Cllr Rob Waltham is the Leader of North Lincolnshire Council
At a time when councils across the country are raising taxes, reducing services and, in some cases, facing financial collapse, we have shown in North Lincolnshire that there is another way.
Since Conservatives took control of North Lincolnshire Council in 2011, we have kept council tax low, protected frontline services and invested ambitiously in communities and infrastructure.
That record was recognised nationally earlier this year when North Lincolnshire Council was named Local Authority of the Year at the MJ Awards – one of the most respected accolades in local government.
The judges praised our strong leadership, a clear direction and a relentless focus on results, even across the extraordinary breadth of services on which residents, families and businesses rely every day.
North Lincolnshire has not escaped the pressures facing local government. This record rests on stable political leadership, disciplined financial management and clear Conservative priorities. We have made choices for the long term – and stuck to them.
Financial discipline is what made that possible. We have hard-wired outcomes-based budgeting into everything we do, ensuring every pound is tied to a result for residents. Financial control is not separate from excellent services and ambitious investment; it is the foundation on which both are built.
There is no magic money tree. Every pound government spends first has to be earned by a taxpayer, and that demands respect. We refuse to return repeatedly to taxpayers’ pockets to compensate for an inability to change or adapt, to control costs or to deliver effectively. We see that increasingly in other councils and is exactly what is happening nationally: higher taxes being used as a substitute for better government.
Across the past decade, increases in the general element of Council Tax have averaged around 2.7 per cent – well below those in many other areas. In several years, we froze it completely. Residents should keep more of the money they earn.
But keeping tax down has not meant abandoning ambition. Sound financial management has protected household budgets while enabling continued investment in services and infrastructure. It has also allowed us to give something back.
Residents and visitors continue to park free in council-owned car parks. Since we introduced that policy, it has kept more than £20m in residents’ pockets while supporting families, town centres and local businesses.
Thousands of children also swim free during the Easter and summer holidays, while Fit for Free gives eligible older and disabled residents free access to leisure facilities. These are practical policies with a recognisably Conservative purpose: keeping costs down and helping people lead healthier, more independent lives.
The clearest test of any council, however, is how it protects those who most need its support.
We have made vulnerable children one of the council’s highest priorities. North Lincolnshire remains the only local authority in the country to have achieved four consecutive Outstanding Ofsted judgments for services supporting and safeguarding children. That reflects the dedication of social workers, foster carers and support staff, backed by a sustained political commitment to ensuring vulnerable children are seen, heard and protected.
Adult social care has also been rated Good, recognising the quality of care, support and safeguarding provided to older and vulnerable residents. Financial discipline and compassionate public services are not competing priorities: responsible stewardship makes strong, sustainable services possible.
Conservatism in local government must also create opportunity.
North Lincolnshire is home to industries of national importance, including steel, engineering, chemicals, food production and energy. They support thousands of livelihoods and provide skilled, well-paid careers.
We have refused to accept that local government’s role is simply to manage economic decline. The council has invested in transport links, development sites and infrastructure while working with businesses to secure investment and expansion. The aim is growth with a purpose: enabling businesses to succeed and young people to build rewarding careers without having to leave the area.
That approach is delivering results. Businesses continue to invest and employment opportunities have expanded. More young people are moving successfully into education, employment or training, with participation among the strongest in the country. Success means giving them a route into independence, aspiration and a rewarding future.
Responsible stewardship also means considering what we leave to the next generation.
We have created nature reserves, improved parks and green spaces and delivered one of the region’s most ambitious tree-planting programmes. Hundreds of thousands of trees and hedgerows have been planted, transforming landscapes, creating habitats and supporting biodiversity. It is environmental improvement rooted in practical action rather than slogans.
These achievements did not happen by accident. They reflect political stability, strong governance and enduring Conservative values. Low taxes and excellent services are not opposing ambitions. Financial discipline enables investment. Supporting enterprise creates opportunity. Protecting vulnerable people is a fundamental responsibility. Strong communities are built by helping people to help themselves and others.
At a difficult moment for local government, North Lincolnshire has demonstrated what purposeful Conservative leadership can achieve. The task now is to build on that record – remaining ambitious for the area, accountable to taxpayers and relentlessly focused on better outcomes for residents.