Agenda item

The Leader thanked Members for accepting their new portfolios, all of which were invaluable to the administration, saying that learning a different portfolio and widening skills was invaluable to the administration, allowing everyone to be more collective and understanding, and to share knowledge from the past for use in the future. 

The Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Culture and Wellbeing had nothing specific to report yet, but said he was staggered by the richness and diversity of Cheltenham’s cultural, artistic and sporting organisations.  He said we are all lucky to live in the town and he will do his best to enhance it further.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Customer Services said what happens in Cheltenham is something that towns and cities all over Europe watch, knowing that they can do the same and use our experience to help them rebuild and reinvigorate their own communities.  The fact that CBC does what it does while still balancing its books says much about the commitment and operational abilities of Members, and the care and concern of the Cabinet to fund initiatives to help the ordinary people in Cheltenham.  She thanked all colleagues for enabling people to learn without incurring risks.

The Cabinet Member for Major Projects and Housing Regeneration said he was enjoying getting his feet under the table with this exciting portfolio, and particularly looking forward to continuing work on rent social value, with the forefront of our community in mind. He said Golden Valley is the biggest development in the southwest and will clearly have a huge impact on the town; the social value element and how we can support areas across the town is key, and he looks forward to talking more about this in the future. 

The Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency agreed that what Cheltenham is doing is at the leading edge of what is happening nationally, including recycling, which was part of his previous portfolio, with a wider range of kerbside recycling than elsewhere in the county.  He said he is privileged to be taking on this portfolio, as climate change touches everything we do in the council, and although our climate change targets are far more ambitious than those of the national government, the people of Cheltenham are behind us, with a wealth of goodwill from the people, other parties and individual councillors.  We are at the forefront of delivering on our goals, and will not be out-greened by anywhere else in the country. 

The Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Public Realm was delighted to be joining the Cabinet, saying he was getting to grips with his new role, had had meetings with officers, and the handover was going well.  He added that there were a few exciting things to come, as well as some challenges.

The Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities thanked CBC and CBH officers, local businesses, schools and community groups who have supported the project to redistribute pre-loved school uniform.  This has been hugely successful, thanks to the fantastic donations of every type of uniform from families across Cheltenham.  The scheme continues until 31 May, with Dunelm on Tewkesbury Road as the donation point.

She also wanted to raise awareness of a £41k fund for organisations in the Cheltenham and Gloucester area with expertise and passion for detached youth work, providing opportunities to support young people over the age of 13 who are at risk due to vulnerabilities and anti-social behaviour.  The process is open for applications until 18 June.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets was excited and nervous to be taking on this portfolio, but with so much going on in Cheltenham, she was looking forward to working out how to best use the council’s funds and assets to enhance the long-term sustainable future of Cheltenham.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control was also excited by the challenges ahead, and was happy to begin with the good news that the Arle Court transport hub is on target to be fully operational by August.  This is, of course, and county-led project, but as other Members have said, Cheltenham must work with partners, and this fantastic initiative will help us achieve our climate ambitions, resulting in fewer car journeys to the town centre.  In addition, people’s concerns about the loss of trees has already been addressed with the re-planting of sustainable vegetation, resulting in biodiversity net gain.  He added that Junction 10 remains a huge challenge, and looked forward to working with colleagues to resolve the issues.

The Leader thanked everyone for their enthusiasm in their new roles and for their contributions.