Bolsover District Council’s new leader pledges to provide excellent services and drive growth

District Coun Jane Yates was voted in by the Labour-controlled council by a majority vote during a council meeting on January 29 with only one councillor voting against and one other abstaining.

The new leader also appointed District Coun Donna Hales as the council’s new deputy leader.

Coun Yates said: “Firstly, I would like to thank members for putting their trust in me and I would like to confirm the deputy leader as Coun Donna Hales.”

The new leader praised the former leadership’s work including a £36m investment into building new council properties, an investment of over £20m to improve independent living schemes for elderly residents, the introduction of the burgundy bin service and the council-owned Dragonfly development company which she said has built homes, regenerated the area and generated growth.

However, the former leader has had to weather criticism concerning accusations that the running of the Dragonfly company by a public body poses a conflict of interest, and after an investigation found he had used language that could have been perceived as ‘homophobic’ with reference to former MP Mark Fletcher.

Coun McGregor is also facing a challenging time after his oversight, both as a parish and district councillor, into the costly Elmton-with-Creswell Parish Council-run Creswell leisure centre and the parish council’s subsequent financial crisis.

However, Coun Fritchley’s and Coun McGregor’s years of service and contributions have been applauded by the district council.

Coun Yates pledged to build on their achievements and fulfil the corporate aims of the council by providing excellent and accessible services and driving growth.

She said: “I pledge to build on the achievements of the previous leadership and fulfil corporate aims of providing excellent and accessible services and driving growth and protecting businesses and delivering private sector growth.”

Coun Yates also said she aims to create a new position at the council to address the Labour Government’s Local Government Reorganisation and devolution plans which include proposals to create singular unitary councils in two-tier regions like Derbyshire by possibly merging district and borough councils.

She added that she wants the council to also look at how it communicates with the public to keep residents informed.

Council chairman Tom Munro expressed his thanks to the former leadership during the meeting and councillor Sandra Peake also said she was sure anyone in the room is thankful for what Coun Fritchley and Coun McGregor have done for the authority.

Coun Fritchley, who forwarded apologies for his and Coun McGregor’s absence at the meeting, stated in a message read out by Coun Munro that everyone’s support has been appreciated.

He added: “We are proud of the progress made by everyone at Bolsover District Council and the part we have all played.”

Coun Fritchley also stated that his colleagues have all had the freedom to work their portfolios and deliver on their ambitions.

He added that under Local Government Reorganisation any new authority will need service delivery locally and regionally and that this will mean the ‘vast majority of jobs will be safe’.

Council chief executive Karen Hanson said the former leadership had made bold statements that they would not make any redundancies and they would provide excellent services and the Leader said he wanted councillors who were not restricted and they both kept to their word.

Coun Fritchley, who oversees Langwith, and Coun McGregor, who oversees Elmton-with-Creswell, aim to continue serving as district councillors.

Ms Hanson added that she is looking forward to working with the new leader, Coun Yates, who oversees Shirebrook South, and deputy leader, Coun Hales, who oversees Bolsover North and Shuttlewood.