mayoral Election on 1 May 2025

A report was presented by the Director of Transformation and Outcomes recommending that the Council appoint Rob Walsh, Chief Executive of North East Lincolnshire Council, as the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority Returning Officer for the election of the Mayor for Greater Lincolnshire on 1 May 2025.

The report also recommended that the Council appoint Alison Barker, the Council's Chief Executive, as the Local Returning Officer for the North Lincolnshire area.

Calculating the Council Tax Base 2025-2026

The Council considered a report on the proposed Council Tax Base for 2025-26.

The report recommended that the Council Tax Base be set at 52,168.20 Band D equivalent properties, which is a 0.7% increase from 2024/25.

The report included a detailed breakdown of the calculation, with particular attention paid to anticipated changes in property numbers, collection rates, and discounts made to individual properties.

Approve Amendments to Article 14 of the Constitution and Contract Procedure Rules (CPRs)

A report by the Director: Transformation and Outcomes was presented recommending that the Council approve amendments to the Contract Procedure Rules, and to Article 14 of the Constitution to take account of changes in legislation and to improve the Council's procurement processes.

The main changes included a new process for procuring Health Care Services, in line with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, and the introduction of a new section detailing roles and responsibilities for Officers involved in procurement. The rules also introduced four new levels for procurement exercises, according to their value:

• Level 1: up to £5,000
• Level 2: from £5,000 to £30,000
• Level 3: from £30,000 to £100,000
• Level 4: £100,000 and above

The new Contract Procedure Rules were proposed to come into effect on 24 February 2025, when it is anticipated that the Procurement Act 2023 will come into effect.

Gambling Act 2005 - Statement of Principles

A report was presented requesting that the Council approve a new Statement of Principles in accordance with Section 349 of the Gambling Act 2005.

The Statement of Principles sets out how the Council will approach its licensing functions in relation to gambling activities in the North Lincolnshire area.

The report included a summary of the changes made to the existing Statement of Principles and the reasons for making those changes.

Outcome of Humber Services Acute Review

The Council received a report from the Executive Director: People outlining the work of a Council Leadership Group that was established to understand the impact of a series of decisions made by the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (HNYICB) on 10 July 2024 regarding the Humber Acute Services Review.

The report sought to identify mitigating actions that the Council, Healthwatch North Lincolnshire, NHS Humber Health Partnership (HHP), and the HNYICB could take to protect local services at Scunthorpe General Hospital following the decision by the HNYICB to transfer some acute services from Scunthorpe to the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby.

The report recommended that the Council consider two options:

1. Accept the decision made by the HNYICB
2. Reject the decision, asking the Secretary of State to 'call in' the decision