Changes to Wiltshire’s Council’s cabinet and portfolio holders will align with the recovery structure within the council after COVID-19, according to a statement issued today by the council.
The changes begin today, July 1, when Cllr Allison Bucknell becomes new Portfolio Holder for Communities, Arts, Heritage and Tourism. Cabinet members reduce from nine to eight, and several members will have changes made to their portfolios. The number of portfolio-holders has been cut from 14 to 10.
Leader Cllr Philip Whitehead said: “The Cabinet and Portfolio Holders are essential to the democratic functions of the council, but we have made these changes to make the administration more efficient, and better placed to help us tackle challenges faced by COVID-19 and the subsequent recovery. These changes bring a 15% saving in costs of the administration, which is prudent given the financial challenges we face because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I thank Cllr Bucknell for her hard work as Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Communications, Communities, Leisure and Libraries, and also the Portfolio Holders who have stepped down, Cllr Atiqul Hoque, Cllr Johnny Kidney, Cllr David Halik, Cllr Horace Prickett and Cllr Fleur De Rhe-Philipe, though Fleur will still work closely on the A303 Stonehenge project.”
The Cabinet is the council’s principal decision-making body and comprises the Leader of the Council and up to nine Cabinet Members.