The Leader of the Council, Councillor Tim Bearder, approved the introduction of a Deputy Cabinet Member for Strategic Plan Delivery. This new role will provide additional political capacity to support the delivery of agreed Strategic Plan priorities and enhance the forward planning of Cabinet business.

Deputy Cabinet Member for Strategic Plan Delivery

The council has approved the introduction of a Deputy Cabinet Member for Strategic Plan Delivery. This role is designed to provide additional political capacity to support the delivery of the council's Strategic Plan priorities. The Deputy Cabinet Member will not be a statutory Cabinet position and will have no executive decision-making powers or delegated authority. Their responsibilities will include maintaining political focus on agreed priorities, supporting progress on Strategic Plan actions, working with officers to identify barriers to delivery, and assisting in the forward planning of Cabinet business. The appointment will be made by the Leader and reported to the Council for transparency. The postholder will be required to undergo a refreshed Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. The decision was made following a review of the proposed model, governance safeguards, role description, and communications approach. The Leader of the Council, Councillor Tim Bearder, approved the recommendations as outlined in the report. The decision will become effective on 2 September 2026, unless called in for review by the relevant Scrutiny Committee.

This decision was made following consideration of the report by the Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer, which detailed the rationale and proposed governance model for the new role. The report highlighted that such roles are used by other councils to increase political capacity and support portfolio delivery. The proposed Deputy Cabinet Member role is intended to strengthen delivery, help progress quick wins, and improve the organisation and forward planning of Cabinet business, without transferring executive decision-making powers. The financial implications were noted as nil, as the role would not attract an additional Special Responsibility Allowance, and any officer support would be managed within existing resources. Legal implications were also addressed, confirming that the Leader has the power to appoint Deputy Cabinet Members under the Local Government Act 2000, provided the total number of executive members does not exceed ten. The Council's Constitution will be updated to reflect this new role and the Leader's power to appoint to it.