The Council operates a Leader and Cabinet model of governance. Under this arrangement all executive functions are vested in the Leader who can then delegate (and take back) functions as they see fit.
The Council elects the Leader each year at the Annual General Meeting and the Leader appoints the Cabinet.
The Cabinet (also known as the Executive) is the main decision making body of the Council. It is responsible for policies, plans and strategies which must be implemented within the budgetary and policy framework adopted by Full Council.
Each of the 10 members also has individual special responsibility for a particular area of the Council's services. These portfolio areas are determined by the Leader within the Leader’s Scheme of Delegation and are summarised below.
The Leader - Councillor Tudor Evans OBE
Email the Leader: Tudor.Evans@plymouth.gov.uk
Responsible for:
- appointing members of the Cabinet
- delegating executive responsibilities to the Cabinet
- delegating executive responsibilities to committees carrying out executive functions
- delegating executive responsibilities to individual Cabinet members
- allocating executive responsibilities to officers
- allocating executive responsibilities when no-one has responsibility for them
- The Leader can at any time take back responsibilities delegated to committees of the Cabinet, an individual Cabinet member or officer, or decide to delegate them on certain conditions. (ie The Leader can choose to exercise any powers in the Scheme of Delegation).
- The Leader can also decide to delegate further responsibilities to committees of the Cabinet, individual Cabinet members or to an officer.
- Executive responsibilities are carried out on behalf of the council and in the council’s name.
- Chair of Cabinet meetings and may act on behalf of, or instead of any other Cabinet members
- Liaison with Government
- Leadership representative of the Council on national and regional bodies
- The overview of the Council and its resources
- The Corporate Plan
- Corporate policy development
- One Plymouth
- National Marine Park
- Capital programme where delegated
- Designs for the future purpose, functions, shape and size of the organisation
- HM Dockyard and defence issues
- Plymouth Fishing industries
- Economy and Enterprise including Freeport
- Regional and Local Economic Strategy (including regional transport links)
- LGA
- Strategic and commercial projects
- Member development
- Democracy and Governance
- Elections
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, Culture and Communications - Councillor Jemima Laing
The Deputy Leader deputises for the Leader as appropriate in the absence of the Leader and may nominate any Cabinet member to deputise for the Leader in the absence of the Leader and Deputy Leader.
Email the Deputy Leader: Jemima.Laing@plymouth.gov.uk
Responsible for:
- Children Safeguarding and protection (Children’s Social Care)
- Children in Care and Care leavers
- Children in Need
- Children’s Social Care
- Early Intervention, Prevention and Targeted Support
- Youth Justice and Youth Services
- Culture, heritage and museums (including Mount Edgcumbe)
- The Box
- Communications
- Legal
- Fees and charges relating to portfolio
Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care - Councillor Mary Aspinall
Email the Cabinet Member: Mary.Aspinall@plymouth.gov.uk
Responsible for:
- Older people’s services
- Mental Health services
- Physical disability services
- Drug & alcohol services
- Learning disabilities services
- Adult public health
- Adult Safeguarding
- Dementia friendly city
- Aging Well Agenda
- Health and social care
- Other healthcare matters
- Children’s mental health
- Children’s and adult’s dental health
- Children’s public health
- Fees and charges relating to portfolio
Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Events, Libraries, Cemeteries and Crematoria - Councillor Sally Haydon
Email the Cabinet Member: Sally.Haydon@plymouth.gov.uk
Responsible for:
- Environmental health
- Trading standards
- Taxi Licensing
- Miscellaneous Licensing
- Food safety
- Crime and Anti-social behaviour
- Safer Plymouth Community Safety Partnership
- Civil Protection and resilience
- Library service
- Bereavement and Crematoria
- Coroners
- Registration
- Events
- Waterfront Partnership
- Fees and charges relating to portfolio
Cabinet Member for Housing, Cooperative Development and Communities - Councillor Chris Penberthy
Email the Cabinet Member: Chris.Penberthy@plymouth.gov.uk
Responsible for:
- Cooperative Development
- Plan for Homes and associated initiatives
- Building regulations including building safety Corporate property. Land and facilities management
- Performance management
- Homelessness
- Unauthorised encampments and Travellers Policy
- Welcoming Plymouth including equalities and diversity, asylum seekers and refugees
- Community engagement
- Building Stronger Communities including volunteering and community use of Council assets
- Veterans and Community Covenant
- Tackling poverty and Child Poverty
- National welfare policy and Council discretionary welfare funds
- Street naming
- Procurement
- Fees and charges relating to portfolio
Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Apprenticeships - Councillor Sally Cresswell
Email the Cabinet Member: Sally.Cresswell@plymouth.gov.uk
Responsible for:
- Post 16 – Education and training
- Apprenticeships
- Plan for Education
- Plymouth Education Board
- Schools
- School admissions arrangements
- Early Years
- Adult Education
- Higher and Further Education
- Skills and Employability
- Fees and charges relating to portfolio
- SEND
Cabinet Member for Finance - Councillor Mark Lowry
Email the Cabinet Member: Mark.Lowry@plymouth.gov.uk
Responsible for:
- Revenue Budget
- Capital programme monitoring and oversight
- District shopping centre revival
- City Centre Company
- Revenues and municipal enterprise
- Health and Wellbeing hubs investment programme
- Fees and charges relating to portfolio
Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport - Councillor Mark Coker
Email the Cabinet Member: Mark.Coker@plymouth.gov.uk
Responsible for:
- Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan
- Spatial and infrastructure planning
- City Change Fund
- Strategic transport policy including public transport, active travel, community transport, concessionary fares and non- commercial routes
- Strategic and regional transport
- Flood risk management
- City Centre public realm and infrastructure delivery
- Highways operations and maintenance
- Pavements
- Parking
- Marine services
- Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Cruise Terminal/Port services
- Fees and charges relating to portfolio
Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change - Councillor Tom Briars-Delve
Email the Cabinet Member: Tom.Briars-Delve@plymouth.gov.uk
Responsible for:
- Climate change
- Plymouth Net Zero Action Plan
- Climate Emergency Investment Fund
- Energy policy, decarbonisation and renewable energy initiatives
- Commercial and domestic waste management
- Environmental enforcement
- Plan for Trees and Tree management
- Recycling
- Plastic Free Plymouth
- Green Estate Management
- Parks, recreation and sports pitches
- Air Pollution and Air Quality
- Street cleaning
- Fees and charges relating to portfolio
Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Sport, Leisure and HR and OD - Councillor Sue Dann
Email the Cabinet Member: Sue.Dann@plymouth.gov.uk
Responsible for:
- Cost of Living Action Plan
- Human Resources, Organisational development and trade Union liaison
- Health and Safety
- Customer services
- Transformation and Change Oversight
- Business Support
- Information technology
- Information Governance
- Digital transformation
- Sports and Leisure
- Plymouth Active Leisure
- Fees and charges relating to portfolio
