New Council Chairman and Cabinet

Epping Forest District Council has a new Chairman and Cabinet. On Tuesday 24 May new and returning councillors took up their seats at the first meeting of the Council since the local elections. Councillor Ken Angold-Stephens joined the roll-call of honoured councillors to become the 37th Chairman of Epping Forest District Council since its creation in 1974. Councillor Brian Rolfe is the new Council Vice-Chairman.

Councillors paid generous tributes to the former Chairman, Councillor Anne Grigg.

Councillor Di Collins led the tribute to Anne Grigg, describing her as a ‘fantastic’ Chairman of whom the whole Council was very proud. From other political groups, Councillors David Wixley and Jon Whitehouse also offered congratulations. Councillor Whitehouse described Councillor Grigg's good humour, fairness and discharge of her duties with great aplomb.

Councillor Ken Angold-Stephens described how as Vice-Chairman he had come to appreciate the tremendous amount of hard work Councillor Grigg had invested, promising to try his very best to reach the high standards she had set.

Councillor Grigg supported Cancer Research UK, St Clare Hospice at Hastingwood, Chigwell Riding Trust for Special Needs at Chigwell and the Essex Air Ambulance as her Chairman’s Charities, raising around £8,500 during the course of the year.

Councillor Ken Angold-Stephens received the unanimous support of the Council, accepting the nomination as Chairman. Nominating him, Councillor Caroline Pond described his conscientious work as a district councillor in Loughton over the previous seven years and his work for Loughton Town Council, on which he served as Mayor in 2009/10. The nomination was seconded by Councillor Richard Morgan and supported by fellow Loughton Roding Councillor Stephen Murray.

Councillor Angold-Stephens announced he would be making Epping Forest Home Start and St Clare Hospice his Chairman’s Charities.

Councillors also observed a minute’s silence in memory of former Councillor Robert O’Malley. Councillor O’Malley held the office of Chairman for Epping Forest District Council in 1978/9 and Chairman of Chigwell Urban District Council in 1972/3. Following the sombre moment of remembrance, the Council’s Assistant to the Chief Executive cheered Councillors by recounting how Bob O’Malley was one of the first Councillors to become involved in emergency planning during the 1970s. After a training exercise, he was asked how he had dealt with the ‘poison cloud’ floating toward Epping Forest from Harlow. In response he said: “We blew it back!”

Thirteen previous Councillors returned to their seats in the Council Chamber after re-election on 5 May. They were joined by five new Councillors, Paul Keska, Ken Avey, Sarah Packford, Gary Waller and Ann Mitchell.

Epping Forest District Council has a new Leader, Councillor Lesley Wagland who paid tribute to her predecessor, Councillor Di Collins. The new eight member cabinet is:

• Lesley Wagland - Leader of Council and Legal Portfolio
• John Philip - Deputy Leader and Planning and Technology Portfolio
• Gagan Mohindra - Finance and Economic Development Portfolio
• Ricki Gadsby - Leisure and Wellbeing Portfolio
• John Knapman - Environment Portfolio
• Maggie McEwen - Housing Portfolio
• Penny Smith - Safer and Greener Portfolio
• John Wyatt - Support Services Portfolio

Councillor Di Collins has returned to the Council’s backbenches after five years as Leader of Council. The new Chairman was joined by Councillors from all sides of the Chamber and her former Cabinet colleagues in paying glowing tributes. Independent Councillor Stephen Murray accepted that they had not always agreed but said Councillor Collins should know the support and admiration in which she was held for what he described as a ‘superb job’.

Councillor Richard Bassett moving from his previous Cabinet role was elected Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Councillor Brian Sandler will continue to chair meetings of the District Development Control Committee.

Tributes were also made to former Councillors who did not return to the Council Chamber after the elections. Councillors Pat Brooks and Charlotte Edwards were not re-elected. Andy Green, Janet Hedges and Blane Judd did not seek re-election.