South Hams Executive

The Executive, is a group of Councillors at South Hams District Council, appointed by the Leader of the Council.   Meetings of the Executive consist of ten District Councillors who each have specific areas of responsibility, known as ‘portfolios.’   The Leader of the Council is the Chairman of the Executive and the Deputy Leader is the Vice-Chairman. The Leader is elected for the four-year term of the Council and is re-appointed after local Council elections. The Deputy Leader and other members of the Executive are appointed by the Leader of Council.   The full list of functions and procedure rules can be found in the Council’s Constitution (Scheme of Delegation) (see Our Constitution). The main function of the Executive is to provide leadership to the overall activities of the Council. It manages all of the Council’s land and property, reviews fees and charges for Council services and has responsibility for the approval of delivery plans.   Executive meetings are open to the public. If you would like to ask a question or speak at the meeting, please see Public Questions for details about the procedure.   Executive meetings are live streamed on the internet. You can watch live or see previous recordings on our YouTube Channel.   2025-26 Executive Roles:   Leader of the Council, with specific responsibility for Strategic Communications and Corporate Performance Oversight Cllr Dan Thomas   Deputy Leader of the Council, with specific responsibility for Finance Cllr Simon Rake   Lead Executive Member for Economic Development; Commercial Strategy; and Governance   Cllr John Birch   Lead Executive Member for Waste & Recycling; Community Services & Operations; and Leisure Cllr Julian Brazil   Lead Executive Member for Community Development; Decarbonisation of Council Operations; and Arts & Culture   Cllr Nadine Dommett   Lead Executive Member for Planning (Development Management) and Strategic Planning   Cllr David Hancock   Lead Executive Member for Waste & Community Composting   Cllr Jacqi Hodgson   Lead Executive Member for Service Quality Cllr Nicky Hopwood   Lead Executive Member for Climate Change & Biodiversity   Cllr John McKay   Lead Executive Member for Housing; Environmental Health & Licensing Cllr Denise O’Callaghan.