Council leaders have been gagged from speaking any further about the departure of outgoing Chief Executive Keith Ireland, it has been revealed today. Labour Councillor Rob Parker asked Conservative Lincolnshire County Council leader Martin Hill today for more information on what had happened.

However, Mr Hill said: “I’d love to expand, however, all members of the committee have been given very strict instructions by the legal team not to discuss the matter in any form.” He said the appointments committee, of which Mr Parker is a member, did meet when the news was first announced and told this. “I’m not at liberty to say anymore,” he added. “Nor are you.”

Later in the meeting it was agreed that Debbie Barnes would take on the role of Head of Paid Service however, the council will temporarily run without a chief executive, to be reviewed in the new year. A newly hired commercial director and director of resources and a to-be hired director of place will also shortly begin in their roles. There will be a total of five directors appointed by March 2019. Questions still surround Mr Ireland’s departure after he became the third chief executive to fall out of favour with county council leaders since 1998. It is unclear whether Mr Ireland was fired, or if he voluntarily stepped down after just four months in the job. — DANIEL JAINES

Councillors ask health bosses to dump Thames

It was a rather pleasant meeting and all seemed to be going well for Thames Ambulance service on Wednesday — then councillors voted to kick them out.  The route of the meeting seemed to rapidly change in the space of 30 seconds, as Lincolnshire County Councillor Carl Macey and the health scrutiny committee seemed to be nodding their heads and accepting the reasons given for poor performance from TASL.

Mike Casey, general manager, reassured them that data recording would soon be under control, that there was a strong work-plan in place and that staff and volunteers were wanting to work for the company. But it was as the agenda item was summing up that Cllr Macey turned around and said he had “no confidence” in the company, that it was “at its lowest point” and that Lincs West CCG, which contracts it, should exit that very arrangement.

It’s not as simple as it seems however, as issues with TASL have been bubbling under the surface for just under a year, with them first appearing before LCC in February, seeming to show improvement as the year went on and then - it appears - falling at the last hurdle. It’s not been a great year for the service - with North Lincolnshire also dropping its contract in May, and announcing a replacement for Thames in October.

Could this be a shot across the bow to contract holders that they now need to keep their standards up? Earlier this year LCC renewed its own five-year contract with Serco, which has been beset with its own issues as it provides services including IT, payroll, HR, customer services, and adult care finance for the authority. Maybe this is LCC leaders saying “enough, is enough”? — DANIEL JAINES

Brexit squabbles leave future council finances in doubt

For the past year council leaders have warned that the future of their authority finances is uncertain, with some going as far to say that they may only be able to deliver the “bare minimum” after 2020.

Since 2014, local authorities have seen their central government grants slashed and funding drop off a cliff. Lincolnshire County Council, who this week proposed its budget for 2019/20, has seen its main grant drop by some £50 million in the past four years.

Despite the uncertainty, councils across our region still need to set budgets. The county council played its hand first, proposing a 3.95% increase in council tax and dipping into its reserves to cover a £23 million budget shortfall.

North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and South Holland are all expected to follow suit in the next month. But, uncertainty still surrounds budgets after 2020 and it is affecting services.

The lack of clarity over how much money is coming from government at the turn of the decade has forced council leaders to issue stark warnings. This week county council leader, Martin Hill, said they may only be able to provide the “most needed services” without “sustainable and guaranteed” funding.

Meanwhile, North East Lincolnshire Council’s leader, Ray Oxby, said the authority has had to “tighten its belts” and find income from elsewhere due to the uncertainty. “It doesn’t help by having a government that’s not giving any clarity after 2020 as to how the funding regime for local authorities will work,” he said.

Ministers pushed back their announcement on how much councils will receive from government. Leadership challenges and squabbling over Brexit have left the plans gathering dust on a shelf somewhere in Westminster. All the while, council finance officers continue to wonder where the next lot of money is going to come from to pay for vital services. — CALVIN ROBINSON

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