A NEW face at Swindon Council’s cabinet will be unveiled tomorrow.

Councillor Keith Williams (Con, Shaw and Nine Elms) will take over the role vacated by his ward-mate Coun Nick Martin, who was sacked earlier this month.

Coun Williams will take responsibility for leisure in Swindon, including specific responsibility for the Lydiard Park project, involving improvements to the popular public space.

He will also deal with human resources, personnel and trade union relations, although the controversial Single Status project – to deal with equal pay disputes among council workers – will stay with Coun Fionuala Foley.

Coun Foley (Con, Old Town & Lawn) will also take on another political hot potato by shouldering responsibility for libraries.

Council leader Rod Bluh said: “I have known Keith since I started on the council and have always been impressed with his ability and his manner. He was an obvious candidate for cabinet.”

Coun Williams said: “I am very pleased to be given this opportunity and I’m looking forward to starting work.

“There will definitely be some challenges with the regeneration possibly not moving as fast as we would like. But there is a lot I’m looking forward to getting to grips with.

“A number of the 2010 fifty promises fall under my portfolio and I am very excited to have responsibility for the Lydiard Park project.”

Keith, 38, has been a councillor since 2006 and is currently the chairman of a number of committees as well as Thamesdown Transport. He works as a project manager at Arval.

It seems that politics is in his veins, as his great-grandmother once campaigned for Winston Churchill.

Deputy leader Coun Foley said he was an excellent choice for the role.

“I have been very impressed with his work as chair of the Safer and Stronger Communities Overview Committee. He challenged me very effectively over staff sickness figures and he was very pleased to be taking on that responsibility with his new portfolio,” she said.

Coun Williams will be officially appointed to the post of cabinet member for leisure and corporate services at tomorrow’s annual full council meeting at the Civic Offices from 2.30pm.

THE thorny issues of libraries in Swindon is a challenge welcomed by Coun Foley.

She takes over the responsibility previously held by Coun Nick Martin, who left the cabinet after a power struggle with Coun Bluh.

A consultation period to decide the future of the libraries in Old Town, Gorse Hill and Even Swindon ends on June 5.

She said: “It is a challenging role and that’s why I wanted to take it on. I was not happy with the way it was dealt with.

“I would like to do a full review of where we are and even though I won’t be officially in charge of this until after Friday’s meeting I already have a meeting with the head of Library Services booked.

“We are still in the process of consultation and nothing has been decided yet. I want to have a good look at what the options are and see what we can do.”

Anyone who would like to have their say on the library consultation can email ajordan@swindon.gov.uk by Friday, June 5.