New City Council Leader and Cabinet announced
The new Leader of Winchester City Council is Conservative Cllr Frank Pearson. Cllr Pearson represents Swanmore & Newtown and has been a city councillor for 12 years.
Cllr Pearson has served on most of the Council’s main committees. He was Cabinet Member for Environment from 2006-2010 and Winchester’s 813th Mayor in 2012-13. Cllr Pearson is a retired teacher and examiner and holds an honorary fellowship from the University of Winchester.
The new Cabinet, appointed by the Leader, is:
• Cllr Frank Pearson – Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economy & Arts, Tourism and Special Projects
• Cllr Stephen Godfrey – Portfolio Holder for Finance & Organisational Development
• Cllr Steve Miller – Portfolio Holder for Housing
• Cllr Patricia Stallard – Portfolio Holder for Environment, Health & Wellbeing
• Cllr Michael Read – Portfolio Holder for Built Environment
• Cllr Ernest Jeffs – Portfolio Holder for Communities & Transport
• Cllr James Byrnes – Portfolio Holder for Business Services
The content of Cabinet portfolios is unchanged.
Cllr Pearson said:
I am grateful for the trust placed in me by colleagues to lead the Council at this challenging time. I believe that my wide experience across the City Council’s services will stand me in good stead.
My Cabinet brings both a wealth of experience and fresh thinking which will be essential to see us through the coming months. I will listen to residents’ voices - which we must recognise can be contradictory – and seek to restore their faith in us.
On Silver Hill I will establish an independent review. I am looking to all parties to adopt a co-operative approach so that we can move forward in a way that is best for Winchester.
The Council has no overall control. The Conservatives are the largest single party and form the administration.