A CITY councillor is standing down in York prompting a by-election.

Lib Dem councillor, Ed Pearson, has resigned from the City of York Council having first been elected by residents in Haxby and Wigginton in 2019.

Cllr Pearson says he has taken the difficult decision to step down as a city councillor due to work commitments, to spend more time with his family, and focus on his health and wellbeing.

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The City of York Council will now set out plans for a by-election to be held in Haxby and Wigginton, with an expected polling day in early December. York Liberal Democrats are due to announce their candidate to stand in this by-election in the near future.

Cllr Ed Pearson said: "It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as a Ward Councillor in this wonderful city I call home, representing the residents of Haxby and Wigginton as best I could for the past five and a half years. However, I have increasingly struggled to balance this important and time-consuming role with the simultaneous pressures of my railway career and my family to the detriment of a healthy lifestyle.

“I have therefore made the difficult decision to stand down.

“The last five years have been overshadowed by a global pandemic; and growing financial and societal challenges, meaning our council is increasingly demanded to deliver more with less. Despite these challenges, I am incredibly thankful for the progress we have made both across York and within Haxby and Wigginton. Personal highlights include the opening of a new library and changing places at the Haxby and Wigginton Community Centre, the implementation of Christmas lights and new bus shelters around Haxby, and improvements to community facilities. I am so proud and pleased of the significant progress we have made on the Haxby Station project; and despite recent set-backs I remain optimistic that we will soon see trains calling at a re-opened Haxby station.

“It is my intention to remain as a town councillor on Haxby Town Council, where some great work is happening at a very local level. I look forward to continue working in this capacity with City of York Council and our ward councillors going forward to bring these important projects to fruition and continue to serve the residents of Haxby and Wigginton.

“I would like to say a huge thank you to the residents who placed their trust in me.”

York Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Cllr Nigel Ayre, said: “It has been a pleasure working with Ed on the council for the past five years and I know that this has been a very difficult decision for him to take. I’d like to thank Ed for the contribution he has made to the Haxby and Wigginton community where he lives, and I know that in his role as a Haxby Town Councillor he will continue to serve local residents."