At the Annual General Meeting of Horsham District Council on 24 May Cllr Martin Boffey was appointed the new Leader of the Council.
The first Cabinet Meeting of the new administration was held at the Council’s offices at Parkside Horsham on Thursday 8 June.
The new seven-strong Cabinet consists of the following councillors:
- Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning and Infrastructure - John Milne
- Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources - Mark Baynham
- Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Nature Recovery - Colette Blackburn
- Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Green Spaces - Jon Olson
- Cabinet Member for Housing, Communities and Wellbeing - Sam Raby
- Cabinet Member for Environmental Health, Recycling and Waste - Jay Mercer
- Cabinet Member for Local Economy and Place - Ruth Fletcher
Commenting on the appointments Cllr Boffey said:
I’m very happy to announce the new Cabinet for Horsham District Council. This team comes with a great breadth and depth of experience across local government, the voluntary sector and commerce and industry, and I am proud to lead it in delivering for our communities and residents.
Cllr John Milne will serve both as Deputy Leader, and Cabinet Member for Planning and Infrastructure. Over the last four years John has stayed close to the development of our next Local Plan, in all its complexities, and is well-placed to take over the direction of this key policy immediately.
With a background in fraud prevention, and now as Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources, Cllr Mark Baynham will work to safeguard public funds and ensure Council expenditure is fully and efficiently directed to our objectives to make the District a better place for all our residents.
Cllr Colette Blackburn has a professional background helping organisations innovate in a changing world. Now as the Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Nature Recovery, she will help ready both the Council and our residents to make preparations for the future.
Cllr Jon Olson has been a long-time campaigner for local green spaces, from Rookwood to Owlbeach Woods. As the Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Green Spaces he will work to preserve and improve that which makes Horsham District such a fun and great place to live.
Cllr Sam Raby, with over 20 years’ experience working with children, young people and families, both for local authorities and in the voluntary sector, will serve as Cabinet Member for Housing, Communities and Wellbeing.
Cllr Jay Mercer will leverage his 35 years of experience as a senior local government manager in his new role as Cabinet Member for Environmental Health, Recycling and Waste, looking to increase our recycling rates and local sustainability.
And finally, Cllr Ruth Fletcher will serve as Cabinet Member for Local Economy and Place, working to ensure our District remains a successful place to work and live in the 21st Century, and that the District’s assets are better used to meet the needs of our local residents.