The meeting included discussion on the creation of an economic investment programme, the recommissioning of domestic abuse safe accommodation and two existing services, and an update on a proposed geological disposal facility in Lincolnshire.

LCC Economic Investment Programme

Lincolnshire County Council is considering creating an economic investment fund to help grow the local economy. The proposed £20m fund would be used to create new business sites over a four-year period from 2025 and is expected to generate around 3,000 jobs. The report, prepared for the attendees by the Executive Director of Place, Andy Gutherson, set out the lack of commercial land and business premises as one of the main constraints on economic development in the county. This is particularly acute in Lincolnshire's strongest sectors, such as food manufacturing, the defence sector, advanced manufacturing and agri-tech. The Executive Director of Place proposed that the council focuses its investment on these sectors, in addition to tackling market failure, where the private sector has not invested in sites allocated for development in local plans. The report identifies Holbeach Food Enterprise Zone in South Holland as a site that could be invested in to support growth in the food and agri-tech sectors. The council has already invested to ensure its success by acquiring more land and securing an adequate power supply, and the report suggests that the council invests in service roads to access plots in the next phase of the development. To support growth in the advanced manufacturing sector, the report proposes investment in a new “bricks and mortar” facility for the sector in the Grantham area. The report describes how the facility would be visible to the public, have good road and public transport links, and offer office space, teaching spaces, meeting rooms, and digital suites. A mixed use facility in Lincoln incorporating office and workshop space is also proposed as a means of supporting growth in the defence sector. The report identifies nine locations where investment could de-risk allocated sites and tackle market failure by providing serviced land for development. The nine locations are in Market Rasen, Caistor, Sleaford, Gonerby Moor, Bourne, Coningsby, Horncastle, Louth, and Spilsby. The report also suggests that an additional location in Boston be considered should two other locations in Kirton and Sutterton prove not to be feasible.

Integrated Lifestyle Service Re-Commissioning

The Executive was asked to approve the recommissioning and procurement of a new contract for the Integrated Lifestyle Service (ILS) from 1 July 2025. Lincolnshire County Council's Integrated Lifestyle Service helps people to improve their health by providing support to stop smoking, reduce alcohol consumption, manage their weight and increase their physical activity. It is known as One You Lincolnshire and is currently delivered by Thrive Tribe Limited. The current service contract started in 2019 and has been extended to end on 30 June 2025. During this time, a Child & Family Weight Management element, a Falls Prevention Service and an annual employee challenge for staff at Lincolnshire County Council and partner NHS organisations have been added. The report, prepared for the attendees by the Executive Director of Adult Care and Community Wellbeing, Martin Samuels, says that the service has consistently met its target of 10,000 outcomes per year. An independent evaluation of the service has shown that it outperforms national benchmarks in each of its four key areas: smoking, physical activity, unhealthy weight and excessive alcohol consumption. The report suggests that the service is re-commissioned for an initial term of three years, with extensions of up to six further years. The maximum whole-life value of the contract would be £30.735m.

Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Re-commissioning

The Executive was asked to approve the procurement of a new contract for the Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation service. The service helps victims of domestic abuse by providing them with a place to live and emotional and practical support. It is currently provided by EDAN Lincs, and the current contract is due to end on 30 June 2025. The report, prepared by Executive Director of Adult Care and Community Wellbeing Martin Samuels, proposes that the service be re-commissioned for a term of five years with the option to extend for a maximum of two further years. The anticipated whole-life value of the contract is £7,288,151. The report identifies that the number of refuge spaces in Lincolnshire is much lower than the national average, at just 4.9 bed spaces for every 100,000 residents, compared to a national average of 28.5. However, Lincolnshire supports more people per refuge space than most other local authorities. The re-commissioned service will include an increase in the number of specialist children's workers from six to 10. A new specialist unit will also be created to support women with complex needs who may have previously been unable to access the service, such as those with substance misuse issues, a criminal history, probation orders, previous evictions and mental health issues.

Proposed Geological Disposal Facility - Hosting Agreement and GDF

The Executive was asked to note a report on the proposed geological disposal facility (GDF) at Theddlethorpe and endorse the continued involvement of Lincolnshire County Council in the GDF Community Partnership. The report, prepared for the attendees by the Executive Director of Place, Andy Gutherson, says that there is now greater public interest in the proposals, and this means that the Community Partnership should do more work to ensure that the public is fully informed on the risks and safety aspects of the scheme, as well as the potential benefits from infrastructure investment and economic development. Nuclear Waste Services (NWS), the government body that is developing the scheme, has carried out a number of siting studies to understand whether Theddlethorpe is suitable. NWS has recently confirmed that they will undertake further studies to identify alternate locations for the surface site of the facility following concerns from local businesses and stakeholders about their intended use of the former Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal. However, NWS remains committed to pursuing a GDF in Lincolnshire. The council remains neutral on the acceptability of a GDF in Theddlethorpe but wants to make sure that the public is provided with the information they need to make an informed decision in any Test of Public Support, which the council wants to be held no later than 2027.
The report proposes that the council supports the Community Partnership to explore six key areas, with the aim of developing a Significant Additional Infrastructure package that would set out the benefits that the community could receive if it decided to host the facility. The six areas are flood risk management, transport, employment, education and skills, energy, the natural environment and the economy. The report says that the council is concerned that it is not aware of all of the work that NWS is doing and that it will press for more information. The report also suggests that the council asks the Greater Lincolnshire Mayoral County Combined Authority to prioritise opportunities within the nuclear sector, in addition to asking the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee to explore the economic opportunities that the nuclear sector presents.