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Agenda item

Announcement of the Leader on Cabinet appointments

Purpose

For the Leader to update Council on the appointment of the Deputy Leader, the appointment of Cabinet members and the allocation of portfolio responsibilities.

Minutes:

The newly elected Leader thanked members for their support and their vote of confidence.

He paid tribute to the outgoing Chair, Nikki Ind, for her friendly but firm leadership over the past two years and congratulated the newly elected Chair and Vice-Chair.

A warm welcome was extended to new councillors Laura Hall-Wilson and Nick Bridges.

The leader also congratulated Councillor Lisa Spivey on her election as Leader of Gloucestershire County Council and acknowledged the success of members elected to County Council.

 

Tribute was paid to the outgoing Leader for transformational leadership and  the positive changes to the Council during his tenure were noted.

Emphasis was placed on a commitment to being an approachable and inclusive Leader for all members, regardless of party.

 

Key priorities were outlined with the emphasis on maintaining focus on core services, affordable housing, climate action, community wellbeing, and digital transformation.

 

The emerging challenge of local government reorganisation(LGR) was noted and the Leader pledged to lead the Council’s response while maintaining focus on current objectives.

 

The Leader then announced the following Cabinet Appointments:

 

Leader – Councillor Mike Evemy

  • Executive functions and corporate plan delivery
  • Local government reorganisation and devolution
  • Town and parish council liaison
  • Communications
  • Publica and UBICO
  • Member development

 

Deputy Leader and Housing and Planning – Councillor Juliet Layton

  • Strategic housing
  • Homelessness
  • Forward planning and the local plan
  • Development management, heritage and conservation
  • Biodiversity emergency response
  • Neighbourhood planning

 

Finance – Councillor Patrick Coleman

  • Financial strategy and management
  • Property and assets
  • Revenues and benefits
  • Grant funding and Crowdfund Cotswold

 

Climate Change and Digital – Councillor Mike McKeown

  • Climate emergency response
  • Community energy and energy efficiency
  • Council sustainability and sustainable transport
  • Digital innovation, inclusion, and accessibility
  • Adoption and governance of AI technologies
  • Cybersecurity and data governance

 

Economy and Council Transformation – Councillor Tristan Wilkinson

  • Economic development
  • Council transformation
  • Business liaison
  • Flooding and sewage

 

Health, Culture and Visitor Experience – Councillor Paul Hodgkinson

  • Public health
  • Parking operations and public toilets
  • Leisure centres
  • Culture and museums
  • Tourism
  • Community safety partnership

 

Communities – Councillor Claire Bloomer

  • Cost of living support
  • Liaison with third sector
  • Diversity, inclusion and young people
  • Safeguarding
  • Refugee and asylum response

 

Environment and Regulatory Services – Councillor Andrea Pellegram

  • Waste and recycling
  • Environmental and regulatory services
  • Street cleaning
  • Public realm

 

The Leader made the following points:

 

  • Councillor Juliet Layton, appointed Deputy Leader; retained Housing and Planning portfolio and passed Environmental and Regulatory Services to:
  • Councillor Andrea Pellegram, who had joined Cabinet to lead on Waste and Recycling, drawing on her professional background.
  • Councillor Patrick Coleman was appointed Cabinet Member for Finance, bringing extensive experience, including prior chairing of the Audit and Governance Committee.
  • Councillor Paul Hodgkinson would continue in his portfolio for Health, Culture, and Visitor Experience, with the added responsibility for Public Toilets; a role seen as complementing his County Council position.
  • Councillor Claire Bloomer retained the Communities portfolio, continuing work to support low-income residents and tackle cost-of-living challenges.
  • Councillor Tristan Wilkinson had taken on the Transformation portfolio, focusing on internal change to support financial sustainability.
  • Councillor Mike McKeown had been appointed to a new Digital portfolio, with a focus on technology for improved services and cost efficiency, and he would continue to lead carbon reduction efforts.

 

The Leader concluded by thanking councillors for their support and looked forward to working with members and officers to enhance the district.

 

RESOLVED: The Full Council NOTED the appointments of the Cabinet portfolio holders.

 

Supporting documents:

 

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