The Planning and Infrastructure Bill 2025 is set to reshape how infrastructure, housing, and transport are delivered across the country. While I have serious concerns about aspects of this bill—particularly around the cost of Net Zero mandates and new levies on development—it also allows a Greater Lincolnshire Mayor to take absolute control over our region's future.
For too long, decisions about Lincolnshire have been made in Westminster by people who don't understand our county's challenges. This bill gives us some of the tools we need to fix what's been broken, though it doesn't go far enough in putting full power in local hands.
Here's where the bill helps us, where it falls short, and how, as mayor, I will use these powers to deliver real change for Lincolnshire.
Transport and Infrastructure: Finally, Some Control
One of my key campaign pledges is to "Get Lincolnshire Moving" by fixing our roads, improving public transport, and cutting rural isolation. This bill gives the mayor more significant influence over major transport projects, making securing funding for the A15, A16, and A17 upgrades easier.
We currently receive 25% less transport funding per capita than the average. That is unacceptable. With these new powers, I will:
1. Push for priority road improvements—starting with the key bottlenecks that hold back our economy.
2. Set up "Transport for Greater Lincolnshire"—a unified transport body to fight for our fair share of funding.
3. Demand proper investment in rail links—Lincolnshire's towns deserve better connections to major cities like Nottingham, Sheffield, and London.
The Concern: Who Pays?
This bill also introduces new levies on developments to help fund infrastructure. Developers should, in principle, contribute to local infrastructure, but I won't allow this to become a backdoor tax that drives up costs for businesses and homeowners.
As mayor, I'll ensure every penny raised in Lincolnshire stays in Lincolnshire rather than being siphoned off to fund other regions.
Housing and Planning: Local Decisions, Not London Dictates
Lincolnshire needs more homes, but we need the right homes in the right places, not Westminster-dictated mass developments that ignore local infrastructure.
This bill gives mayors more control over planning approvals and fast-tracks brownfield site development. That means:
1. We can prioritise housing for local people rather than being forced into unsustainable, top-down targets.
2. We can cut red tape for rural developments, making it easier to build homes where they're needed.
3. We can regenerate town centres, bringing life back to high streets and market towns.
The Concern: Development Must Work for Lincolnshire
While I support cutting bureaucracy, I will fight against any attempt to force overdevelopment on rural areas without proper infrastructure. We've seen mass housebuilding without enough schools, GPs, or roads to support it.
As mayor, I will:
✅ Prioritise a "Lincolnshire First" approach to housing, ensuring local needs come first.
✅ Push for Homes for Heroes, ensuring veterans and key workers access affordable housing.
✅ Stand firm against inappropriate solar farm sprawl, protecting our farmland from being swallowed by Net Zero-driven land grabs.
Energy and the Net Zero Debate
Lincolnshire has the potential to be a green energy leader, but this bill pushes Net Zero mandates without proper local input.
1. It expands offshore wind and hydrogen investment—which could benefit Lincolnshire, particularly our ports.
2. It gives mayors more say over regional energy projects—which means I can fight for nuclear and hydrogen innovation instead of unreliable wind and solar farms on prime farmland.
The Concern: Net Zero Costs on Rural Communities
This bill does not go far enough in protecting rural households from rising energy costs. Policies like the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate and heat pump targets will hurt Lincolnshire's families and businesses.
I will fight for a Lincolnshire Energy Plan that: ✔ Invests in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) for reliable, affordable nuclear energy.
✔ Protects farmers from losing land to unnecessary solar projects.
✔ Brings hydrogen and biofuel investment to the Humber Freeport, securing well-paid jobs.
What This Bill Gets Wrong: The Nature Restoration Levy
One of this bill's most significant hidden taxes is the Nature Restoration Levy—a charge on developers to fund conservation projects. While protecting Lincolnshire's natural beauty is vital, I won't support extra taxes that push house prices and hurt small businesses.
Instead of another top-down levy, I will:
1. Champion voluntary conservation schemes for farmers rather than forcing extra costs on them.
2. Ensure this levy is only applied where it genuinely improves local biodiversity—not as another cash grab.
3. Fight for exemptions for rural businesses, who already face enough bureaucratic costs.
How I'll Use These Powers for Lincolnshire
Despite its flaws, this bill gives the Greater Lincolnshire Mayor real leverage for the first time. Unlike Labour or the Tories, who accept whatever Westminster dictates, I will use these powers to:
1. Secure better transport funding and fix Lincolnshire's roads.
2. Ensure housing development is for local people, not central government quotas.
3. Back practical energy solutions, not just Net Zero ideology.
4. Stop extra levies and hidden taxes that hit families and businesses.
This bill isn't perfect, but it's a start. If elected mayor, I will fight to ensure that these new powers benefit Lincolnshire, not burden it.
The choice in this election is clear: a mayor who will fight for Lincolnshire or manage decline.
It's time for authentic leadership, real investment, and real action. Let's make sure Greater Lincolnshire gets its fair share.
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