Bedford Borough Council’s Executive has a new look and a new Independent Councillor, after its portfolio holder for finance, councillor Graeme Coombes, stepped aside due to work commitments.
This morning, Bedford Borough’s elected mayor Tom Wootton (Conservative) said: “I have asked deputy mayor Jim Weir to take over the finance role.
“He has done such a fantastic job getting cross-party support for his previous environment portfolio, I look forward to him carrying this on in his new role.
“He is a proverbial safe pair of hands and with all of his managerial experience, this is the sort of thing he has done a load of times before for private companies. We are glad to have him on board in this new role,” he said.
Independent Councillor Nicky Gribble (Renhold and Ravensden) has agreed to become the environment portfolio holder (PFH)
The mayor said: “Although she is not a member of my party I think she will be a great asset to the Cabinet. Councillor Gribble has really thrown herself into being a councillor, learning and representing her residents wonderfully.
“She is renowned for her plain speaking. With all of her great experience in waste management and private industry she will be a valued addition to the Cabinet,” he said.
The final change is councillor Marc Frost (Wixams and Wilstead) joining the Executive for the new role of portfolio holder for corporate services.
This role will cover responsibilities such as procurement and the disaggregation agreement with Central Bedfordshire Council.
“As well as filling in a number of gaps,” the mayor added, “With all of his experience in the financial services world I am excited to see what he can lend to the Cabinet.”
Cllr Coombes
Cllr Coombes, announced he was stepping down from his finance PFH position last month saying he didn’t have the time to make devote to what he says should be a “full-time role”.
“Local Government finance generally is in a difficult place right now, and I am more than ever convinced that the Finance Portfolio position should be a full-time role, in order to deal adequately with the pressures that come with the position,” he said.
“I have found it increasingly difficult of late, to manage the demands of my day job, with the time commitment required for the role of Finance Portfolio Holder.
“It has been a privilege and honour to serve as Finance Portfolio Holder since Mayor Tom Wootton’s election in May 2023 and I would like to thank him for having given me the opportunity to serve the residents of Bedford in the Finance role for the last 18 months.
“It is my intention to continue as Conservative Group Leader and I will support the Mayor and the rest of the Cabinet from that position.”
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
Additional reporting by Paul Hutchinson
Bedford Independent
