Vacancy announced for Birches Head and Northwood ward

A vacancy has been announced for Birches Head and Northwood ward.

It comes as the city council published an official notice of vacancy this week after Steve Blakemore, ward councillor for Birches Head and Northwood, has been disqualified as a councillor on Stoke-on-Trent City Council. 

Former Councillor Blakemore is an employee of Unitas, the council’s housing maintenance company, whose employees were transferred to the council yesterday (April 1).

Under UK law a council employee cannot also be a councillor and therefore the council has had no choice but to disqualify him.

A by-election will be called in due course.