The new leadership of Bracknell Forest Council following this month’s earthquake local elections has been revealed.
Labour group leader Mary Temperton is set to be confirmed as the new leader of the council at a meeting on Wednesday, May 24. And she has already set out which Labour councillors she wants to take charge of key responsibilities on the council’s executive.
Under the new leadership, Town Centre and The Parks councillor Roy Bailey will be the executive member for Children, Young People and Learning. This means he will be responsible for schools, adult learning, council childcare services, children’s social care and children’s centres.
It also means he’ll be responsible for improving provisions for children with special educational needs and disabilities—which schools inspector Ofsted found had “significant areas of weakness” under the previous council last year.
He will be supported by Priestwood and Garth councillor Ryan Frost.
Easthampstead and Wildridings councillor Paul Bidwell will take charge of Economic Development and Regeneration. He’ll be responsible for overseeing the continuing big developments in Bracknell Town Centre—including the much-delayed The Deck.
Another Easthampstead & Wildridings councillor, Guy Gillbe, will be in charge of Planning and Transport—overseeing roads, pavements, cycle paths, bus services and planning approval.
Kandy Jeffries, Bullbrook councillor, will be executive member for Culture, Delivery and Public Protection.
It’s a very wide-ranging role. His duties will include overseeing leisure services, libraries, parks, tourism facilities and arts and culture.
But they will also include liaising with the police and fire services, removing abandoned vehicles, and being responsible for food standards, CCTV systems, trading standards and health and safety.
READ MORE: Bracknell council Labour leader speaks after election shock
Town Centre and The Parks councillor Megan Wright will take over for Adult Services, Health and Housing. This encompasses adult social care and council and social housing.
There are also some new or slightly tweaked roles different to the previous council’s executive.
Kathryn Neil from Binfield South & Jennett’s Park will be the deputy council leader. But she will also the executive member for Finance and Business Change—a new role.
And as well as being leader, Mary Temperton will also be executive member for the Environment and Community Cohesion. This appears to be a merger of two previously separate roles.
The last council leader Paul Bettison was also in charge of Community Cohesion, which involved overseeing the council’s engagement with young people, black and ethnic minority groups, and “hard to reach” groups.
And Conservative councillor for Ascot Dorothy Hayes was in charge of the environment, which encompassed waste and recycling, cleaning, climate change and grounds and rural maintenance, and public toilets.
The new Mayor will be Great Hollands councillor Naheed Ejaz, and the Deputy Mayor will be Hanworth councillor Jenny Penfold.
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