Jake Berriman voted in as leader of Powys County Council
LIBERAL Democrat nominee Cllr Jake Berriman has been named the new leader of Powys County Council after seeing off a challenge from the county's Conservative group leader.
Ahead of the council's annual meeting on Thursday, May 15, Cllr Berriman had received the backing of his Liberal Democrat group to take the helm at county hall and lead the coalition which includes Labour and Green Party to the next local elections in May 2027.
But at the meeting a rival candidate emerged to succeed outgoing leader Cllr James Gibson-Watt, as Conservative group leader Cllr Aled Davies also threw his hat in the ring.
In a pitch to councillors, Cllr Berriman said: 'My group may be the largest, but this administration has no overall majority, and, in this fragility, I think lies our strength it means that every voice and vote counts for something.
'There can be no room for complacency and every vote earned if we are to take the tough decisions that lie ahead of us.
'We have more in common than separates us and that is a solid platform on which we can build better collaborative approaches for what remains of our term in office.
'I'm talking about harnessing our collective experience and knowledge, working in communities to make every penny count.
'Neither I nor the administration have the answers to all the difficulties we face in delivering our ambitions and meeting the pressing needs of those we serve.'
He said he would try to strengthen his relationships with all councillors and be a 'listening leader'.
Cllr Davies appealed to councillors by saying that there is a need to 'accelerate' the council's transformation of services.
Cllr Davies said: 'When resources are tight, we need to focus on the council's core business and deliver true value for money at all times, my priorities are our highways, social services and on top of that list our schools.
'We must not pour resources into unachievable targets such as Net Zero by 2030 and other environmental targets unless there is a clear financial case that benefits the residents of Powys.
'Education is number one, Estyn's recommendations are crystal clear, we must get back on track, all our learners deserve an excellent education experience here in Powys, but we are asking our school heads to do the impossible, limited resources are spread too thinly.'
Cllr Davies said that he had 'struggled' with some of the decisions taken by the cabinet over the last couple of years, and was 'frustrated' that progress had been too slow.
But he pointed out successes by the cabinet, with social services, housing and homelessness and planning services singled out for praise.
Cllr Davies said: 'We are all passionate about delivering the best services we can, but we must not shrink away from change.
'It's time to put our communities first, I will lead from the front and want to put together a coalition of the willing and the able and a strong team together from across the council.'
Following the speeches both councillors left the chamber as the vote took place.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Seaside towns in chaos as new 'Airbnb tax' proposed as 22k people wait for homes
In what could be a huge blow for second homeowners, MP Ben Maguire has presented new legislation to parliament to crack down on council tax 'dodgers' in popular seaside areas A bold new law aiming to crack down on council tax 'dodgers' in several of the UK's most beloved seaside towns has been unveiled. The Short-term Lets (Planning Permission) Bill - often touted as the 'Airbnb bill' - was presented to parliament earlier this month (Tuesday, June 3) by Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, Ben Maguire. If passed, homeowners in the region will need formal planning permission before being able to change the status of a residential property to a short-term holiday let. It seeks to close a sneaky 'loophole' that has seen second homeowners convert their properties into Airbnb-style lets without needing approval. If a person rents out their second-home as a 'self-catering accommodation' - they can claim they are a small business, allowing them to dodge paying the second home council tax premium. To successfully qualify for business rates, a short-term let must have been available to rent for a minimum of 140 days in the prior year and must have actually been rented out for at least 70 days during that period. As long as this criteria is met, many homeowners can claim they're running a small business - even if they're primarily using the property as a second home for themselves. According to the BBC, Joh Brown, CEO of Cornwall Chamber Commerce, welcomed the bill - but warned it was not a 'silver bullet'. He argued there is currently a 'surplus' of Airbnb homes in Cornwall despite a staggering 22,000 locals being put on a waiting list for secure housing. "It must sit alongside tougher regulation and a robust registration system for short-term lets," he added. "If it deters those looking to extract profit from Cornwall without putting anything back — good. If it helps restore housing stock for local people, even better." John added that the bill could be a 'win for all of Cornwall' if it allowed hospitality and tourism workers to finally find secure housing. The news follows Cornwall Council's 2023 decision to charge second homeowners double the amount of council tax to alleviate the affordability crisis crippling the county. People who leave their properties empty and unfurnished for over a year will also face a 100 per cent premium on their bill. It is estimated the new rules will bring in a staggering £25 million for the council every year. "Enough is enough," MP Ben Maguire wrote on Facebook. "Too many local families are being priced out while homes sit empty or churned through weekly rentals. This Bill is about restoring fairness in our system and giving local people a better chance at owning their own home." Due to soaring demand, many Airbnb owners can get away with charging eye-watering prices to tourists - especially during the summer season. For example, a weekend's stay in a cottage in Padstow - a popular holiday resort - would you set you back a whopping £468. This is based on four guests sharing two bedrooms.
Leader Live
4 hours ago
- Leader Live
Reeves to say spending review will reflect ‘priorities of working people'
The Chancellor is expected to focus on 'Britain's renewal' as she sets out her spending plans for the coming years, with big increases for the NHS, defence and schools. Arguing that the Government is 'renewing Britain', she will acknowledge that 'too many people in too many parts of the country are yet to feel it'. She will say: 'This Government's task – my task – and the purpose of this spending review is to change that, to ensure that renewal is felt in people's everyday lives, their jobs, their communities.' Among the main announcements is expected to be a £30 billion increase in NHS funding, a rise of around 2.8% in real terms, along with an extra £4.5 billion for schools and a rise in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP. But Wednesday could present a tough prospect for other government as the Chancellor seeks to balance Labour's commitments on spending with her fiscal rules. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has already warned that any increase in NHS funding above 2.5% is likely to mean real-terms cuts for other departments, or further tax rises to come in the budget this autumn. This could mean a budgetary squeeze for areas such as local government, the justice system and the Home Office, despite reports that policing would receive an above-inflation settlement. The Chancellor has already insisted that her fiscal rules remain in place, along with Labour's manifesto commitment not to increase income tax, national insurance or VAT. She will say on Wednesday: 'I have made my choices. In place of chaos, I choose stability. In place of decline, I choose investment. In place of retreat, I choose national renewal. 'These are my choices. These are this Government's choices. These are the British people's choices.' Other announcements expected on Wednesday include £39 billion for social and affordable housing over the next decade as the Government aims to meet its target of building 1.5 million new homes by the next election. The Treasury said this would see annual investment in affordable housing rise to £4 billion by 2029/30, almost double the average of £2.3 billion between 2021 and 2026. The additional spending has been welcomed by homelessness charities, with Crisis calling it 'a determined political signal that housing really matters' and Shelter describing the move as 'a watershed moment in tackling the housing emergency'. The Chancellor has also already announced some £15.6 billion of spending on public transport in England's city regions, and £16.7 billion for nuclear power projects, the bulk of which will fund the new Sizewell C plant in Suffolk. There is also expected to be an extension of the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027 and an extra £445 million for upgrading Welsh railways. But one of the big losers from the spending review could be London, which is not expected to receive funding for any significant infrastructure projects or powers to introduce a tourist levy – both key requests from Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.
North Wales Chronicle
4 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Reeves to say spending review will reflect ‘priorities of working people'
The Chancellor is expected to focus on 'Britain's renewal' as she sets out her spending plans for the coming years, with big increases for the NHS, defence and schools. Arguing that the Government is 'renewing Britain', she will acknowledge that 'too many people in too many parts of the country are yet to feel it'. She will say: 'This Government's task – my task – and the purpose of this spending review is to change that, to ensure that renewal is felt in people's everyday lives, their jobs, their communities.' Among the main announcements is expected to be a £30 billion increase in NHS funding, a rise of around 2.8% in real terms, along with an extra £4.5 billion for schools and a rise in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP. But Wednesday could present a tough prospect for other government as the Chancellor seeks to balance Labour's commitments on spending with her fiscal rules. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has already warned that any increase in NHS funding above 2.5% is likely to mean real-terms cuts for other departments, or further tax rises to come in the budget this autumn. This could mean a budgetary squeeze for areas such as local government, the justice system and the Home Office, despite reports that policing would receive an above-inflation settlement. The Chancellor has already insisted that her fiscal rules remain in place, along with Labour's manifesto commitment not to increase income tax, national insurance or VAT. She will say on Wednesday: 'I have made my choices. In place of chaos, I choose stability. In place of decline, I choose investment. In place of retreat, I choose national renewal. 'These are my choices. These are this Government's choices. These are the British people's choices.' Other announcements expected on Wednesday include £39 billion for social and affordable housing over the next decade as the Government aims to meet its target of building 1.5 million new homes by the next election. The Treasury said this would see annual investment in affordable housing rise to £4 billion by 2029/30, almost double the average of £2.3 billion between 2021 and 2026. The additional spending has been welcomed by homelessness charities, with Crisis calling it 'a determined political signal that housing really matters' and Shelter describing the move as 'a watershed moment in tackling the housing emergency'. The Chancellor has also already announced some £15.6 billion of spending on public transport in England's city regions, and £16.7 billion for nuclear power projects, the bulk of which will fund the new Sizewell C plant in Suffolk. There is also expected to be an extension of the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027 and an extra £445 million for upgrading Welsh railways. But one of the big losers from the spending review could be London, which is not expected to receive funding for any significant infrastructure projects or powers to introduce a tourist levy – both key requests from Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.
