The local Labour Party is calling for the removal of Councillor Philip Jackson, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, amid concerns about “out-of-control spending and the list of undelivered projects”.
In a statement released yesterday, Saturday 9 December, the North East Lincolnshire Labour Group expressed concerns about the Council’s financial and project management, stating that the the current leadership has “failed” and “shattered the trust of the local community.”
They wrote: “The Conservative-Lib Dem coalition that runs North East Lincs Council has failed.
“The Labour group has repeatedly tried to address the out-of-control spending and the list of undelivered projects, but these efforts have been blocked time and again by the Conservative leadership and their Liberal Democrat supporters.
“This council is completely out of touch with the residents of North East Lincolnshire, unable to fulfil its responsibilities, and has shattered the trust of the local community. The current leader simply cannot remain in his position.
“It’s time for new leadership that puts the community’s interests first.”
This comes just days after Chief Executive Rob Walsh announced he would be stepping down from the council in May 2025, and after NELC confirmed that the Freshney Place Leisure Scheme will cost £49.96m instead of the original £30m, and is set for completion in 2027, rather than 2025 as initially stated. Attention has also been drawn to other “undelivered” projects such as the restoration of Corporation Bridge, which should have been complete in the winter of 2023, but has now been ongoing for 22 months instead of the intended 11 and is expected to run significantly over budget.
More to follow.
(Image: NELC)
