Council Lead Member Roles Announced (Finally!)

The Leader of Wrexham Council has announced the full list of portfolio responsibilities for the new members for the Council’s new Executive Board.

Cllr Mark Pritchard, who was confirmed as Leader of the Council, outlined the details of the new Executive Board, which will run the Council until 2022 and has this morning added who has been gifted which portfolio to run.

It has been exactly four weeks since Wrexham took to the polls to vote in the local council elections. Since then there has been much speculation as to who would be on the top table of Wrexham Council’s Executive Board and who would be taking on one of the ten lead member portfolios.

This week’s first Full Council meeting of the new administration saw Cllr Mark Pritchard reelected as Leader of Wrexham Council and Cllr Hugh Jones elected as Deputy Leader.

It had been anticipated that lead member portfolios would also be confirmed at this week’s meeting, however that did not come to fruition.

After the meeting we managed to acquire a copy of the draft resolution, with some opposition councillors on the floor telling us the first they knew of the new Executive Board was when they entered the chamber and saw the draft resolution.

The line-up of the Executive Board was confirmed to be Cllr Mark Pritchard, Cllr Terry Evans, Cllr David Kelly, Cllr Phill Wynn and Cllr David Griffiths of the Independent Group.

Cllr David A Bithell, Cllr Joan Lowe and Cllr Bill Baldwin from the Wrexham Independent Group will also be on the Executive Board – along with Conservatives Cllr Hugh Jones and Cllr Paul Rogers.

This morning the lead member roles for the Executive Board were confirmed, details of which can be found below:

• Cllr Terry Evans: Lead Member for Economy – Economic Development and Regeneration
• Cllr Phil Wynn: Lead Member for People – Education
• Cllr William Baldwin: Lead Member for People – Children’s Services
• Cllr Joan Lowe: Lead Member for People – Health and Adult Social Care
• Cllr Hugh Jones: Lead Member for People – Communities, Partnerships, Public Protection and Community Safety
• Cllr Paul Rogers: Lead Member for People – Youth Services and Anti-Poverty
• Cllr David Griffiths: Lead Member for Place – Housing
• Cllr David A Bithell: Lead Member for Place – Environment and Transport
• Cllr Mark Pritchard: Lead Member for Organisation – Finance, Performance, Health & Safety and Governance
• Cllr David Kelly: Lead Member for Organisation – Planning and Corporate Services

Looking ahead there could be a number of challenges facing portfolio holders, particularly for finance, with warnings of more ‘reshaping’ ie. cuts to hit public services across Wrexham.

Education in Wrexham was a topic that came up frequently during the local council’s campaign, with demand for a new town centre school and further Welsh medium education still a pressing issue. Of course there is also the issue of the Groves School and what the site will be used for.

As with the previous administration, an ageing population and the increased demand for adult social care will continue to be a challenge.

The regeneration of the town centre is also a pressing issue, with the indoor markets, empty shops and the OW People’s Market being seen as a top priority for many local residents.