Councillor Wesley Fitzgerald reappointed

Councillor Wesley Fitzgerald reappointed as Leader of Cheshire East – and health expert boosts Cabinet team

Councillor Wesley Fitzgerald has been reconfirmed as the Leader of Cheshire East Council.

The Conservative, who represents Wilmslow West and Chorley Ward was formally elected to the post at a meeting of Full Council today (Wednesday, May 18).

Cllr Fitzgerald, who is also the leader of the Conservative Group and Chairman of the Cabinet with responsibilities for resources, has led Cheshire East Council since it was formed as a new unitary authority on April 1, 2009.

He unveiled an unchanged Cabinet team – except for the introduction of a new member to replace health and wellbeing portfolio holder Cllr Andrew Knowles, who lost his seat at the local elections.

Cllr Wesley Fitzgerald said: “I am honoured and proud to have maintained the confidence of my party group and the elected council members to be re-elected to lead Cheshire East Council.

“Cheshire East is a new authority and, as it enters its third year, projects are still in progress but not yet matured. This situation led me to believe that I would have been standing back from unfinished business if I had not chosen to stand again for the leadership of the Council.

“With regards to the major changes which will take place within the NHS, I believe that over the next five years, the joining together of primary care and public health is an absolute necessity.

“It will be vital from at least two view points: firstly, for joined-up provision of preventative health care and the promotion of good health and, secondly, for greater co-operation and coordination in provision of care for the sick.

“My Cabinet is essentially the same strong, capable and committed team – but with one new and talented recruit.

“Reflecting my comments on the growing importance of joined-up health care, I have appointed new member Cllr Peter Hayes to oversee the health and wellbeing portfolio.

“Cllr Hayes has considerable experience within the health service, having chaired the Macclesfield NHS Trust for 11 years and sat on national health committees.

“The composition of the Cabinet is now one which has matured into an effective group, who know each other and work well together as a team. This is an essential prerequisite to meeting the challenges ahead – most significantly, delivering more for less for the people of Cheshire East.

“We have a lean budget this year and we are still shaping the workforce to the true needs of the services.

“We look forward to performing effectively and preparing Cheshire East to be an excellent and exemplary Council for the benefit of all our residents.”

The Cabinet members are:

● Cllr Wesley Fitzgerald, Council Leader, Chairman of the Cabinet with responsibilities for resources;

● Cllr Roland Domleo, Deputy Leader, responsibilities for adult services;

● Cllr Rachel Bailey, responsibilities for safer and stronger communities;

● Cllr Peter Hayes, responsibilities for health and wellbeing;

● Cllr Rod Menlove, responsibilities for environmental services;

● Cllr David Brown, responsibilities for performance and capacity;

● Cllr Peter Mason, responsibilities for procurement, assets and shared services;

● Cllr Hilda Gaddum, responsibilities for children and family services;

● Cllr Jamie Macrae, responsibilities for prosperity.