Councillor kicked off Corby Council for not attending a meeting in six months

Corby Council is based at The Cube in the town centre

Two councillors have left Corby Council.

Cllr Peter Petch, who represents the Danesholme ward, has been removed from the council after breaching the rules by failing to attend a meeting in six months and Cllr Isabel McNab, who is the councillor for Kingswood, has resigned for personal reasons.

By-elections to replace the two councillors who were elected to the authority as Labour party candidates will not take place.

The council will be wound up next April to make way for the new North Northants Unitary Council.

Elections to the new authority will be held next May.

A notice on the council’s website says: "In accordance with Section 89(1) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended by Section 5(1) of the Local Government and Police and Crime Commissioner (Coronavirus) (Postponement of Elections and Referendums) Regulations 2020) a poll is not to be held to fill the vacancy, and the vacancy will be filled at the next ordinary election of councillors on 6th May 2021."

Corby Council has only met three times since the Covid-19 lockdown began on March 23 as it says it is dealing with ‘essential business only’.

At it’s full council meeting last night (Wednesday), the authority agreed for an extension to the six month rule, due to the infrequency of meetings because of the Covid crisis.

Under a set of special circumstances, such as illness and working commitments, the authority’s monitoring officer Paul Goult can now decide to extend the six month attendance rule for the councillor if they apply in writing before the end of the half year period.