New line up and fresh faces on county’s cabinet
A new cabinet line-up has been appointed with a key post created to work with Oxfordshire’s parishes to further develop an enhanced working relationship.
Councillor Mark Gray will be the new Cabinet Member for Local Communities - overseeing the council’s already strengthened links with local communities, parish councils and others.
The county council launched its Oxfordshire Together conversation with local communities in late 2015 – giving local communities the chance to redesign the way public services are planned and delivered in their locality - with a shift towards enabling people and communities to take ownership of local priorities.
Councillor Gray will take on oversight of this work along with work related to equalities, community funding, the work of county councillors in their localities, work with the voluntary and community sector and Neighbourhood Plans.
Other cabinet appointments are listed below. Councillor Yvonne Constance joins cabinet as Cabinet Member for Environment and Councillor David Bartholomew joins as Cabinet Member for Finance.
Councillor Judith Heathcoat (formerly Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care) becomes the council’s Deputy Leader of the council, Councillor Lawrie Stratford (formerly Cabinet Member for Finance) takes on the role of Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care.
Councillor Steve Harrod takes on the role of Cabinet Member for Children and Families having previously held the role of portfolio as Cabinet Member for Education. Councillor Hilary Hibbert-Biles now takes on the Education portfolio alongside retaining Public Health.
Name |
Electoral Division
|
Portfolio |
Extent of authority |
Ian Hudspeth |
Woodstock |
Leader of the Council |
Strategy; corporate and community leadership; strategic communications; major external partnerships; regional and strategic Infrastructure and planning; economic growth and development; Districts Liaison.
|
Judith Heathcoat |
Faringdon |
Deputy Leader of the Council |
Governance and Internal management; HR & industrial relations; policy co-ordination; Customer services; Fire & Rescue; trading standards; emergency planning
|
Lawrie Stratford |
Bicester North |
Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care |
Adult Social Care.
|
Steve Harrod |
Chalgrove & Watlington |
Cabinet Member for Children, & Families |
Statutory Lead Member for Children’s Services.
|
Lorraine Lindsay-Gale |
Berinsfield & Garsington |
Cabinet Member for Property, Cultural, Services |
Transformation; Property; Registration service; Library service; Coroner’s service; Music service; Museum service; History service Cultural services; Tourism. |
Yvonne Constance |
Shrivenham |
Cabinet Member for Environment |
Highways; minerals strategy, strategic waste & waste management; environment management, flooding; strategic rail. |
David Bartholomew |
Sonning Common |
Cabinet Member for Finance
|
Finance; Broadband, Communications; ICT; support to SMEs |
Hilary Hibbert-Biles |
Chipping Norton |
Cabinet Member for Public Health & Education |
Public Health & Education |
Mark Gray |
Benson & Cholsey |
Cabinet Member for Local Communities
|
Neighbourhood Plans; Local Community development; Community cohesion; Equalities; Voluntary and community sector relations; Oxfordshire Together; Community Funding; Member Locality working |
Councillor Ian Hudspeth, the Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Following the recent elections the cabinet takes on a fresh look with experienced county councillors in the shape of Yvonne Constance and David Bartholomew joining the team and working alongside colleagues who have served previously on the cabinet.
“Councillor Gray’s role is an exciting one seeking to build on work the council has been undertaking for some time now to strengthen its links with Oxfordshire’s localities. It is a role to which he is well suited and for which he is very enthusiastic.”