How decisions are made
Full Council appoints the Leader. The Leader appoints members to the Executive. The Executive makes the key decisions concerning the services we deliver.
Executive members
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Council Leader - Councillor Virginia Taylor (Liberal Democrat Group)
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Councillor Lissie Sharp (Labour Group)
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Deputy Leader of the Council - Councillor Mary Robinson (Independent Group)
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Councillor Mark Rudhall (Liberal Democrat Group)
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Councillor Judith Derbyshire (Liberal Democrat Group)
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Councillor Michael Tonkin (Independent Group)
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Councillor Karen Greenwood (Independent Group)
Each member of the Executive has a portfolio of services for which they are responsible.
See the Council Constitution, which sets out how we operate, how we make decisions and the procedures that we follow to ensure that decisions are efficient, transparent and accountable to local people.
Portfolios and portfolio holders
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The Council Leader's Portfolio - Strategic and Community Leadership - Councillor Virginia Taylor
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Communities Portfolio - Councillor Lissie Sharp
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Commercial Services Portfolio - Councillor Mary Robinson
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Eden Development Portfolio - Councillor Mark Rudhall
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Housing and Health Portfolio - Councillor Judith Derbyshire
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Services Portfolio - Councillor Michael Tonkin
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Resources Portfolio - Councillor Karen Greenwood
The Council Leader's Portfolio - Strategic and Community Leadership
Portfolio holder: Council Leader - Councillor Virginia Taylor
The Leader has responsibility for achieving the Council's priority of a Quality Council and the delivery of our corporate priorities.
Portfolio of responsibilities:
- Strategic direction of the Council and the Council Plan.
- Strategic leadership.
- Transformation.
- External relations.
- Executive oversight.
- Strategic partnerships.
- Ensuring a balanced budget with the Resources Portfolio Holder.
- Emergency planning and business continuity.
- Responsibility for achieving the Council's priority of a 'Quality Council' and the delivery of the Corporate Priorities.
- Council communications.
- Representing the Council on SPARSE (the Rural Services Network).
Back to portfolios and portfolio holders.
Communities Portfolio
Portfolio holder: Councillor Lissie Sharp
Portfolio of responsibilities:
- Neighbourhood planning.
- Liaison and Town and Parish Councils.
- The distribution of the Community Fund.
- Community engagement and empowerment.
- Sports and recreation
- Leisure, the arts and cultural services
- Community safety, crime and disorder.
- Rural issues.
- Children and young people.
- Parks and open spaces.
- Working with the Third Sector.
- Older person services.
- Armed forces covenant.
- Service Innovation Board.
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Commercial Services Portfolio
Portfolio holder: Deputy Leader of the Council - Councillor Mary Robinson
Portfolio of responsibilities:
- Economic strategy.
- Economic vitality and development.
- Employment within the district.
- The promotion of apprenticeships.
- Relations with businesses.
- The implementation of broadband and communication facilities and services within the district.
- Town centres.
- Markets.
- Tourism and tourist information centres.
- The vitality and viability of the market towns and rural areas in the district.
- Sports and recreation.
- Leisure, the arts and cultural services.
- Land and asset management.
- Income generation.
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Eden Development Portfolio
Portfolio holder: Councillor Mark Rudhall
Portfolio of responsibilities:
- Investment in Eden.
- Projects.
- Major employment development.
- The local plan.
- Relations with education provides in the district.
- Stakeholder relationships.
- Oversight of complaints.
- Office accommodation delivery and provision.
- Relationships with Chamber of Trade.
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Housing and Health Portfolio
Portfolio holder: Councillor Judith Derbyshire
Portfolio of responsibilities:
- The delivery of the strategic housing function.
- The delivery of the Council's role as the local housing authority and well-being agenda.
- Housing grants.
- Housing provision within the district and the delivery of the decent homes standard.
- Relations with registered social landlords (RSLs) and housing providers.
- The consideration of housing need in the district.
- Environmental health and food safety.
- Relationships with Environment Agency/DEFRA.
- Climate change.
- Renewable energy/hard to heat homes.
- Public health agenda.
- Delivery of the Decent Homes for All.
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Services Portfolio
Portfolio holder: Councillor Michael Tonkin
Portfolio of responsibilities:
- Waste collection and recycling.
- Joint working with the County Council and other authorities on waste.
- Flooding and resilience planning.
- Devolution of functions to Town and Parish Councils.
- Street cleansing and ground maintenance.
- Environment agenda (cleaner and greener).
- Responsibility for the delivery of the priority of a Quality Environment.
- Environmental sustainability and well-being.
- Cemeteries.
- Public Toilets.
- Footway lighting.
- Transport and Car Parking.
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Resources Portfolio
Portfolio holder: Councillor Karen Greenwood
Portfolio of responsibilities:
- Financial management and planning, including ensuring a balanced budget shared with the Leader.
- Financial services.
- Revenues and benefits.
- The organisational structure and management process of the Council.
- Human resources.
- The management of succession.
- Supporting the delivery of the 'Quality Council' priority, particularly in relation to financial services.
- Procurement and procurement strategy.
- Data protection and freedom of information.
- Policy on general fund reserves.
- Oversight of establishing other methods of service delivery (including commercial entities).
- Customer services.
- Regulatory and Licensing Policy.
- Legal.
- Democratic Services.
- Equality and diversity.
- Staff and member training.
- Office accommodation resource implications.
- Information technology
Back to portfolios and portfolio holders.
Executive and portfolio holders' decisions
View the Executive and portfolio holders' decisions.
Officer delegated decisions
See our officer delegated decisions to find out more. We have six officers who can make delegated decisions.