By Jamie Waller, Local Democracy Reporter
A meeting to confirm the new Nottinghamshire Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner will be held next month after the last one was unexpectedly delayed.
Nottingham City Councillor Angela Kandola (Lab) has been nominated as Commissioner Gary Godden’s second in a £62,000-a-year role.
However her confirmation at the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Panel was cancelled just minutes after the meeting started earlier this month to carry out more “checks and due diligence”.
The office of the Commissioner has said that Cllr Kandola’s hearing is due to go ahead again on Monday, September 16.
The Deputy Commissioner is responsible for taking on some roles the PCC delegates and leading on specified areas of the Police and Crime Plan.
Councillors who arrived at the previous meeting on August 6 where taken by surprise by the cancellation.
Mr Godden told the meeting: “Unfortunately I have some checks and due diligence relevant to the appointment still to do.
“I can only apologise to the panel today for the inconvenience which has been caused.
“I request that we can postpone the appointment until those checks have been completed and I am satisfied with them.”
Chair Councillor Christine Goldstraw said: “It’s unfortunate that we didn’t know until we arrived here this morning, but occasionally these things come at you from left field.”
The meeting lasted just six minutes, and Mr Godden declined to elaborate on the reason after the meeting.
Mr Godden was elected on May 3, beating Conservative Caroline Henry, who had been elected in 2021.
The dputy role hadn’t been used under Mrs Henry, who said she didn’t want to “waste money”, but it did exist under Labour’s Paddy Tipping, who lost the May 2021 election to Mrs Henry.
Under Mr Tipping the role was held by first Chris Cutland and later Emma Foody.
Cllr Kandola has represented the Berridge ward in Nottingham since 2019, and has worked in the charity sector for 25 years tackling mental health problems, substance abuse, homelessness and domestic violence.
If appointed, she would serve until the next Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner election in 2028.
