Pictured L-R: David Armiger, Chief Executive, Cllr Julie Leigh, Leader Bassetlaw District Council, Cllr Jonathan Slater, Deputy Leader Bassetlaw District Council
Bassetlaw District Council has a new Leader and Deputy after Cllr Julie Leigh and Cllr Jonathan Slater were appointed to the roles at a meeting of Extraordinary Council last night. (Thursday 25th July 2024)
The appointment of new leadership comes after former Leader, Cllr James Naish and former Deputy, Cllr Jo White stood down following their election to Parliament.
Cllr Julie Leigh represents Worksop South Ward and in addition to her role as Leader will take on the Cabinet Portfolio for Communications, Policy & Performance. Cllr Jonathan Slater who represents the East Retford North Ward retains his current Cabinet Portfolio of Housing and Estates in addition to the role of Deputy Leader.
One of Cllr Leigh’s first acts as the new Leader was to confirm the appointment of Cllr Steve Scotthorne (Carlton Ward) as Cabinet Member for Identity and Place and Cllr Charles Adams (Welbeck Ward) as Cabinet Member for Business and Skills.
Speaking at Extraordinary Council, Cllr Leigh paid tribute to the outgoing Leadership team and wished them well for their new roles in Westminster. Setting out her immediate priorities the new Leader pledged to work with work with everybody who genuinely wants to improve the aspirations, life chances and daily lives of those living in the District as well as ensuring the that the Council is in the best possible shape to meet both the challenges and opportunities of the future.
Cllr Julie Leigh said: “My initial focus will be on revitalising our town centres, sorting vacancies and repair issues in our housing stock, littering and cleanliness, anti social behaviour and promoting and improving our communication so that people feel more in touch with the Council. We particularly need to do this with the Local Plan so that residents can see that it is a positive tool for Bassetlaw. We also recognise that times are hard for many people and we will continue to work with our excellent partners across both the voluntary and public sector to help residents with the cost of living. There is a lot to go at, both in terms of the bigger picture and the here and now, but by working together, I am confident we can get the job done.”
Cllr Jonathan Slater said: "It is an honour to be appointed as Deputy Leader and I look forward to working with and supporting Cllr Julie Leigh, as well as engaging with our elected members, to ensure we deliver the highest quality services for all our residents in Bassetlaw over the next three years. There are some tremendous opportunities for the District, not least the STEP project to build the UK’s prototype fusion energy powerplant at West Burton and the new East Midlands Investment Zone near Worksop. As a Leadership Team we will push hard for this investment to benefit Bassetlaw residents.”
Last Updated on Friday, July 26, 2024