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DARLINGTON Borough Council will likely be searching for a brand new chief subsequent week after Cllr Heather Scott’s determination to face down after three years.
Cllr Scott grew to become council chief in 2019 after her Conservative group grew to become the most important get together in that summer season’s elections, bringing to an finish 40 years of Labour council management.
Learn extra: Tributes to Darlington Council chief Heather Scott as she stands down
The 82-year-old, who grew to become the primary feminine chief of Darlington Council in its 152 12 months historical past, introduced her determination throughout a full assembly of the native authority on Thursday night.
She was elected as a councillor in 1976 and has been the Tory group chief for nearly 15 years.
Throughout final evening’s assembly, Cllr Scott stated it a “was very emotional night for me”.
She added: “After I grew to become chief of Darlington Borough Council in 2019, it was top-of-the-line moments in my political life.
“And to be the primary girl in that place was the icing on the cake.
“I’m not a quitter, I’ve by no means been a quitter and I’m definitely not beginning now.
“I’d not have had this chance with out being elected to the Park West ward, and I guarantee them that I’ll characterize them as all the time as a primary precedence.”
Learn extra: Darlington Council chief Heather Scott explains why she is standing down
The resignation of the chief of the council is listed as an merchandise on the agenda for subsequent Thursday’s Darlington Borough Council annual assembly, adopted by the election of a brand new chief.
Cllr Scott confronted a quick management problem final 12 months when Conservative councillors agreed Cllr Rachel Mills ought to take over as group chief, earlier than the choice was reversed months later.
However it’s her deputy, Cllr Jonathan Dulston, who seems favorite to succeed her at subsequent week’s election.
Cllr Dulston was first elected to serve the ward of Eastbourne on Darlington Borough Council in Could 2019.
Along with this he was appointed cupboard member for neighborhood security till a cupboard overview of portfolios in November 2019.
Since then, he has held the portfolio as cupboard member for stronger communities.
In September 2020 Jonathan was appointed deputy chief of the Conservative group of councillors and in time period holds the publish of Deputy Chief of the Council.
Learn extra: Heather Scott: The Darlington chief who was one of many nice political survivors
His profile on the South Durham Conservative web site says: “Jonathan is keen about communities and pushing ahead the levelling up agenda domestically to make sure each neighborhood has the most effective alternatives to succeed and turn into stronger.
“He’s at present main quite a few insurance policies and initiatives which embrace, neighborhood security, meals inequality and third sector infrastructure growth.
“In his spare time, he’s making an attempt to turn into extra energetic and through lockdown has taken up strolling and difficult himself to do 15,000 steps a day.”
Cllr Dulston himself described Cllr Scott as a “really exceptional chief” who has performed a “unbelievable job and can proceed to play her half” for Darlington Council.
Darlington MP Peter Gibson stated: “I want Jonathan Dulston nicely within the months and hopefully years forward on the helm, a lot has been achieved within the three brief years that we’ve got taken the lead at Darlington however there’s extra, a lot way more we have to obtain for us to the most effective that we may be.”
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