The Executive

The Council has a Leader and Cabinet model of governance. This means the Council elects a leader every four years. He or she then appoints up to nine other Councillors to form the Cabinet (known as the Executive), one of whom will be the Deputy Leader.

Leader of the Council

Councillor Paul Spooner
Leader of the Council
Lead Councillor for Planning and Regeneration

The role of the leader

The leader provides overall political leadership for the council by:

Co-ordinating and delivering council policies, strategies and services
Leading the Executive in its work to develop the policy framework and budget and to deliver services to the local community
Leading the development of partnerships both inside and outside of Guildford with stakeholders, residents and other interested organisations
Contributing to the preparation, monitoring and review of the council's policies, budget, strategy and service delivery

Main responsibilities of the leader

Providing leadership to the council and its political administration
Acting as the principal spokesman for the council and the administration
Assuming prime responsibility to the local community for the decisions and work of the Executive
Liaising with officers, in particular the Managing Director and the Council's corporate management team
Leading the development of the council's strategic and corporate planning process (Corporate Plan)
Having a primary role in presenting the Executive's proposals to the council and to the local community
Managing and chairing Executive's meetings and providing the political lead in proposing the policy framework, budget and direction of the council
Ensuring that the work of the Executive and portfolio holders is co-ordinated and is in line with the council's policy framework and the needs and aspirations of the local community
Ensuring that working relationships between the Executive , other councillors, officers and the local community are effective and professional

Deputy Leader of the Council

Councillor Matt Furniss
Deputy Leader of the Council
Lead Councillor for Infrastructure and Governance

The role of the deputy leader

To deputise for the leader of the council when required and to provide support in the political leadership of the council.

Main responsibilities of the deputy leader

To chair the Executive if the leader is unavailable
To support the leader in all aspects of his or her work, particularly in relation to providing the political direction on strategic issues

The Executive

The Executive has a Forward Plan of decisions to be taken.

Councillor David Bilbé Lead Councillor for Enterprise and Economic Development
Councillor Philip Brooker Lead Councillor for Housing and Development Management
Councillor Geoff Davis Special Advisor to the Leader Lead Councillor for Social Enterprise & Voluntary Sector
Councillor Graham Ellwood Lead Councillor for Licensing, Environmental Health & Community Safety
Councillor Gordon Jackson Lead Councillor for Innovation and Transformation
Councillor Nigel Manning Lead Councillor for Finance and Asset Management
Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith Lead Councillor for Skills, Arts & Tourism
Councillor Iseult Roche Lead Councillor for Community Health, Wellbeing & Project Aspire
Councillor Jo Randall Deputy Lead Councillor for Governance
Councillor David Wright Deputy Lead Councillor for Urban Parks & Recreation and Countryside & Rural