Plymouth City Council has a new Conservative administration following the Annual General Meeting held at the Guildhall.
The Conservative group has formed an administration following the local election on 6 May which resulted in the Conservative Party having 26 councillors, Labour 24 and seven independent members.
Councillor Nick Kelly was formally appointed as leader at the AGM.
Councillor Kelly was first elected to the Council in 2015 serving the Moor View Ward. He now represents his home ward of Compton.
He is a proud Plymothian and served as Deputy Lord Mayor of Plymouth in 2017/18. He has chaired and been a member of numerous council committees.
His new Cabinet team was also formally appointed at the meeting. They are:
· Deputy Leader and also responsible for Health and Adult Social Care: Councillor Patrick Nicholson
· Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Culture, Leisure and Sport: Councillor Mark Deacon
· Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Children and Young People: Councillor Dave Downie
· Cabinet Member for Governance, HR, IT and Community Safety: Councillor John Riley
· Cabinet Member for Transport: Councillor Jonathan Drean
· Cabinet Member for Homes and Communities: Councillor Vivien Pengelly
· Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Scene: Councillor Maddi Bridgeman
Councillor Kelly said: “It is an incredible honour and privilege to be elected as the Leader of Plymouth City Council. I am grateful to all my colleagues for their support and excited about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
“As Leader, I commit that my new team will be focused on delivering immediately on the promises we made during the election and continue to unlock Plymouth’s potential.
“We really listened to local people on the doorstep. We know that Plymouth want us to focus on getting the basics right – tackling pot holes, weeds, litter, graffiti and fly tipping.
“At the same time, we have ambitious plans to combat health inequality, improve education and skills, create jobs and encourage inward investment, build on the extensive regeneration in the city and of course – tackling climate change.
“Our administration will be focused on delivering for everyone. Creating a city where no-one gets left behind. But we can’t do it alone. Over the weeks and months ahead we will continue engaging with local people and our partners whilst we shape and deliver our plans.
“We live in a great city, we have so much potential and I am so grateful for the opportunity to deliver for Plymouth. With our ‘can do’ attitude – we look forward getting things done and ‘Building Back Better.”