Bassetlaw District Council Leader, Cllr James Naish and Deputy Leader, Cllr Jo White have announced their intention to step down from their leadership roles following their election to parliament.
They will stand down before the summer break, as both will need to be in Parliament regularly due to the significant legislative programme planned by the new government.
It means a new Leader and Deputy Leader will be in place for all the September meetings.
In a joint statement, Cllr Naish and Cllr White said:
“It goes without saying that it has been a privilege to lead this authority, and there is significant sadness accompanied with the inevitable delight at last week's results.
“The Council has come on a significant journey over the past 14 years, following a largely successful fight to protect services during the austerity years; and especially over the past 2-3 years with unparalleled levels of investment including the flagship STEP prototype fusion energy plant which was secured in autumn 2022.
"The Council has also updated its processes, procedures and plans, including through the recent adoption of the Bassetlaw Local Plan, which means that we can put an end to speculative development, plan properly for new housing and employment, and help ensure that vital infrastructure is provided alongside new building in the District.
“Thank you everyone for your support in these roles. We are a very effective team in Bassetlaw and hope this will continue as the district enters a new and ambitious era. We would like to thank all council officers and staff for their hard work, dedication and commitment to serving our residents and communities.”
Both Cllr Naish and Cllr White will be available over the summer months for handover activities and will support the new Leader and Deputy Leader as they settle into their new roles.
Neither will be taking councillor allowances from the point of being elected to Parliament and both Cllr Naish and Cllr White ultimately intend to stand down as ward Councillors.
As the Labour Group forms the Council’s political administration, voting for the new Leader and Deputy Leader will take place at the next Labour group meeting on Monday 22nd July.
In line with the Council’s constitution, both positions will have to be confirmed by a meeting of full council. This will take place on Thursday 25th July at the Extraordinary Council meeting in Worksop.
Last Updated on Thursday, July 18, 2024