THE council leader has selected his team which will run Swindon over the next year and is confident they are the right people to lead the town through a tough time.

Cllr David Renard (Con, Haydon Wick) has named his cabinet, bringing in several new faces to hold posts, some of which have been slightly altered.

Keith Williams (Shaw) and Richard Hurley (Covingham and Dorcan) are no longer in the cabinet but Toby Elliott (Priory Vale) and Mary Martin (Shaw) have come in.

It is the first time Toby, who will be the cabinet member for strategic planning and communities, has held a cabinet position but the council leader said his role in other positions made him ideal for the role.

Mary Martin will hold the post of member for Corporate, Customer and Digital Services. She has previously held a post when she was last a councillor and while there were concerns at the time about her working arrangements, Cllr Renard says this has been addressed.

He said: “Toby is a very talented councillor who has shown what he can do as chairman of the Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee. I felt that he deserved his chance so have given him something he is interested in.

“Mary was on the cabinet previously so brings with her a lot of experience. She has assured me that her work commitments have been reduced and won’t be a problem so I am confident she will do a great job.”

Some of the roles have been slightly altered so areas which are likely to important in the coming months can be given extra focus.

For example, Cllr Heenan (Covingham and Dorcan) has seen the strategic planning element of his portfolio, which relates to developments, handed over to his Priory Vale Colleague as the council leader wants him to focus more on transport.

Overall, Cllr Renard is confident the cabinet contains a good mix of councillors.

“I believe it is a strong team,” he said. “We have got a good balance between experience and new blood, across ages and both genders.

“It is likely to be a busy year and we know there are going to be some tough decisions which need to made.

“Everyone is going to hit the ground running.”

The cabinet will officially take their positions at a council meeting taking place on Friday, when the new Mayor for the year will also be decided.

The Conservatives had a successful election, extending their majority in the council chamber to seven.

Cllr Renard said: “These appointments show that the Administration has the vision and the energy to take Swindon forward. The election results were a public endorsement of the reforms we have already made and the sound approach to public finances that underpin the council.”