Next Friday, the County Council will debate a proposal to launch a public consultation on moving to a unitary system of local government in Lincolnshire.

A unitary system would reduce the three layers of local government we have in our area; county, district, and parish, to two layers; a unitary authority and the parish council.

Conservative County Council leader Martin Hill is enthusiastic about this prospect and has previously suggested a move to a single unitary authority for Lincolnshire which it is claimed would save millions.

My view is that there has to be a balance between trying to save money and ensuring local councils are accountable to those they serve. I think a single unitary authority, even if that might save the most money, is not the right approach.

A unitary system could work but there has to be several unitary authorities, not one. Not necessarily the same number as the district councils we have today but a smaller number of unitaries covering a larger area. That would I think be a better balance.

Any change in structure has to be accompanied by a change in how the authorities work. I’d like to see all council meetings streamed live online, for example, to make it easier for those who can’t attend in person to see what happens.

Ultimately, I think these are things which those of us interested in local politics can get quite excited and vocal about. For most people their priority is simply getting good local services and they don’t care who provides them.

We do have to make sure the structure of local government is not a barrier to providing those services. I think it is right therefore that we do review the current structure to see if it does best meet the needs of residents.