By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
A county council by-election will be held in Ashfield on the same day as district council elections next month after a councillor stepped down from his role.
Voters in the Kirkby South division will go to the polling stations on May 4 to elect a new county councillor, replacing Councillor Daniel Williamson (Ash Ind).
Cllr Williamson was first elected to Nottinghamshire County Council in May 2021 and also represented Kirkby Cross and Portland on the district council.
However, he is not standing for re-election in May’s Ashfield District Council poll and officially stepped down from the county council on March 23.
In a statement, the Ashfield Independent politician confirmed the decision was taken due to “personal challenges and a change in personal circumstances”.
He added: “I feel I am unable any longer to represent residents in the assiduous way I have always sought to do.
“I have been proud to represent Annesley and Kirkby at County Hall and I wish my successor well in holding the Conservative administration to account.”
It means voters in the Kirkby South division will vote in both district and county council elections on the same day.
There are also parish council elections taking place across the division, including Annesley and Felley Parish Council.
The by-election is the first in Ashfield since the May 2021 county council elections, in which the Ashfield Independents secured all 10 seats.
The group then merged with four independent councillors and a Liberal Democrat at County Hall to form the Independent Alliance.
It currently sits as the joint opposition with Labour, with both groups occupying 15 out of 66 seats in the chamber.
There is one unaligned independent and a further 35 ruling Conservative councillors in the chamber.
A victory for the Ashfield Independents candidate would see the Independent Alliance remain as the joint opposition group.
Becoming joint opposition led to allowance increases and greater responsibility for senior figures in the group.
However, a victory for either the Conservatives or Labour would see the Independent Alliance demoted back to being the minority opposition group.
Labour would then return to being the main opposition group in the chamber.
Turnout for the Kirkby South division in the May 2021 election was 37.2 per cent, with 3,582 votes cast.
Daniel Williamson won the seat with 2,074 votes – 58.2 per cent of the total.
Labour finished in second place with 802 votes while the Conservative candidate was in third with 686 votes.
Candidates contesting the Kirkby South Divisional By-Election on May 4, 2023, are:
Lorraine Anne Gagan – Labour Party
Sam Howlett – Conservatives
Rachel Elisabeth Madden – Ashfield Independents £1million More For Roads
