At the Annual General Meeting of Blaenau Gwent Council yesterday, key political appointments to the council’s cabinet, committees and outside bodies were confirmed for the year ahead.
Councillor Chris Smith was appointed Presiding Member and will chair council meetings, with Cllr David Wilkshire appointed Deputy Presiding Member.
Councillor Steve Thomas was re-elected as Leader of the Council and will also have responsibility for Corporate Resources.
Cllr Tommy Smith was re-elected as Deputy Leader of the Council and will also hold the portfolio for Neighbourhoods and Environment.
The full list of cabinet appointments is:
- Cabinet Member Corporate Resources – Cllr Steve Thomas
- Cabinet Member Neighbourhood Services and Environment – Cllr Tommy Smith
- Cabinet Member Economy & Place – Cllr John Morgan
- Cabinet Member Children, Young People & Families – Cllr Sue Edmunds
- Cabinet Member for Adults & Communities – Cllr Jules Gardner
The following chairs were appointed to the Scrutiny Committees:
- Adults, Communities and Wellbeing – Cllr Haydn Trollope (Chair) / Cllr Ellen Jones (Vice Chair)
- Children, Young People and Families – Cllr Wayne Hodgins (Chair) / Cllr Derrick Bevan (Vice Chair)
- Economic Development and Environmental Management – Cllr Jacqueline Thomas (Chair) / Cllr Lisa Winnett (Vice Chair)
- Corporate Governance and Resources – Cllr Joanna Wilkins (Chair) / Cllr Dean Woods (Vice Chair)
Members were also appointed to chair the following statutory committees:
- Planning Committee – Cllr Lisa Winnett (Chair) / Cllr Peter Baldwin (Vice Chair)
- Statutory & General Licensing Committees – Cllr Lisa Winnett (Chair) / Cllr Peter Baldwin (Vice Chair)
- Democratic Services Committee – Cllr John Hill (Chair) / Cllr Ellen Jones (Vice Chair)
Leader, Cllr Steve Thomas said:
“It is a privilege to continue to serve the people of Blaenau Gwent as Leader again this year. I would like to thank all our staff for their hard work over the past year, often under a lot of pressure. I’d also like to thank councillors across the chamber for their constructive challenge and for working together in the best interests of our communities.
“We continue to make good progress with our Federation arrangements with Torfaen Council, strengthening resilience, making the best use of resources and looking forwards with a clear vision and ambition for our areas. The Blaenau Gwent ‘Deal’, our evolving new way of working with communities, will become part of how we work every day, partnering with local people and harnessing their strengths to work together on a fairer future for all.
“Local government continues to face significant challenges. This year we were pleased to agree a budget that continues to focus on the key frontline services that matter, such as Education, Social Services, and environmental services such as highways and flood resilience, and we will continue to plan and invest carefully for the future.”
