Bolsover District Council’s chair becomes third councillor in three months to step down from a top role

Former chairman Tom Munro joins the former council leader and deputy leader in a significant changing of the guard.

Coun Munro, who oversees the Whitwell ward, was elected in May, 2015, and became chairman in May, 2017, but during a recent reshuffle at the authority it was formally announced on March 5, that he has decided to take on a new role as the Cabinet Member for Growth.

The move follows Coun Steve Fritchley’s retirement as leader and Coun Duncan McGregor’s retirement as deputy leader during a meeting on January 29, but just like Coun Munro, they too will continue to serve as district councillors.

Coun Munro is regarded as having been an ambassador for the authority and the district attending civic functions and events accompanied by wife Diana as well as meetings where the council says he has worked tirelessly to promote the authority and the district.

He said: “It has been a pleasure to represent the council as chair for the past eight years and Diana and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

“We have met some wonderful people and organisations who make such a difference to their local communities, and we can’t thank them enough for making us feel so welcome.

“But the time has now come for me to take up a new challenge and I can’t wait to get started.”

Councillors Fritchley, McGregor and Munro have all stepped down from top roles during a time when there is a public debate over whether the council’s development company Dragonfly – which is subject to a review – poses a conflict of interest mixing a commercial company with a public authority’s work.

The council’s Dragonfly Development Ltd has already overseen much of the council’s successful building projects but it has attracted disputed concerns from some members of the public about possible alleged conflicts of interest.

Coun Fritchley has argued there has been and is no conflict of interest with Dragonfly and the council has stated councillors on the company’s board of directors do not receive a wage or any extra remuneration and their role is to make decisions on how best to run the company in line with shareholder agreement objectives.

But an independent review has been launched into Bolsover District Council’s development company Dragonfly looking at the council’s governance arrangements in relation to its wholly-owned companies.

Coun McGregor, who is also an Elmton-with-Creswell Parish Councillor, has also faced criticism regarding the parish council’s costly Creswell leisure centre which was completed by Dragonfly when the original contractors fell into administration and it lies at the centre of the parish council’s financial struggles.

He has argued the parish council has ended-up facing possible bankruptcy after it struggled to keep the leisure centre scheme afloat during the Covid-19 crisis and a difficult economic time which saw the original contractor go into administration and costs triple.

Bolsover District Coun Munro’s new role as Cabinet Member for Growth will give him the opportunity to help shape the future of the district, grow the local economy and oversee future developments in the area, according to the council, like new council housing and the Roseland Park and Crematorium near Shirebrook.

He has served as the authority’s chairperson for eight years and the council confirmed he has raised thousands of pounds for local charities including Ashgate Hospice, SSAFA and the Chesterfield Royal Hospital Trust Charity, while supporting countless others through donations.

Coun Munro said: “I want to see our communities grow and develop and provide them with the opportunities to flourish. I want to regenerate our town and village centres and assist our businesses, all of which will boost our local economy.

“One of the first things on my ‘to do’ list is to get cracking with the projects that are being funded from the £15m Regeneration Fund. We have now received all the relevant paperwork from the Government, so I will be working closely with our officers to make sure we deliver what we promised and within the timescales.”

The district council’s newly-installed chairman Coun Duncan Haywood was elected at a meeting on March 5, and he will remain in the role until the Annual General Meeting, in May, when a new chairman will be elected.

Bolsover District Councillor Jane Yates was voted in as the authority’s new leader at a meeting on January 29, by the Labour-controlled council by a majority and she appointed Coun Donna Hales as the council’s new deputy leader.

The former leader and deputy leader previously stated that it was time for them to step down from their top roles for a younger generation to herald in a new era for the region.

Coun Fritchley, who oversees Langwith, and Coun McGregor, who oversees Elmton-with-Creswell, are also continuing to serving as district councillors with Coun Munro.