New county council cabinet unveiled

A NEW cabinet has been unveiled at Oxfordshire County Council following the recent elections, with Councillor Keith Mitchell remaining as Leader of the authority and aiming to build upon Oxfordshire’s already established reputation as a world-class county and deal with issues on Oxfordshire’s horizon.

Mr Mitchell has appointed eight other people to join him in fulfilling decision-making cabinet roles for the 2009-2013 period. The cabinet is made up largely of people who held similar roles in the 2005-9 cabinet but there are some changes of responsibility.

New roles

Councillor Ian Hudspeth will take on a much wider role than his previous job of Cabinet Member for Transport. He will now be Cabinet Member for Growth and Infrastructure. He will retain responsibility for high level transport issues such as Transform Oxford but will add sustainable development issues to his portfolio – including waste disposal.

Councillor Mitchell explained: “Future months will see Oxfordshire in a position where it is emerging from a period of recession. We need an experienced pair of hands to manage and oversee key issues linked to that and I have no doubt in my mind that Councillor Hudspeth is the man for that job.

Councillor Rodney Rose, who represents the Wychwood division and lives in West Oxfordshire, is the new member of the cabinet. He will take on the role of Cabinet Member for Transport Implementation, taking on other transport and development issues and working closely with Councillor Hudspeth.

Councillor David Robertson remains Deputy Leader of the County Council but will take on responsibilty from Councillor Mitchell for economy, tourism and skills. Councillor Robertson remains Cabinet Member with Responsibility for West Oxfordshire.

Councillor Mitchell will retain his role as Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Oxford. He will also have responsibility for issues relating to breaking the cycle of deprivation in Oxfordshire.

He said: “We need to have a strong focus on deprived areas of Oxfordshire. We need to break the cycle of deprivation and reach out to make sure that all areas benefit from this county’s wealth and the underlying strength of its economy, both in the current trying times and in future.”

Councillor Charles Shouler retains the role of Cabinet Member for Finance. He took on the role in 2005 and the county council has recently been given the highest possible rating by the Audit Commission for its management of finance.

Councillor Michael Waine retains the role of Cabinet Member for School Improvement and will have responsibility for continuing the recent upward trend in examination results for the county’s youngsters. Councillor Louise Chapman remains in position as Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families.

Councillor Judith Heathcoat has been given a wider role than the one she had in the 2005-09 council. Her job will continue to include responsibility for the fire and rescue service, trading standards, emergeny planning and other community safety roles. However she will also now be responsible for cultural services such as museums, libraries, adult learning and the registration service. She will be Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities.

Councillor Jim Couchman formerly held responsibilities for the cultural services elements that have now been transferred to Councillor Heathcoat. However he retains his responsibility for adult social care and will be able to devote more time to this important area.

Strong team

Councillor Keith Mitchell, Oxfordshire County Council’s Leader, said: “The 2005-09 cabinet was a strong team and I needed very little change in terms of personnel. However I did want to change roles and responsibilities in line with changed circumstances.

“I have every confidence in the capabilities of every person who makes up the new cabinet and would like to welcome Councillor Rodney Rose to the county council’s decision making team. We move forward in to exciting times for Oxfordshire with the aim being to build upon this county’s world class reputation despite the difficult global economic situation.

“Our pledges are to protect the environment, provide opportunities for young people, provide quality facilities for older people, make it easier to get around Oxfordshire, support the local economy and freeze council tax under any new Conservative Government.”

20/07/09