Working With Our Councils To Achieve Success

Mablethorpe & Sutton Town Council,  East Lindsey District Council and Lincolnshire County Council make decisions that affect us all one way or another in the community.  So what can residents do to ensure that outcomes are positive, beneficial and reflect our priorities, apart from through the ballot box every four years?  This article outlines some of the positive steps that can be taken and attempts to demystify some of the procedures that are embedded in local government.

Quick Links

1. Know your councillors
2. Getting help from a council
3. How do our councils operate?
4. Be aware of the rules!
5. Top tips for success when working with your council / councillor

First step, know who your local councillors are!

• Current councillors on Mablethorpe & Sutton Town Council (MASTC) and their contact details are listed here (opens in new window)
• Current councillors on East Lindsey District Council (ELDC) and their contact details are listed here (opens in new window)
• Current Lincolnshire County Councillor for Sutton-on-Sea and contact details are listed here (opens in new window)
• Current Lincolnshire County Councillor for Trusthorpe & Mablethorpe and contact details are listed here (opens in new window)

Our local councillors may also hold regular drop-in sessions where you can meet them to raise issues, discuss problems and give feedback - positive as well as negative!

Councillors are elected by the community to help the community. They are a vital resource and not to be thought of as the enemy!

Before approaching your local councillor ...... see if the council can help directly!

If you have a problem or query, it helps to know which council does what. Each council has specific responsibilities.  Below is a brief summary.  A comprehensive guide, kindly provided by MASTC Town Clerk, can be viewed here.

For schools, roads/highways, transport, recycling, libraries, environment, social care & health, fire, emergencies and several related areas, Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) is your starting point  Their online services allow you to report anything from a pothole to applying for a blue badge!  If you can't find the answer you need, you can contact the council by email using their Contact Form

NOTE: There is some apparent overlap between LCC and ELDC responsibilities.  For example, both deal with recycling but offer different services to deal with various aspects of it.  It's easy to see how it can be confusing who to contact!  You may need to check out both councils before you get on the right path.

ELDC will help you with planning matters, council tax, housing benefits, rubbish/recycling, housing, leisure & culture matters, parking, licensing, community safety & wellbeing and some environmental matters.  For online services this is your starting point or you can email an enquiry to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

MASTC is responsible for cemeteries, environmental matters such as dog bins, certain leisure facilities, grants to community bodies and maintaining of several properties in the parish.  MASTC has a Town Clerk, Deputy Town Clerk and Administrative Assistant, who are very happy to help with enquiries from the public and signpost you to an appropriate council or councillor.

Know how your council operates and makes decisions!

All councils operate in one of two ways:-

• LCC & ELDC both have a Leader & Cabinet system. This is where the largest political group form a small team, the Cabinet, to make most of the policy decisions. They will also have a number of scrutiny committees to review decisions. In addition, there will be committees to deal with issues governed by law (e.g. Licensing and Planning). The Full Council, made up of all councillors, meets to ratify cabinet decisions, answer questions from public and/or councillors, debate motions and occasionally take briefings from other government offices. Once a year the council will elect it’s Leader and every year set a new budget. The Local Government Association provides further detail.
• Whilst the Leader & Cabinet system works well for senior councils the Committee System is used for more local councils. Mablethorpe & Sutton Town Council uses this method. This enables the Full Council to delegate matters to a range of smaller groups of councillors. There are three committees that meet regularly – Planning, Administration and Personnel – plus a range of Panels and Working Groups. Task & Finish groups are appointed on an ad-hoc basis when required. All matters decided by the smaller teams are ratified at Full Council meetings.  MASTC can draw on the expertise offered by the Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils for advice, training and support in providing the community the highest standards of service.

All councils have a team of officers that provide reports to guide decision making and then implement the decisions taken.

Focusing on our Town Council ......

Committee and Full Council meetings are open to the public and are held at the Library & Community Access Point, Stanley Avenue, Mablethorpe.  Dates, agendas and notes (minutes) of meetings can be found at https://www.mablethorpesutton-tc.gov.uk/council-business/meetings/

Quick Tip!  If you are attending a Council meeting you will need to use the grey door at the rear of the building.  The Council chamber is at the top of the stairs.  There is a lift for use if you have difficulties with stairs.

Full Council meetings begin with a 10-minute public forum where members of the public may ask questions or make short statements to the Council. At the beginning of each Committee meeting, members of the public may indicate a desire to speak on any item set out on the agenda for the meeting.

Be aware of the rules!

All councils operate their meetings according to a set of rules, often referred to as Standing Orders.  Public participation procedures at meetings is outlined in one of many policies that a council will have in order to work transparently and effectively.  For MASTC these can be seen at https://www.mablethorpesutton-tc.gov.uk/council-business/policies-and-procedures/

Tips for getting the best from your council and councillors

 In no particular order ........

• Make full use of the ways in which your councillor can be contacted. If you are unable to get to the Friday morning drop-in sessions, use the email or telephone details provided.
• Being a councillor is a voluntary position, in the main carried out part-time.  Many councillors have full-time jobs as well. They may receive an expenses allowance, although many choose to forego this, especially at Town Council level.  Please bear this in mind when timing when to get in touch with a councillor.
• Don't expect that your councillor will be able to raise an issue discussed with you on a Friday at a Council Meeting the next week if it is not already on the agenda.  Meeting agendas are set and published in advance and they are strictly adhered to.  There is no 'Any Other Business' to slip in late items.
• Familiarise yourself with what the council will be discussing by noting meeting dates and agendas. Speak to your councillor about anything that you have a specific view about in advance of the meeting, or attend to give your comments during the period of the meeting assigned for the public to do so.
• Consider putting your views in writing to the Town Clerk. An exchange of written communication provides a useful record.
• Be aware that individual councillors cannot instruct an officer of the council to do something!  Councillors are bound by collective responsibility for policy decisions that are taken at Committee and full Council meetings.  They can certainly raise concerns on your behalf with officers though, and elicit a response for you.
• Be careful before employing a 'round robin' approach where, if one councillor or officer is unable to give you the answer that you wanted to hear, you move on to the next one.  There may be occasions where an issue does need escalating to a higher level to be resolved though.  If this is the case, the person you are dealing with should tell you that and ensure it is moved up the chain.  Our local councillors have developed effective procedures for sharing of details regarding their case work and will likely be aware of what each is dealing with for residents.
• Don't underestimate the power of praise! Hearing a compliment, whether expressed publicly or privately, can be a great motivator for anyone and the recipient is much more likely to respond to constructive criticism if that is needed at a later date.  Councillors and officers are no different.
• Resist the temptation to resort to social media to express your frustration, which can intensify and harden conflicts of opinion and generate responses you might not wish to read.  For some, it is helpful in such situations to knock out a few sentences in a text editor, save the file and then look at it again the next day or a few hours later and see if you still feel the same.  Sharing your views on social media can stimulate debate (good and bad examples) but is unlikely to bring a faster resolution to an issue.

SPECIAL NOTE: This article will continue to be updated from time to time.  Please bookmark it in your browser and drop by again if you wish toi be reminded of its contents or read the latest information.