New Leader at Somerset County Council

Somerset County Council, Press Release:

A new Leader and other key appointments at the County Council

A new Leader and Chairman of Somerset County Council have been appointed.

Councillor David Fothergill was elected Leader at the Annual General Meeting of the Council this morning and announced that Cllr David Hall is to continue in the role of Deputy Leader.

Cllr William Wallace was elected to the post of Chairman of the Council and Cllr Peter Burridge-Clayton to the Vice-Chairman role. The appointments were proposed by the Conservative Group and unanimously (TBC) supported by councillors at the meeting.

Liberal Democrat councillor, Cllr Jane Lock, was elected as the Leader of the opposition and the meeting also appointed the Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen and members of the Council’s main committees.

Cllr Fothergill announced his new Cabinet and their areas of responsibility. They are as follows:

  • Finance and Economic Development – Cllr David Hall

  • Adult Social Care – Cllr David Huxtable

  • Children and Families – Cllr Frances Nicholson

  • Highways and Transport – Cllr John Woodman

  • Corporate and Community Services – Cllr Anna Groskop

  • Public Health and Well-Being – Cllr Christine Lawrence

  • Strategy and Customers and Communities – Cllr David Fothergill

The new Leader also announced that he will be introducing four Junior Cabinet Member posts. They will support their Cabinet Members, develop policy and lead on specific areas within the portfolio.

The Junior Cabinet Members are as follows:

  • Finance and Economic Development – Cllr Clare Aparicio Paul

  • Children and Families – Cllr Gemma Verdon

  • Corporate and Community Services – Cllr Faye Purbrick

  • Adult Social Care – Cllr Giuseppe Fraschini

The Leader’s intention is that the overall cost of the new Cabinet team will be within the existing budget, helped by savings made by discontinuing the Cabinet role for Corporate Improvement.

Full details of the appointments to Cabinet and other Council committees will be available on the Council’s website shortly www.somerset.gov.uk

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