All change at Shropshire Council as new cabinet announced
It was all change at Shirehall as a new cabinet was announced and appointed at the first full meeting of Shropshire Council since the local elections.
The meeting saw a significantly altered council with 19 new councillors taking the place of those who have stood down or not been re-elected.
But there was change at the top too, with Shrewsbury councillor Peter Nutting officially installed as the new leader of council, having deposed Conservative group leader Malcolm Pate on Monday.
Councillor Nutting's appointment was a formality after that, but he also revealed his picks to make up Shropshire Council's ruling cabinet, with most of the 10 roles staying much the same except for slight rewording of the title – but the majority of those filling the roles changing.
Like Councillor Pate before him, Councillor Nutting himself will take on the portfolio of strategy for the authority, though has handed over responsibility for finance to David Minnery, who was previously portfolio holder for children and young people.
Steve Charmley will continue in his role as deputy leader of the council, but will take on the portfolio of corporate support instead of overseeing business and economy as he did previously.
Three deputy portfolio holders will step up to become main cabinet members, including Nicholas Laurens who will take over the lead for economic growth from Councillor Charmley, Nicholas Bardsley who will take over children's services and education from Councillor Minnery, and Robert Macey, who will step up from being deputy under former planning and regulation boss Mal Price, who stepped down as a councillor altogether at the elections.
Lee Chapman is the only cabinet member staying in pretty much the same post, retaining the lead for adult social care, though his portfolio will now expand to include health – previously a separate department under Karen Calder.
New faces in cabinet include Joyce Barrow, taking on the portfolio for communities from Cecilia Motley, Steve Davenport taking over responsibility for highways and transport from Simon Jones and newly-elected councillor Lezley Picton, who was previously a senior manager at Shrewsbury's Music Hall, has taken on leisure and culture from Stuart West.
Deputy portfolio holders include Oswestry East councillor Claire Aspinall for communities, Cheswardine councillor Rob Gittins for IT, Market Drayton West councillor Roger Hughes for infrastructure support, and Bagley councillor Alex Phillips for income generation.
All appointed councillors are Conservative and all from the north of the county except for Councillors Nutting and Laurens, who represent Shrewsbury wards and Councillor Chapman who represents Church Stretton.
Alan Mosley, councillor for Castlefields and Ditherington and Labour group leader, took exception to that, saying the central Shropshire and Shrewsbury area did not have not "truly proportionate" representation on cabinet.
Robert Tindall, a Conservative councillor for Brown Clee, went further, saying: "There is only one member from the south of the county, which I think is an absolute disgrace".
But Councillor Nutting said members were selected for skills and experience not where they were from.
He said: "I didn't take geography into account and I'm not sure we have done in the past."
Vince Hunt was voted in as speaker for the full council, while Ann Hartley returned in the role of chairman of the council.
