News
Lib Dems will run B&NES Council
The results of the 2011 local elections in B&NES meant that no one party had the required 33 seats out of 65 for an overall majority of Council, despite the gains made by the Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats and Conservatives are equally placed with 29 Councillors each, Labour has 5 seats and there are 2 Independent members.
33 Councillors supported the nomination of Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Paul Crossley as Leader of Council. An alternative nomination put forward by the Conservative Group gained the support of only 29 members. 2 Councillors abstained.
Councillor Paul Crossley spoke of the priorities for the Liberal Democrat administration which will include: working for the whole of B&NES, improving transparency in Council business and transforming B&NES into a listening Council. He said:
“We want to create a society across B&NES in which everybody is proud to live. We will serve the whole of B&NES. In fact two out of our 5 NE Somerset Councillors will be in this Cabinet and another will be chairing a licensing committee
“We will end the private decision making process of individual member decisions on policy issues and take as many policy decisions as possible at open Full Cabinet meetings where the public can raise questions and issues of concern.
“We will look at holding our Cabinet meetings in other parts of the authority in addition to the Guildhall in Bath. We will go to meet communities, parish Councils, resident and tenant associations and other community groups to engage with communities, listen to their concerns and answer their questions.”
Councillor Crossley also confirmed that, under Liberal Democrat leadership, B&NES Council will maintain the Council tax freeze in line with government policy; will scrap the BRT and propose an improved scheme to government; and will support regeneration in Keynsham with a revised scheme where the Council does not take on all the risk.
In a sensational conclusion to his speech he announced that:
“On Monday morning we will start the process of revoking the closure notice on Culverhay and starting a consultation with the community on transforming the boys’ school on the site into a community co-educational establishment with a target date of the first intake of female students passing through the doors of a new school in September 2013.”
Councillor Crossley also confirmed the line up of the new Cabinet for B&NES (see below). The number of Cabinet members is to be increased to 7 so that portfolios will be more manageable, but the overall cost of allowances will not rise as the existing allowances will be spread across the new Cabinet.
- Leader of Council: Councillor Paul Crossley (Southdown)
- Community Resources: Councillor David Bellotti (Lyncombe)
- Wellbeing: Councillor Simon Allen (Radstock)
- Early Years, Children and Youth and Deputy Leader of Council: Councillor Nathan Hartley (Peasedown)
- Homes and Planning: Councillor Tim Ball (Twerton)
- Sustainable Development: Councillor Cherry Beath (Combe Down)
- Neighbourhoods: Councillor David Dixon (Oldfield)
- Transport: Councillor Roger Symonds (Combe Down)
