Nottingham City Council leader to leave role

David Mellen has announced he will not stand again to be Nottingham City Council's leader.

Every year, the Labour Group controlling Nottingham council meets to decide who its leadership team will be for the next 12 months.

It is understood that Councillor Mellen told his 49 fellow Labour councillors at an online meeting on Monday night (March 11) that he will not be putting his name forward to be the leader again when that annual meeting comes around.

The council issued a section 114 notice in November and government appointed commissioners were brought in to help run the authority in February.

The council had been struggling with it's finances since the collapse of council firm Robin Hood Energy in 2020, which cost the taxpayer an estimated £38million.

The Government had previously said it was 'minded' to send in the commissioners after investigations uncovered almost £40million had been wrongfully moved out of the Housing Revenue Account.