New Cabinet and Committee structures announced
Havering Council has announced its new Cabinet and committee chairs.
The Cabinet will consist of nine posts made up of seven Resident Association (RA) and two Labour councillors as part of the new cooperation between the two groups.
For the first time, it includes a new Cabinet post responsible for the Climate Agenda.
The new Cabinet led by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Ray Morgon, sees RA Councillor, Gillian Ford, named as Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Adults and Health.
Meanwhile other key positions include:
- Councillor Graham Williamson (RA) - Development and Regeneration
- Councillor Oscar Ford (RA) - Children’s Services
- Councillor Paul McGeary (Labour) - Housing
- Councillor Chris Wilkins (RA) – Finance and Transformation
- Councillor Barry Mugglestone (RA) – Environment
- Councillor Paul Middleton (RA) – Corporate, Culture and Leisure Services
- Councillor Keith Darvill (Labour) – Climate Agenda.
At the reconvened Council Annual General Meeting held on Monday night (13 June 2022), the new committee chairs were appointed, and a new stream-lined committee structure was agreed.
Two new committees - Places Overview Scrutiny Committee, and People Overview and Scrutiny Committee - will now take on the main task of holding the administration to account.
Both committees will be chaired by members of the Conservative Party opposition group.
The Leader of Havering Council, Councillor Ray Morgon, said:
“Following the election we wanted to make sure we got this right. I am really excited that I can now formally announce the new Cabinet.
"This represents the cooperation between the Residents Association and Labour, with an additional post focusing on climate, which is an increasingly important issue.
“Before we were elected, one of the things we promised was that we would streamline the committee process to cut out bureaucracy and make it easier to for scrutiny to take place.
"These are chaired by the opposition, so that there can be real challenge.
“This move is just the first part of a root and branch review of everything that Havering Council does so we can be sure that we are providing Havering residents the best value for money while continuing to deliver the key services which matter most.”