Ben Bradley is to step down as leader of Nottinghamshire County Council.
Cllr Bradley informed the Conservative Group in the council of his decision this afternoon.
The departing leader became a county councillor back in 2017 and became the Leader in 2021 following the retirement of long-serving former leader Kay Cutts.
Nottinghamshire County Council’s Conservative Group will now run a process of selecting a new Group Leader, before the Council appoints the new Council Leader at their next formal meeting on December 5th.
Councillor Bradley will remain in post until a leader has been appointed, in order to ensure stability and continuity.
He said this year had been a ‘challenging one’ following two election defeats.
Cllr Bradley said: “I have considered very carefully the impact of putting my family through further election uncertainty in 2025, and the pressure that this puts on them. I would love to build my plans for the future around leading this Authority for many years to come, but unfortunately the uncertain nature of politics means that I’m not able to do that.
“It has become increasingly clear that being the Leader of the Council simply is not compatible with many of the new opportunities I now need to consider. I have therefore decided that, in order to ensure the best possible process and maximum stability for the organisation, I should step away over the coming weeks and support my colleagues to transition to new leadership.
“Having made this decision, and with County Council elections now on the horizon, it would not be fair to my colleagues at the Council to deny them the chance to look ahead with certainty. I think that an orderly and managed transition at the earliest possible opportunity, is the best way to ensure that we are able to offer continuity and stability to our partners.’’
Bradley said he was proud of what had been achieved by the council during his tenure as leader.
“I am proud that Nottinghamshire and Nottinghamshire County Council demonstrated significant influence in the national agenda, helping us to secure major new investment in the form of the East Midlands Combined Authority and billions of associated new funding, and the STEP Fusion Energy project in the North of the County that will create thousands of new jobs and training opportunities for local people, along with significant new investment and infrastructure to support clean energy research.
“The Council has worked hard to deliver significant service transformation and improvement, particularly across Adult Social Care and Children’s Services, which has put us in good stead for the future. I am incredibly proud of our record of delivering new schools, SEND places, and continuing to push forward with an extensive programme of capital investment in our county, despite the financial pressures across Local Government.”
It is understood that Cllr Bradley will not seek re-election to the Council when polls take place in May 2025.
