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The Executive

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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

Julia McShane

Cllr Julia McShane
Leader of the Council
Housing
Portfolio responsibility: Homelessness, Housing Advice, Landlord Services, Housing Maintenance and Repairs.

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 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

Tom Hunt

Cllr Tom Hunt
Deputy Leader
Regeneration
Portfolio responsibility: Corporate Capital Projects, Housing Delivery, Regeneration, Economic Development and Transport.

The Executive

The Executive has a Forward Plan (opens new window) of decisions to be taken.

Cllr Julia McShane (Leader) has appointed her Executive:

 

Angela Goodwin

Cllr Angela Goodwin
Engagement and Customer Services
Portfolio responsibility: Communications and Engagement, Complaints, Ombudsman, Customer services, Case Management, Digital services, Freedom of Information, ICT and Business Systems.

Catherine Houston

Cllr Catherine Houston
Commercial Services
Portfolio responsibility: Building Control, Events, Heritage, Leisure and Off-Street Parking.

Richard Lucas

Cllr Richard Lucas
Finance and Property
Portfolio responsibility: Finance and Accounting (General Fund/Housing Revenue Account),  Internal Audit, Procurement, Revenues and Benefits, Property and Land Assets, Engineers and Facilities.

Carla Morson

Cllr Carla Morson
Community and Organisational Development
Portfolio responsibility: Careline, Community Grants, Community Safety including Community Safety Partnership, Disabled Facilities Grants, Adaptations, Family Support, Health, Safeguarding, Supporting Vulnerable people, migrants and refugees, Business Transformation, HR, Learning and Development, Payroll, Strategy, Policy and Performance, Programme Assurance, Risk Management and Business Continuity.

George Potter

Cllr George Potter
Planning, Environment and Climate Change
Portfolio responsibility: Planning Applications, Planning Enforcement, Planning Integration and Improvement, Planning Policy, Bereavement, Green Spaces, Parks, Countryside, Trees, Fleet Operations, Street Cleaning, Waste and Recycling and Climate Change.

Merel Rehorst-Smith

Cllr Merel Rehorst-Smith
Regulatory and Democratic Services
Portfolio responsibility: Air Quality, Corporate Health and Safety, Emergency Planning, Environmental Health/Crime, Food Safety, Licensing, Private Sector Housing, Democratic and Committee Services, Elections, Executive and Civic Support, GDPR, Information Security, Governance, Legal, Overview and Scrutiny Support.