Green Party outline their priorities after taking control at Mid Suffolk District Council
It's the first time the party has had overall control at the local authority
The new leadership team at Mid Suffolk District Council has been setting out its priorities, as The Green Party takes control for the first time.
It's the first local authority in the UK to be led by the Greens, who won an overall majority in the local elections earlier this month.
Councillor Andy Mellen will lead the council, with Councillor Rachel Eburne appointed deputy leader.
The cabinet will be made up of six different roles:
• Cllr Andy Mellen (leader) – Performance and resilience
• Cllr Rachel Eburne (deputy leader) – Finance and resources
• Cllr Andrew Stringer – Heritage, planning and infrastructure
• Cllr Tim Weller – Environment, culture and wellbeing
• Cllr Richard Winch – Housing and property
• Cllr Teresa Davis – Thriving towns and rural communities
Among priorities at MSDC will be tackling the cost of living crisis, as well as access to local services and climate change.
Councillor Mellen said the council would move to make local communties more 'liveable' by helping to preserve services like village shops and post offices.
"This might be the local pub which also hosts the village post office or the food bank, two examples that are already happening" he said.
"It could be redundant farm buildings re-purposed as a micro-brewery or a professional services centre, or the village hall which acts as a hub for community life.
“These kind of small businesses and community connections are often what make neighbourhoods work and on which people depend, and we want to build these up and support them.”