Proposed New Administration Announced

THE proposed new Administration has been announced for Reading Borough Council for the Municipal Year ahead.

Following on from this month’s local election results in Reading, in which the ruling Labour group increased its majority, the group will again form the new Administration and has announced its proposals ahead of the Council’s Annual General Meeting at the Town Hall on Wednesday May 25, where appointments are set to be ratified.

Councillor Jason Brock will remain Leader of the Council, with Councillor Tony Page continuing as Deputy Leader.  

The proposed new updated portfolios and associated Lead Councillors are:

Cllr John Ennis - Lead Councillor for Adult Social Care

Cllr Graeme Hoskin - Lead Councillor for Children

Cllr Tony Page - Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport

Cllr Liz Terry - Lead Councillor for Corporate Services and Resources

Cllr Ruth McEwan - Lead Councillor for Education and Public Health

Cllr Karen Rowland - Lead Councillor for Environmental Services and Community Safety

Cllr Ellie Emberson - Lead Councillor for Housing

Cllr Adele Barnett-Ward - Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture

Cllr Micky Leng - Lead Councillor for Planning and Assets

Reading Council Leader Jason Brock said:

“I am proud to have assembled a new front bench team which boasts not only a wealth of experience and knowledge, but also a real passion for Reading and its communities alongside a drive to tackle inequalities locally so that every single resident, whatever their circumstances or background, can share in the town’s success.

 “The recent local election result was a ringing endorsement from the electorate of our visions and plans for Reading. It is now incumbent upon this Administration to deliver on those plans in the year ahead.

 “This year will see many of our flagship investments come to fruition – new swimming pools and leisure centres, new and refurbished train stations, new playgrounds and new cycle lanes. As satisfying as that will be to see, we also know there are residents who continue to be frustrated with everyday issues like the high cost of housing, anti-social behaviour, fly tipping or traffic, for example

 “These are the fundamental issues that we intend to tackle, alongside doing everything possible in the 12 months ahead to support the people who will be hit hardest by a cost of living crisis that threatens to widen the very gaps in our communities we are working so hard to close.”

The full agenda for the Council’s AGM can be found at  https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=342&MId=5002

The proposed Committee Chairs for 2022/23 are: 

Adult Social Care, Children's Services and Education Committee:  Cllr Alice Mpofu-Coles

Housing, Neighbourhoods and Leisure Committee: Cllr Sarah Hacker

Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport Committee: Cllr Paul Gittings

Planning Applications Committee: Cllr Jo Lovelock

Licensing Applications Committee: Cllr Paul Woodward

Traffic Management Sub-Committee: Cllr Mohammed Ayub

The AGM begins with the appointment of the Deputy Mayor this year. The Mayor Making Ceremony is unusual this year in that only a Deputy Mayor will be appointed, rather than a new Mayor and Deputy. This is because standing Mayor, Councillor Rachel Eden, will continue in post until May 2023. This is due to the fact that the Council chose to extend the Mayoralty of previous incumbent, former Councillor David Stevens, until November 2021 as a result of the heavily disrupted Mayoral year in 2020-21 due to the Covid pandemic. The group is nominating Cllr Debs Edwards as its candidate for the Deputy Mayor post.