Sheffield Community councillor resigns after six years in town hall
A long-standing Sheffield councillor has resigned, potentially prompting a by-election in the city’s north.
Julie Grocutt, councillor for Stocksbridge and Upper Don and a member of the Sheffield Community Councillors Group, has stepped down from her role.
Her resignation was confirmed after her name was removed from Sheffield City Council’s website.
Cllr Grocutt, a former police officer with 33 years of service in South Yorkshire Police, first entered politics in 2015 as a member of Stocksbridge Town Council. She was elected to the city council in 2019 as a Labour representative.
In 2023, she was among seven councillors who left the Labour Party to form the Sheffield Community Councillors Group, following their suspension for refusing to back the party’s position during a vote on the city’s Local Plan.
According to a letter seen by the LDRS, a by-election will be called if two local government electors from the Sheffield City Council area formally request one in writing. If triggered, the by-election would likely take place on a Thursday between late June and the end of July.
If no such request is made, the seat will remain vacant until the next scheduled local elections in 2026.
The LDRS has approached both Cllr Grocutt and her group leader, Cllr Dianne Hurst, for comment.