County council leadership announced

Photo: Councillor Keith Mans, courtesy of Hampshire County Council

KEITH MANS has been re-elected as the leader of Hampshire County Council following the May 6 elections and the members of the local authority’s executive cabinet have been announced.

Councillor Mans will head up the county council – Southampton and Portsmouth are separate unitary authorities – which is responsible for education, roads, social care and children’s services including schools, public health, libraries, and country parks.

He will be supported by an executive cabinet comprising:

Councillor Rob Humby – Deputy Leader of Hampshire County Council and Executive Lead Member for Economy, Transport and the Environment;

Councillor Stephen Reid – Executive Member for Performance, Human Resources and Partnerships;

Councillor Russell Oppenheimer – Executive Member for Highways Operations;

Councillor Jan Warwick – Executive Member for Climate Change and Sustainability;

Councillor Roz Chadd – Executive Lead Member for Children’s Services;

Councillor Liz Fairhurst – Executive Lead Member for Adult Services and Public Health;

Councillor Edward Heron – Executive Member for Recreation, Heritage and Rural Affairs;

Councillor Steve Forster – Executive Member for Commercial Strategy, Estates and Property.

Councillor Mel Kendal has been re-elected as the HCC chair and as the county’s civic head, representing the authority on any royal visits, ceremonial occasions and other civic activities in Hampshire.

As well as dealing with the continuing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the county’s 1.4 million residents, another of Mr Mans’ immediate priorities will be to find a replacement for Chief Executive John Coughlan who retires this summer.