Issue - meetings

The Leader of the Council to announce the composition of the Executive for the 2023/2024 Municipal Year.

Councillor Lee Dillon, Leader of the Council (and Portfolio Holder for Strategy, Communications and Public Safety), announced the appointment of Members to the Executive for 2023/2024 as follows:

Councillor Jeff Brooks - Deputy Leader of Council and Portfolio Holder for Governance and Transformation

Councillor Iain Cottingham - Portfolio Holder for Finance and Corporate Services

Councillor Martin Colston - Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Growth and Strategy Development

Councillor Alan Macro - Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health Integration

Councillor Heather Codling - Portfolio Holder for Children, Education and Young People’s Services

Councillor Janine Lewis - Portfolio Holder for Public Health, Culture, Leisure, Sport and Countryside

Councillor Adrian Abbs - Portfolio Holder for Climate Action, Recycling and Biodiversity

Councillor Denise Gaines - Portfolio Holder for Highways, Housing and Sustainable Travel

Councillor Tony Vickers - Portfolio Holder for Planning & Community Engagement

Councillor Lee Dillon said that it would be of no surprise to see Councillor Jeff Brooks being Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Governance and Transformation. With a Deputy Leader you want someone who was on your shoulder supporting you and he had never failed to do that. He said he would not go through the whole list, but the Executive had been designed to break down silo working across the Council. The Executive was made up of half existing Councillors and half new Councillors, which meant new ideas coming into the heart of decision making for the Council. The Executive was represented with Councillors from the west and the east of the District and from Thatcham and Newbury. There was also a bigger percentage of women on the Executive then there was a percentage in the party. He commended his Executive to the Council.

The Leader of the Council to announce the composition of the Executive for the 2022/2023 Municipal Year.

Councillor Lynne Doherty, Leader of the Council, announced the appointment of Members to the Executive for 2022/2023 as follows:

Councillor Doherty paid tribute to Councillor Hilary Cole who had stepped down from her Executive role. Councillor Doherty highlighted that Councillor Cole had been an active member of the Executive for 13 years and referred to the extensive list of portfolio responsibilities Councillor Cole had taken on during that time. Councillor Doherty, as Leader of the Council, thanked Councillor Cole for her service to the Executive, and also personally thanked her for her valued friendship.

Councillor Doherty welcomed Councillor Thomas Marino to the Executive. She noted that Councillor Marino had been elected in 2019 and had been active since then on the Overview and Scrutiny Management Commission and as Chairman of the Governance and Ethics Committee. Councillor Doherty felt that Councillor Marino would bring fresh thinking and new ideas to the role and his portfolio areas.

Councillor Doherty referred to some smaller changes to the Executive with Councillor Steve Ardagh-Walter having taken on the Council’s transformation agenda and Councillor Howard Woollaston having taken on housing.

Councillor Doherty thanked the Executive for their tireless work over the previous Municipal Year and said a special thank you to the Deputy Leader of Council, Councillor Graham Bridgman, for his support.

Councillor Lee Dillon passed on the thanks and well wishes of his Group to Councillor Hilary Cole.

Councillor Graham Bridgman thanked the Leader on behalf of the Council for her time and effort during the last year.