Oxford,
12
February
2020
|
08:06
Europe/London

Change to the cabinet reflects council’s focus on highway matters

Road-users in Oxfordshire are to have a new champion with Hanborough and Minster Lovell’s County Councillor Liam Walker joining the ranks of the county council’s cabinet.

Councillor Walker has become Cabinet Member for Highways Delivery & Operations. His responsibilities will be to work across the highways delivery teams to ensure they are delivering a multitude of planned schemes in Oxfordshire over coming weeks months and years.

Oxfordshire County Council Leader Cllr Ian Hudspeth said: “Councillor Walker’s new role will involve working in all parts of Oxfordshire to assist our local teams, councillors and communities to get the maximum benefit from funding sources including finance linked to new developments known as Section 106 funding.”

The new role for Cllr Walker will involve closely with working with Cllr Yvonne Constance who is Cabinet Member for Environment. Cllr Constance will be able to focus on the exciting policies being delivered by Oxfordshire County Council such as Connecting Oxfordshire, Zero Emission Zone and workplace parking.

Cllr Hudspeth added: “With Oxfordshire leading the way in terms of funding with the £218 million Growth Deal, £215 million Housing Infrastructure Fund bid for Didcot and the £102 million A40 Smart corridor bid it’s vital that we are focusing on the best policies for these projects.

“Cllr Constance will lead on strategic rail and planning as well as continuing on minerals and waste. Cllr Constance has been involved with the climate change agenda. However now she will take on this responsibility across the council from Cllr Dan Reeves. He is leaving cabinet as a result of his recent success in gaining a new job in a senior role.

“I fully support his decision to put his career outside local government first for the time being. I wish him well in his new job.”

In other changes:

  • Cllr David Bartholomew will take on property, investments and procurement from Cllr Reeves’s former portfolio - which all align with his existing finance portfolio.
  • Cllr Ian Corkin will take over responsibility for the Transformation Programme. His portfolio is Council Business and Partnership. He will take over broadband, ICT, customer services and communications which are part of the strong developing partnership with Cherwell District Council – Cllr Corkin is also on CDC’s cabinet. The partnership programme has been successful and both councils will continue to work closely with all partners, not just between themselves.