Agenda item
Announcements from the Chair, Leader or Chief Executive
To receive any announcements from the Chair of the Council, the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive.
Minutes:
The Chair welcomed the newly elected Councillor for The Beeches, Councillor Paul Evans, and congratulated him on securing over 50 per cent of the vote, expressing confidence in his future contribution to the Council.
The Chair also extended congratulations to Emma Cathcart, Assistant Director of the Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit, on being awarded Female Pioneer of the Year at the Public Sector Counter Fraud Awards, in recognition of her outstanding leadership and innovation in local government.
The Chair also recognised the achievement of Helen Martin, Director of Communities and Place, who had been named one of the Women of Influence for 2026 by the Royal Town Planning Institute’s official magazine, acknowledging her significant impact within the planning profession and her leadership in shaping inclusive, resilient and vibrant communities. Members joined in congratulating her on this well-deserved recognition.
The Chair reported having recently attended as a judge at the ORACY Primary Schools public speaking competition (“Look Who’s Talking”), a county-wide initiative supporting the development of oracy skills among primary-aged children, and noted the high standard of participation and the wide range of topics presented.
Best wishes were extended by the Chair to Kira Thompson of the Democratic Services and Elections Team on the occasion of her maternity leave.
The Chair advised that the Council was currently advertising for the post of Head of Democratic and Electoral Services. Members were reminded that Andrew Brown had been undertaking the role on a shared basis with West Oxfordshire District Council, which had indicated its intention to retain him on a full-time basis. It was anticipated that transitional support during the recruitment period would be provided, with arrangements to be finalised.
As this was likely to be the final meeting at which Andrew Brown would be present in this capacity, the Chair invited Members to place on record their sincere thanks and appreciation for his valuable contribution and service.
The Chair then invited the Leader of the Council to make any announcements.
The Leader of the Council, Councillor Mike Evemy, reported that he had five brief updates for Members.
He congratulated Councillor Paul Evans on his electoral victory, noting that the Council’s administration had increased its representation to 22 members, the largest it had been, and expressed his satisfaction at the continued vote of confidence in the administration.
The Leader provided an update on local government reorganisation, noting ongoing work led by the Chief Executive and regular meetings of council leaders. He encouraged Members and residents to participate in the Government consultation on proposals for the future structure of local government in Gloucestershire, ahead of the closing date of 26 March. He also advised that two identical all-member briefing sessions on LGR would be held on 14 and 17 April 2026.
The Leader referred to a recent Government announcement regarding a £27 million support scheme for lower-income households reliant on heating oil, to be delivered through a new Crisis and Resilience Fund from 1 August 2026. He noted that, as a rural district, the area was likely to have a higher proportion of affected residents. Funding would be allocated to upper-tier authorities, with Gloucestershire County Council responsible for distribution, and local officers would work collaboratively to support delivery, although further detail was awaited.
The Leader provided an update on the Local Plan, advising that a summary of consultation responses—comprising over 3,500 individual comments from more than 2,000 respondents—was due to be published imminently.
Finally, the Leader updated Members on discussions regarding devolution and the Government’s proposals for “foundation strategic authorities.” He noted that Gloucestershire leaders, supported by their Chief Executives, had been considering available options following correspondence from Government. He expressed his support, and that of his administration, for the approach led by Gloucestershire County Council to pursue membership of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) as a long-term objective, alongside the submission of an expression of interest for a county-wide foundation strategic authority.
There were no announcements from the Chief Executive Officer.