Seven councillors to step down from Norwich City Council

Leader Alan Waters will stand down after 32 years on the council

Seven councillors on a city council have confirmed they will be stepping down from the authority.

Among those not seeking re-election to Norwich City Council on 4 May were four from the ruling Labour group.

They include authority leader Alan Waters and deputy leader Gail Harris who confirmed their decision last year.

Mr Waters, who has been leader since 2015, previously said it had been a "tremendous privilege" to be a councillor.

He has been on authority for 32 years and also served as leader from 1993 to 1998.

Fellow Labour councillors Sally Button and Erin Fulton-McAlister will also be standing down, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

From the opposition Green group, Lesley Grahame, Sandra Bogelein, and Denise Carlo will not be standing again.

The council is made up of 25 Labour, 11 Green and 3 Liberal Democrat councillors.

The moves come at a time when the council is experiencing wider changes with chief executive Stephen Evans stepping down at the end of March.

He will be replaced on an interim basis by Louise Rawsthorne, who has been in charge of resident-facing services at the council since April 2021.