Information on Loughborough

Sharon resigns in sadness

Posted on 09/09/2008

election to be called

Sharon Williams, resident and Labour councillor for Hathern & Dishley for six years has resigned only days before the Charnwood Borough Council’s plans for development affecting her village are due to be published.

Loughborough Dishley and Hathern is represented by both John Hodgson (conservative) and Sharon Williams. At the last election Labour received 1,709 votes with the Conservatives obtaining 1,491. The BNP received 341.

Max Hunt (Labour councillor for Loughborough Garendon), Leader of the Labour Group said: “It is very sad that a councillor as good as Sharon felt she couldn’t continue.  The pressures of the job are extreme when facing development plans and she just felt she had given her all to defend the village.”

In a statement Sharon Williams said:

I am sad to say that after much thought and struggle I have reluctantly decided to resign from the Borough Council.

The reasons are complex, they are about family and personal time, but also about how effective I feel I can be regarding the forthcoming development plans. I have fought and fought to protect Hathern, as I hope many of you know.

It looks as if the new Conservative Cabinet are going to suggest we go back to building on Garendon—the plan I thought we’d successfully banished when our last administration called for alternatives. This has been a big blow for me.

Finally I would like to thank County Councillor Betty Newton, from the bottom of my heart for the strength and support for the help, advice and support she has given me, and the village over the last three years. She has tried to persuade me to remain, but I feel I have done all I can.