Tributes to Hucknall councillor as Ashfield District Council's covid committee is wound up

Councillors voted to end the time-limited committee at a meeting of the full council, but promised that recovery would be in every facet of decision making moving forward.

Members also paid tribute to Coun Jim Blagden (Ash Ind), who represents Hucknall Central, for his work as one of the driving forces behind the influential committee.

The committee was set up in August 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Coun David Hennigan (Ind), the council’s executive lead member for corporate communications and climate change, led the committee from its inception until May 2021.

Coun Hennigan said: “As we recover from the pandemic, it’s only right that this committee is wound up – the recovery from Covid and our regeneration is at the heart of everything we do.

“Alongside Jim, I led this committee during successive lockdowns and it’s no exaggeration to say it saved lives and saved many businesses and retailers from going bust.

"From improving access to vaccinations at Rolls-Royce in Hucknall, to securing mobile hand sanitisers in council car parks or assisting hundreds of retailers with crucial Covid grants – this committee did exactly what it set out to do.

"We even made sure the council maintained and enhanced its bin collections – the only council in Nottinghamshire to have done so.

Couns Hennigan and Blagden will now lead the council’s communication and climate change strategy.