Dixon names Cheshire West executive

Cheshire West & Chester Council's leader-elect, Cllr Samantha Dixon, has unveiled her top team to lead the authority for the next four years.

The environment and communities portfolio will be held by Cllr Mark Henesy, a civil engineer with 30 years' experience in the oil and construction industries. He is a former deputy leader of Ellesmere Port & Neston Council.

Cllr Brian Clarke, steering committee chairman for the Winsford Neighbourhood Plan, and a former chairman of planning for Vale Royal Council, takes the economic development and infrastructure portfolio.

Cllr Angela Claydon, will hold the CWAC housing portfolio. Claydon is a former mayor of Ellesmere Port and sherriff of Chester.

Little Neston and Burton councillor, Louise Gittins, formerly shadow spokesman for culture and recreation, will be deputy leader of the council and responsible for the health and wellbeing portfolio. She heads her own company training people in management and leadership.

Cllr David Armstrong, who has worked in teaching, accountancy and banking, has been given responsibility for financial and legal departments. He was previously education spokesman.

Children and young people will now be the responsibility of Sutton member Cllr Nicole Meardon, a teacher, school governor and chairman of the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education.

Former group chief whip and long-serving councillor, Paul Donovan, who works at Vauxhall, has been given responsibility for a new portfolio: democracy and workforce. Donovan is chairman of Brio, the council's leisure community interest company.

Cllr Paul Dolan, who works for the NHS supporting clinical commissioning, will lead on adult social care. Dolan is a former chairman of social services on Trafford Council and later that authority's executive member for health and wellbeing.

Council leader Dixon has led the Labour group since July 2014 and has represented City Ward residents for over four years. She worked for former City of Chester MP Christine Russell and is a former non-executive director of the Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust Hospital.

The new leadership will take their posts on 21 May.