Dudley Council U-turns on decision to dispose of mayor's limo

In November 2024, council leader, Cllr Patrick Harley, approved changes to how the borough’s first citizen attends functions including removal of the post of mayor’s attendant, replacing the chains of office with replicas for some events plus disposal of the mayoral limousine and its private registration number.

Cllr Harley said the changes would save the authority around £60,000 per year and give the mayor “ the freedom to drive themselves to any number of engagements as they wish, without the need for a member of staff to accompany them”.

The decision was called in for examination by the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee the following month where representatives from the Past Mayor’s Group expressed concerns that the change would be perceived as downgrading the position and role of the mayor.

Following a recommendation from the committee the plan was shelved however the future of the way the role is carried out remains in doubt.

The issue was discussed at a meeting of the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on January 20 during a debate on the draft budget for 2025/26.

Committee chair, Cllr Shaun Keasey, asked for confirmation the service was not going to change following the previous scrutiny committee meeting.

Dudley’s deputy leader, Cllr Paul Bradley, said “nothing has changed” but he added: “I think in the future it will be looked at again but it is not in this budget”.

The council’s interim chief executive, Balvinder Heran, said: “It was agreed we would review those services, that review will come back with its recommendations at the appropriate time.

“I anticipate that will probably be sometime in the summer, at that point any next steps will be agreed through the processes at the council.”