Mayor set for six more months and Reading Council in-person meetings back

Reading Borough Council (RBC) will meet for its first face-to-face public meeting since March 13, 2020 on Wednesday, May 26.

Councillors will be appointed to key positions at RBC’s Annual General Meeting at Reading Town Hall on Blagrave Street.

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Labour’s Jason Brock and Tony Page will remain as leader and deputy leader of the council, with the party retaining its majority at the local elections earlier this month.

Council leader Jason Brock

RBC leader councillor Jason Brock said: “It has been an extremely tough year for our town, but we have throughout always sought to do the right thing by residents and businesses in responding to all the challenges we have faced together.

“As we look forward to a period of recovery, although being forever mindful that the threat of Covid has not disappeared, we will be redoubling our efforts to drive forward key projects, focus on the priorities of our community and make tackling inequality a central element of all our work.

“We remain committed to all of our ambitions for Reading. These are ambitions that the electorate have backed us once again to drive forward and we are striving for a future that delivers benefits for everyone across Reading, whatever their circumstances, and a future that is sustainable in social, environmental and economic terms.

“None of us expect an easy ride over the forthcoming period, but I’m extremely confident in the ability and imagination of my team of lead councillors – a team that will always do their utmost to ensure Reading’s residents get the very best from their council.”

Reading’s mayor since May 2020, Conservative councillor David Stevens was due to finish his term this month, with mayors in the town usually appointed to the mostly ceremonial role for one year.

However, due to the disrupted year amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the council is proposing to keep him in the post for another six months until November, with deputy mayor Cllr Rachel Eden to then take over.

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Under the plans, Labour’s Cllr Eden will also take on the mayor role for an extended 18-month period from November 2021 until May 2023.

The lead member portfolios are set to be as follows:

Adult Social Care: Councillor John Ennis

Children: Councillor Liz Terry

Corporate and Consumer Services: Councillor Ruth McEwan

Culture, Heritage and Recreation: Councillor Karen Rowland

Education: Councillor Ashley Pearce

Health, Wellbeing and Sport: Councillor Graeme Hoskin

Housing: Councillor Ellie Emberson

Neighbourhoods and Communities: Councillor Adele Barnett-Ward

Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport: Councillor Tony Page

Some lead member roles will change, with Cllr John Ennis switching from Housing to Adult Social Care, previously held by Tony Jones, who stepped down as a councillor this month.

This opens up the opportunity for Cllr Ellie Emberson to switch from Corporate and Consumer Services to Housing, with Cllr Ruth McEwan taking up her old role.

The proposed committee chairs for 2021/22 are:

Adult Social Care, Children’s Service and Education: Councillor Sophia James

Housing, Neighbourhoods and Leisure: Councillor Richard Davies

Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport: Councillor Paul Gittings

Planning Applications: Councillor Jo Lovelock

Licensing Applications: Councillor Deborah Edwards

Traffic Management: Councillor Mohammed Ayub

There are two proposed changes to chairman roles, with Cllr Lovelock – who was leader of the council before Cllr Brock – set to take over from former councillor Emmett McKenna as planning applications chair.

Former council leader Jo Lovelock will take on the Planning Applications chair role

Councillors will vote on whether to approve the new administration at the meeting on Wednesday evening, which is likely to be very short due to the lack of the usual mayor-making process.

Members of the public are not being invited to attend this meeting in person.

Full council meetings will be held at the town hall until national social distancing restrictions are removed, with other meetings to be held in the council chamber at the Civic Centre on Bridge Street.

There will be limited seats for members of the public on a first come first served basis, but due consideration will also be given to people taking part (i.e people with questions/petitions/speakers etc) and media.