Star date: 11th May 2016

LANCASTER, HINDS, ANTROBUS, MERRY...13 PAID EXECS...TWO DEPUTY MAYORS...AND A REVOLVING HOUSING DOOR...

New Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, has announced his `fresh' Cabinet, with many of the same old faces still there in the thick of it. Bill Hinds stays as `lead member' for Finance, Derek Antrobus stays as head of Planning, and David Lancaster has incredibly been handed the job as head of Environment, given his controversial involvement in the Hill Top Moss green space sell-off.

Meanwhile, amongst the 13 paid `executive' and `executive support' positions, there's two Deputy Mayors - John Merry (Deputy) and Paula Boshell (Statutory Deputy?) -, and Paul Longshaw, previously the council officer in charge of the Pendleton Together project, is now `lead member' for Housing.

Full details here...

The same old faces punctuate the new Salford City Council Cabinet, as City Mayor, Paul Dennett, announced his team today, with 13 paid positions – not too dissimilar to the previous Mayor's 13 `Assistant Mayor' posse.

Bill Hinds stays as `lead member' for Finance and Support Services, Derek Antrobus stays as head of Planning and Sustainable Development, while previous Deputy Mayor, David Lancaster, who many thought would be put out to grass, has been literally put out to grass with his new job as lead member for Environment and Community Safety...

...This is an incredible appointment, given the controversy over Lancaster's involvement in the sell-off of Hill Top Moss green space in Walkden. The case is still with the Information Commissioner, who has ruled that secret documents surrounding the sale have been withheld (see previous Salford Star article – click here).

Also still around from the previous Mayor's Cabinet are John Merry, who has been moved from Children's Services to Deputy City Mayor, and Paula Boshell who is now Statutory Deputy City Mayor...you what?. Lisa Stone, who was also in the previous Cabinet is now lead member for Children's and Young People's Services.

Meanwhile, Paul Longshaw, the Salford Council officer who headed up the Pendleton Together project - with its NIBE heating scandal and shocking refurbishment conditions (see here and see here) – resigned shortly before May to become the Labour Party candidate for the same Langworthy ward. He subsequently got elected and has now been wazzed straight into the Cabinet as lead member for Housing and Neighbourhoods. Whether he can adequately represent residents with grievances against Pendelton Together and the Council is yet to be seen.

Making up the rest of the nine person Cabinet is veteran anti-Salford Star councillor* John Ferguson who becomes lead member for Workforce and Industrial Relations, and Tracy Kelly who becomes lead member for Adult Services, Health and Wellbeing.

It is also being reported that there will be a further four `executive support' councillors, together with suitable allowances, making 13 paid appointments.

Expect no change in how Salford City Council operates.