It was debated last night but did not receive a majority vote, meaning the current Leader, Cllr Richard Biggs, remains in post.
42 councillors attended the meeting with 20 voting in support of the motion and 21 voting against with one abstention.
A cross-party group of Green, Liberal Democrat and Independent councillors put forward the motion, citing “serious concerns” with the way the Conservatives are leading the council.
Cllr Richard Biggs said: “I’m grateful for the support of my colleagues who showed their faith in my leadership, recognising the important work we are doing to enable our communities to thrive and provide support for those in need.
“With local government reorganisation imminent, we need stability to continue to work at pace to deliver key projects – like reopening The Harlequin Theatre, finalising the Community Governance Review, launching our Community Asset Transfer Programme – alongside preparing for a smooth transition to a new unitary and keeping our day-to-day services running efficiently.”
Chief Executive Mari Roberts-Wood said: “We look forward to continuing to support the leadership of this council, with a key focus on preparing for local government reorganisation and striving to achieve the best outcomes for our residents whilst leaving a positive legacy of our council.”
