Today will be a day of mixed emotions as I bid farewell to two stalwarts of my cabinet team and welcome two new faces.

Councillors Fionuala Foley and Garry Perkins have, between them, held cabinet positions for a combined 30 years and both have served as deputy leader at various times.

They have decided the time is right to step down from their positions and I cannot speak highly enough of them.

Coun Perkins’ time as a cabinet member began in October 2001 until the following May before he made a return in May 2003. Since that time he has served on cabinet without a break and was deputy leader between 2010 and 2011.

Coun Foley has had two stints on cabinet, first from 2003 to 2011 then from 2012 up until now, which included a five-year spell as deputy leader between 2006 and 2011.

I would like to thank them for their unstinting support during my time as leader.

They have been outstanding to work with, but they have also done a tremendous amount for local residents while being in charge of a number of challenging cabinet portfolios.

Their passion for the town has never wavered and I know they will continue to do a fantastic job in their roles as councillors and on various committees within the council.

Their departures pave the way for councillors Maureen Penny and Dale Heenan to join the cabinet with Coun Penny taking over the highways and environment brief and Coun Heenan leading on town centre regeneration.

This is Coun Penny’s first position on cabinet and she brings a wealth of experience having served as a councillor for many years and being a former mayor of both Swindon and Highworth.

I know she will bring a great deal of enthusiasm to a role which covers a large number of council services that benefit all residents and I am looking forward to working with her.

Coun Heenan, meanwhile, makes a welcome return to cabinet and I know he will relish the role of breathing new life into our town centre by picking up the regeneration baton from Coun Perkins.

Swindon is an amazing town with huge potential ready to be released and this is an incredibly important time.

We are on the cusp of delivering some landmark projects that will transform our town now and in the future.

Coun Heenan’s meticulous attention to detail, his ability to challenge and his determination to succeed will ensure there is real progress on regeneration over the coming months and years.

It is incredibly important the cabinet has a strong team to deliver on the council’s ambitions and priorities and I am confident we have the right blend of skills and experience to get the job done.