William Eichler 04 April 2018

Leader denies decision to step down related to local plan defeat

The leader of South Oxfordshire District Council has denied his decision to step down before the local elections is related to the postponement of the authority’s local plan.

Cllr John Cotton has announced he will not be submitting his name for the upcoming Conservative Group elections which means he will be stepping down from his post as council leader.

There has been speculation that Cllr Cotton’s decision was prompted by the defeat of the council’s local plan in its current form. However, he denies this describing the timing as ‘somewhat coincidental’.

‘I'll have been a councillor for 20 years by the May 2019 elections,’ he told LocalGov.

‘As such, I'm not certain to stand and so it makes sense to give the new leader a good run-up ahead of those.’

Despite this, however, Cllr Cotton did say that several members of the council had got ‘cold feet’ when it came to supporting the local plan.

He said they were put off by the scale of the development proposed, which is 50% more than is recommended by Government guidelines, as well as by the strategic sites set out, which include a Green Belt plot and one owned by Homes England.

It will come back to council in a few weeks for a final decision.

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Graduate Trainee Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

North Yorkshire Council
£25,183 - £30,559
Could you help us deliver Electric Vehicle infrastructure to support this new transformation mode of transport. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: North Yorkshire Council

Contracts and Strategy Officer

Royal Borough of Greenwich
£41,442 - £44,331
Royal Greenwich is on the up! Having achieved a 3.8% increase in our recycling rate this year Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Senior Developer

Royal Borough of Greenwich
£52,584 - £69,068
Royal Greenwich is a vibrant borough, with a rich history and diverse community. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

SEND Operations Assistant - 2 year FTC

Essex County Council
£25081 - £26679 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & Local Gov Pension
SEND Operations AssistantFixed Term, Full Time£25,081 to £26,679 Per AnnumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Welfare Benefits & Money Advice Caseworker

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Band E SCP 18-25 (£30,559 - £35,235 per annum
We have an exciting opportunity for a skilled individual to join our Welfare Rights Team Sandwell, West Midlands
Recuriter: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Linkedin Banner