A Somerset councillor has been granted a leave of absence after waiting six years for surgery.
Councillor Lucy Trimnell is one of two Conservative councillors for the Wincanton and Bruton division, which includes the two market towns and numerous small villages near the borders with Dorset and Wiltshire.
Ms Trimnell - a key member of the Tories' shadow cabinet - posted on social media in late-August following her admission to hospital for surgery, being discharged in early-September.
Somerset Council has now granted Ms Trimnell a six-month leave of absence while she recuperates at home - meaning she will not have to attend any meetings in person until the end of February 2027.
Ms Trimnell was elected to her current seat in the local elections held in May 2022, and currently serves as shadow portfolio holder for adult services, housing and homelessness.
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In addition to this responsibility, she sits on two scrutiny committees and is a member of the South East Somerset local community network (LCN), which seeks to deliver community projects in and around Wincanton.
She stood in the Frome and East Somerset constituency at the 2024 general election, finishing second behind the Liberal Democrat winner Anna Sabine.
Ms Trimnell said: "I have been waiting for six years for this surgery and am really pleased that it has gone well so far - but it is a third attempt to put right a surgical injury from a decade ago, so I need to ensure that I take the time to heal.
"I don’t intend to be off for the full six months; I just need that allowance in case anything goes wrong and hope to be back to full duties later in the autumn.
"In the meantime, my inbox is being monitored by my divisional colleague, Councillor Tom Power, and Councillor Diogo Rodrigues is looking after my opposition portfolio work."
Under Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972, any councillor who does not attend any meeting for six consecutive months must stand down and a by-election called to replace them - unless they have been granted a dispensation by the chief executive.
Ms Trimnell is one of five councillors currently on a leave of absence on health grounds - the others being Suria Aujla (Conservative, Huntspill), Jo Roundell Greene (Lib Dem, South Petherton and Islemoor), Gill Slocombe (Conservative, Bridgwater West) and Rosemary Woods (Conservative, Watchet and Stogursey).
Alyn Jones, the council's monitoring officer, stated: "All necessary parties have been consulted on this proposal as required under the council’s delegated authority and no objections have been raised."
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