Personally I am not taking sides over whether EMR or Northern Rail takes responsibity for the Barton line service as I can see pros and cons for each. In fact I still feel that the best solution would be for the service to be re-absorbed into the TPE franchise if they can be persuaded to agree.
While this change of plan appears as a big surprise, Northern Lincolnshire's identity has been an ongoing issue for decades, if not right back to the days when we were in Lindsey. It may be recalled that Lindsey was created in Saxon times as a buffer between the warring states of Mercia (i.e. East Midlands) and Northumberland (i.e. the North). Northern Lincolnshire has always traded and communicated more with Hull and southern Yorkshire than with Lincoln and Lincolnshire in general. Yet, when we were lumped with the north bank under Humberside CC (more for political reasons than for commercial ones) people objected vociferously. Now proposals are being aired that we consider ourselves as within Lincolnshire. So, as the French say, 'plus ca change plus ca rest de meme' (the more it changes the more it stays the same).