Leader of North Somerset Council steps down
Councillor Don Davies has decided to step down.
Cllr Don Davies has decided to stand down from his role as Leader of the Independent Group on North Somerset Council, and consequently as Leader of the Council.
North Somerset Council will elect a new Leader of the Council at the Full Council meeting tomorrow evening. Cllr Davies has led the council for three years since the local elections in 2019.
Cllr Davies said: "I am very proud of what our partnership has achieved since taking power in 2019. When I became Leader, I could not have imagined we would have to live through times like these. Not only have we had to deal with addressing the climate emergency against a backdrop of austerity and increased demand for our services, but we have had to respond to the COVID pandemic, and now navigate the additional cost pressures resulting from inflation and the war in Ukraine.
“I would like to thank colleagues, residents, and the exceptional commitment of our brilliant officers at North Somerset Council, without whom none of this would be possible."
Councillors will take a vote on who they would like to become Leader of the Council until the next local elections in May 2023. The Independent Group has selected Cllr Steve Bridger as their new leader and he will be nominated as the new council Leader at the Full Council meeting tomorrow evening Tuesday 10 May. The meeting will be held at the Town Hall in Weston-super-Mare starting at 6pm.
Cllr Davies added: “As we approach the local elections here in North Somerset next May, I feel that now is a good time to pass the baton onto someone else who can continue work with colleagues to deliver the change our communities so desperately need in this very challenging world. I am sure that Cllr Steve Bridger is that person.”
Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.