Council leader to step down at next election

Jason Smithers has been leader of North Northamptonshire Council since 2021

The leader of a unitary council has announced he will not seek re-election when people go to the polls in May.

Jason Smithers has led Conservative-controlled North Northamptonshire Council since it was created in 2021.

He had previously been a town councillor and was chosen to be mayor of Higham Ferrers in 2018.

He said he wanted to "focus more on my family" and "transition into semi-retirement".

Elections to North Northamptonshire Council are due to take place on 1 May.

Smithers was elected to represent Oundle on the authority and became its first leader on 6 May 2021.

As a business person, he has owned a cafe in Higham Ferrers and a car rental company.

Jason Smithers will not be taking part in the next council elections

He was at the helm in North Northamptonshire when the council sent out 800 incorrect council tax summonses in 2021.

He admitted that the council had "fallen short" when only 60% of social housing tenants in its area said they were satisfied with the council's actions as a landlord.

There were calls for him to quit last year after the council consulted the wrong street about a proposal for a new warehouse.

Jason Smithers was leader of the council when it consulted a wrong street on a proposal for a big warehouse in Corby

More positive news came last November when an external review of the council found it had made significant progress.

The Local Government Association said: "So much has been achieved by North Northamptonshire Council since vesting day and this needs to be celebrated."

An Ofsted review of the area's services for children in care last year found they had "significantly improved".

Smithers said: "It has been a privilege and honour to be the council's first leader and to serve everyone in North Northamptonshire.

"I feel that I have helped get the authority off to a solid start. Now feels like the right time for me to transition into semi-retirement, focus more on my family and on new opportunities ahead."