Key Lincolnshire and Newark investments highlighted in East Midlands report which warns of underinvestment

A new report has called for urgent investment in Lincolnshire’s roads, flood defences and clean energy sector, warning that the East Midlands has faced long-term underinvestment.

The East Midlands All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) has published recommendations ahead of the 2025 Spending Review.

The APPG concluded that without targeted investment in transport, energy, skills and flood resilience, Lincolnshire’s future economic growth could be undermined.

James Naish MP, APPG chairman, said: “The data is clear – the [East Midlands] region hasn’t seen its fair share of investment historically, and this needs to change.

“Underpinning all our discussions as a group of parliamentarians and local government representatives was the scale of the opportunities for economic and housing growth across the East Midlands.

“This can be partly realised by removing blockages and bottlenecks in the planning system, but we also need to address the historically low levels of investment in the East Midlands which demonstrably limits the region’s wider economic contribution.”

The A1 corridor between Peterborough and Blyth, passing Newark, Grantham, and Stamford, featured among key schemes identified for development.

The APPG noted that improvements to the A46 Newark Bypass, which is currently under construction, also needed to be prioritised in order to improve connectivity between Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

The report backed line speed upgrades between Lincoln and Nottingham to improve regional rail services and reduce journey times.

It also called for improvements to the M1 junction 24, which, though outside Lincolnshire, would ease traffic to and from the county.

Beyond transport, flooding emerged as one of the most pressing concerns.

The report says Lincolnshire holds 45% of England’s floodplain and cites recent flooding that hit over 950 properties.

Despite this, the region receives one of the lowest levels of flood funding per property at risk—£3,227 compared to over £12,000 in parts of the North.

The APPG urged the government to overhaul its flood defence investment model.

It said over-reliance on land value disadvantages rural counties like Lincolnshire.

The report also called for greater support for nature-based solutions such as wetland creation and sustainable drainage systems, especially in areas like Boston and West Lindsey.

Meanwhile, Lincolnshire’s clean energy potential received strong backing.

The report noted that the low carbon and energy sector is already worth £1.2bn to Greater Lincolnshire, with £60bn of investment expected over the next 15 years.

It identified key opportunities including offshore wind, hydrogen in South Lincolnshire, and carbon capture at Theddlethorpe.

Local councils and businesses called for devolved skills funding.

According to the report, Lincolnshire County Council noted that young people often struggle to navigate fragmented training pathways.

It supported a move towards more locally driven solutions that match jobseekers with real opportunities.

This included a pilot network of Local Employment Hubs across the East Midlands and full devolution of skills and business support funding.

The report further warned that unless the government acts quickly to support rail electrification—particularly the completion of the Midland Main Line— which could allow battery-electric services between Lincolnshire and Nottingham.

The report has already received praise from some local councillors including Stamford’s Richard Cleaver (Ind) who said: “I'm pleased to see that they include both strategic enhancement of the A1 and an immediate cash boost for flood defence maintenance and renewal.

“Let's hope the government takes heed of this.”