Councillor Colin Nineham was last night (1 May 08) voted in as the new Leader of Eden District Council as Members agreed to move to a new Cabinet and Leader style system of political management from the 1 June 2008.
"This is a new dawn for Eden District Council and I am delighted to be leading the authority into this exciting period where we are harnessing a clear vision to deliver on our key priorities. The new system of governance will quicken up decision making and be more accountable with cabinet holders having clear areas of individual responsibility such as housing or environment and a new constitution including an invigorated scrutiny system will be an effective form of checks and balances," said Cllr Colin Nineham.
The existing statutory functions of Planning, Licensing, and Standards will continue to function in their current form as part of the new structure.
Eden's Chief Executive Kevin Douglas said: "This is a major step forward for the Council and and now we can push ahead and align the our structure and resources to best meet the needs of the people of Eden, who have shown they are in favour of this new direction given the results of the recent public consultation.
"I am also delighted that Members have agreed to a reduction in their basic allowances to help meet the costs of the new Cabinet and Leader system, which reflects their commitment to the new arrangements and the Taking Eden Forward process."
Colin Nineham announced his intention to work with all parties by announcing an Alliance Cabinet made up of four Independent Members and three Members of the Conservative Group.
"My intention is to utilise all the talent in the Council - regardless of party politics and the involvement of other groups signals my intention to work collaboratively for the benefit of the District," added Councillor Colin Nineham.
From 1 June 2008 the Council's Executive will be made up of:
