Councillor Peter Topping, who has represented Whittlesford ward at South Cambridgeshire District Council since 2008, is the new Leader of the Council.
He was voted in by the Conservative Group as the new group leader last Friday and appointed as Leader of the Council at its Annual General Meeting today, 19 May.
Cllr Topping paid tribute to Cllr Ray Manning, who stood down as Leader of the Council last week to let 'fresh blood' take up the reins after nine years in the role.
He said: “Ray Manning has done a fantastic job as Leader and is going to be a very hard act to follow. He deserves a huge amount of thanks for the dedication and passion he has put into the role and for all he has achieved for the local area.
“There is no doubt the continued cuts to the funding local councils have received from government over the last few years – and we are expecting to see this continue – presents huge challenges. Our innovative approach to generate our own funding through initiatives such as our housing company, Ermine Street Housing, means we are in the best position possible to meet the challenges. I am committed to making sure we maintain services of the highest quality.”
Before becoming Leader, Cllr Topping was Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Customer Services, having been appointed to the role in May last year. He was previously the Cabinet Member responsible for sustainability, planning and climate change and has also held the positions at SCDC of Chairman of the Climate Change Working Group, Chairman of the Corporate Governance Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Employment Committee.
He has appointed seven Cabinet Members to his top team, saying they have the right experience, knowledge and passion to build on the outgoing Leader’s success – most of his Cabinet team served under Ray, with Lynda Harford being the only new-comer. Other than Robert Turner, they all represent wards (shown in brackets) in South Cambridgeshire:
Cllr Peter Topping – Leader [Whittlesford]
Cllr Simon Edwards – Finance and Staffing [Cottenham]
Cllr Mick Martin – Corporate and Customer Services [Duxford]
Cllr Mark Howell – Environmental Services [Papworth & Elsworth]
Cllr Francis Burkitt – Greater Cambridge City Deal [Barton]
Cllr Lynda Harford – Housing [Cottenham]
Cllr Robert Turner – Planning [The Wilbrahams]
Cllr Tim Wotherspoon – Strategic Planning, Transportation and Communities [Cottenham]
“We have a thriving economy in Greater Cambridge and one of our biggest challenges is to make sure we support this with the right transport links and meet the housing needs of our residents and their families.
Peter Topping is a keen cyclist and a member of the Champion of the Thames Rowing Club. He ran Legal aid for the East of England for six years and has worked with a range of ministers as a senior civil servant.
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