New council elects its first Chair and Leader

West Suffolk Council has elected its first ever Chair and Leader as well as naming its Cabinet at the authority’s inaugural Annual Meeting.

The first meeting of the council was held on Wednesday night with Brian Harvey being elected Chair and Margaret Marks Deputy Chair.

Councillor John Griffiths was elected Leader of the authority and he said: “I want to pay tribute to the councillors that have gone before us and the excellent legacy they have left which puts us in such a strong position.

“We will build on that legacy and deliver those initiatives while evolving our own path and future aspirations. Everyone who stood for election did so because they wanted to do the best for their communities and that ethos is at the heart of West Suffolk Council.

“I look forward to working with my new cabinet and all councillors to help encourage investment in our area, manage growth and champion our communities.”

He named his cabinet members as:

Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing: Sara Mildmay-White.

Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture: Jo Rayner.

Portfolio Holder for Families and Communities: Robert Everitt.

Portfolio Holder for Operations: Peter Stevens.

Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regulation: Andy Drummond.

Portfolio Holder for Growth: Susan Glossop.

Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance: Sarah Broughton.

Portfolio Holder for Governance: Carol Bull.

Other positions agreed:

Chair of Overview and Scrutiny: David Nettleton.

Vice-Chair of Overview and Scrutiny: Simon Cole.

Chair of Performance and Audit Scrutiny: Ian Houlder.

Vice-Chair of Performance and Audit Scrutiny: Karen Richardson.

The Council is made up of 64 councillors divided into four groups: West Suffolk Conservatives – 36, Spectrum – 12, Independent – 11 and Labour – 5

And it held a one minute’s silence following the announcement of the death of former St Edmundsbury Borough Council Leader Ray Nowak.