Uttlesford District Council leader says resignation is planned

The leader of a council has said his resignation was always planned and nothing to do with any issues the authority has faced.

John Lodge, leader of Uttlesford District Council in Essex, is due to resign next week.

The council has faced issues including a police investigation and a £2m bill after dropping a legal challenge over Stansted Airport's expansion.

Mr Lodge said his resignation was "a completely planned event".

"I'm handing over the reins," he said.

"Were I to stand in the next election I would be well into my 80s by the end of term.

"This has been a planned move since we won the election."

Mr Lodge became the leader of the council when the group he founded, Residents for Uttlesford, took 17 seats from the Conservatives in the May 2019 election.

The council was handed a bill of £2m after dropping a legal challenge to overturn a decision to allow Stansted Airport to expand its passenger capacity.

It also faced a police investigation, with Essex Police's Serious Economic Crime Unit saying it had sent evidence of a matter at the council to be reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service.

An investment programme, involving borrowing hundreds of millions of pounds to invest in property to provide an income, was also criticised by opposition councillors.

Mr Lodge said his resignation was "not in the slightest" anything to do with any of the issues faced by the council.

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