Councillor Huw David, Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council, has confirmed that changes are being made to the local authority’s Cabinet structure.
Councillor Nicole Burnett is stepping down from the role of Cabinet Member for Social Services and Early Help, and the portfolio is being taken on by Councillor Jane Gebbie.
Councillor Burnett, who represents the Morfa ward, joined the Cabinet in September 2020. A councillor for Bridgend County Borough since 2017, she has acted as the council’s official champion for safeguarding, carers, older people, and children and young people.
Councillor Jane Gebbie, who represents Pyle, has also been a Bridgend County Borough councillor since 2017. She has been active in a range of overview and scrutiny roles, the Equalities committee and more.
Councillor Burnett said: “Acting as the Cabinet Member for Social Services and Early Help has been an honour and a privilege, and I have fully enjoyed the role.
“Due to a need to attend to some personal matters, I do not believe that I am going to be able to give the role the attention it both requires and deserves in the months ahead. As such, I have made the difficult decision to stand aside so that someone who is in a position to give the portfolio their full focus can take it on.
“I would like to thank the Leader and Cabinet for having made me feel so welcome, and for the support that they have shown me. I know that the portfolio will remain in safe hands.”
Councillor Burnett has made a valuable contribution towards social services and early help within Bridgend County Borough, and has provided both her Cabinet colleagues and myself as Leader with excellent advice and unwavering support.
Whether it has been the rolling out of the council’s commitment towards the living wage or efforts to transform the former Evergreen Hall into a new youth hub for children and young people, Councillor Burnett has played a pivotal role, and has been at the forefront of it all. I am extremely grateful to her for the dedication and professionalism that she continues to display.
I would also like to offer a warm welcome to Councillor Jane Gebbie. As a dedicated local councillor who remains committed towards the equalities agenda and who strongly believes in fairness and social justice, I am sure that she will prove to be a valuable asset to the Cabinet of Bridgend County Borough Council as she takes on the mantle for Social Services and Early Help.
Council Leader Huw David
