A meeting to discuss the possible abolition of district councils such as North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) will be live-streamed tonight.
The emergency meeting was called by Independent and Reform councillors after Conservative Councillor Philip Jackson, Leader of NELC, signed a letter ‘expressing interest’ in reducing the number of councils in the county from ten to two without consulting other political groups on the council.
If the reorganisation goes ahead, it could also result in the postponement or cancellation of the 2026 local election.
The proposal has faced widespread criticism from other parties in the borough. The North East Lincolnshire Labour Party described the move as “undemocratic”, while the Independents said it would mark the end of “local democracy as we know it”, and the local Liberal Democrats launched a petition opposing the creation of a ‘mega-council.’
Councillors from the local Reform and Independent groups called for a special full council meeting to discuss the matter.
The debate will be held at Grimsby Town Hall at 7PM today, Wednesday 19 February – you can watch it live by clicking here.
Part of the Gi Grimsby News team since 2020.