Calderdale councillors appointed to key roles in cabinet and committees

At the council’s Annual Meeting and Mayor-making held at Halifax Minster this week, pro rata composition of party representation on committees was also agreed, chair and deputy chair positions on committees and scrutiny boards settled and appointments to outside bodies also approved.

Labour held seven of the eight seats it was defending in the elections and gained another to retain control of the council, having 28 councillors, giving a majority of five over all other parties, with the Conservatives holding 15 seats, the Liberal Democrats five and there are three independent councillors, 51 in total.

Coun Swift (Town) confirmed his Deputy Leader will be Coun Jane Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot), who will continue to hold the Cabinet portfolio for Regeneration and Strategy.

At the Minster, Coun Swift paid tribute to Coun Bob Metcalfe (Lab, Town), who is stepping down from his Cabinet membership this year, having held the Adults Services and Wellbeing portfolio for ten years.

Coun Swift praised the dedication Coun Metcalfe has given Calderdale, being first elected to the authority in its very first year, 1974, and he will remain a ward colleague serving Town.

Taking over the portfolio is Coun Josh Fenton-Glynn (Lab, Calder), and other Cabinet members are retaining their roles, with Coun Scott Patient (Lab, Luddenden Foot) at Climate Change and Resilience, Coun Jenny Lynn (Lab, Park) at Public Services and Communities, Coun Adam Wilkinson (Lab, Sowerby Bridge) at Children and Young People’s Services, Coun Swift himself at Public Health and Cohesion and Coun Silvia Dacre (Lab, Todmorden) at Resources.

The Mayor of Calderdale, Coun Chris Pillai (Con, Rastrick) will chair full council meetings with Deputy Mayor Coun Howard Blagbrough (Con, Brighouse) deputising if the need arises.

Coun Stephen Baines (Con, Northowram and Shelf) continues to chair Audit Committee, with Coun Megan Swift (Lab, Town) chairing the Appeals Panel, Coun Tim Swift chairing Employment, Coun Dot Foster (Lab, Sowerby Bridge) chairing Governance and Business, Coun Stephanie Clarke (Lab, Illingworth and Mixenden) takes the Licensing and Regulatory chair and Coun Victoria Porritt (Lab, Elland) will chair Planning.

Appointments are not yet listed for Health and Wellbeing Board, which Coun Tim Swift has usually undertaken, and Standards, where Canon Hilary Barber chaired it as a non-political appointee.

It is usual for opposition group politicians to take some senior scrutiny board roles and these see Coun Blagbrough continue as chair at Adults, Health and Social Care with Coun Mike Barnes (Lab, Skircoat) as deputy chair.

Coun Colin Raistrick (Ind, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe) continues as chair of Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Board with Coun Sarah Courtney (Lab, Calder) as deputy chair.

Coun Angie Gallagher (Lab, Elland) will chair Flooding Scrutiny Board with Coun Susan Press (Lab, Todmorden) as deputy chair.

At Place Scrutiny Board, Coun Peter Caffrey (Con, Northowram and Shelf) takes over as chair, with Coun Roisin Cavanagh (Lab, Luddenden Foot) as deputy.

Coun Ashley Evans (Lib Dem, Warley) will chair Strategy and Performance Scrutiny Board with Coun Metcalfe as deputy chair.