Wealden Cabinet changes

The make-up of Wealden District Council’s new Cabinet Committee has been announced this week.

The new line up was revealed by the leader and deputy leader of the council – Councillor Rachel Millward (Green, Hartfield), and Councillor James Partridge (Liberal Democrat, Crowborough North) at Wednesday’s meeting of the committee.

It follows the Alliance for Wealden welcoming two new members – Councillor Daniel Manvell (Labour, Uckfield North) and Councillor Ben Cox (Labour and Co-operative, Uckfield New Town) last month.

Councillor Manvell has joined the Cabinet and will become lead member for Housing, Benefits, and Revenues. Councillor Millward becomes lead member for a newly designed portfolio - Culture, Community and Communications.

In a joint statement, councillors Rachel Millward and James Partridge said, “We are pleased to confirm the new Cabinet portfolios, which have been refocused on the aims of our Council Strategy. Our priorities as an Alliance for Wealden are protecting our environment, strengthening community resilience and wellbeing, and a growing local economy.

“The last 18 months have been marked by a number of successes including a new Draft Local Plan, breaking ground on new health and leisure facilities across the district and driving forward a new Climate Change Strategy.

“The new portfolio of Community, Culture and Communications which Rachel will lead is reflective of our intention to develop our priority of community resilience and wellbeing, enhancing quality of life for residents where they live and continuing to work on the ways in which the council interacts with residents.”

Councillor Manvell said, "It is a huge privilege to become one of the youngest cabinet members in the country. As the portfolio holder for Housing, Benefits, and Revenues, I will be making the case to the government to help us deliver more genuinely affordable and social homes for Wealden residents, especially for our young people and families. I look forward to working with the rest of the Alliance to deliver better public services for Wealden residents.”

Pictured, left to right, are councillors Paul Coleshill, James Partridge, Rachel Millward, Daniel Manvell, Greg Collins and Kelvin Williams.