Column: ​I’ll keep banging the drum for our fantastic county as leader

​It goes without saying that I will be working tirelessly to deliver on key priorities for you and banging the drum for Nottinghamshire at every opportunity, as part of our ongoing drive to make it a better place to live work and visit.

I can’t deny that we, like all local authorities, are facing challenging times and one of my first priorities will be balancing the budget in February 2025.

However, we have an excellent record in delivering well-run, efficient services while keeping Council Tax low.

I am proud that we are one of a few local authorities that have not closed a single library, maintained a thriving youth service and have expanded rural bus services with our Nottsbus OnDemand.

We have invested more than £100 million in our capital programme and have ploughed millions of pounds into improving our roads, as well as delivering on our commitment to build schools and improve the standards of education across the county.

As a board member on the East Midlands Combined County Authority, I will be banging the drum for Nottinghamshire on transport, infrastructure, skills and investment funding and I look forward to working closer with the Mayor in these key areas.

There are projects like STEP Fusion in Bassetlaw, which will provide thousands of highly skilled jobs for Nottinghamshire residents, including hundreds of apprenticeships for young people.

Key infrastructure projects require the backing of the Mayor and our local MPs and I will be knocking on their doors regularly to fly the flag for funding across Nottinghamshire.

My predecessor, Coun Ben Bradley, played an instrumental role in helping to unlock significant investment packages for the county and I would like to thank him for his excellent work during his three-and-a-half years as leader. I look forward to building on his legacy.

I am also delighted that he will continue to play a key role in helping us shape our vision for a better Nottinghamshire as my new cabinet member for education and SEND.

He will be part of a top team which is focused on delivery, delivery, delivery for you.