New Leader of North Somerset Council elected
It follows Councillor Don Davies stepping down from the role earlier this week.
At last night’s Annual Council Meeting, North Somerset Council members elected Cllr Steve Bridger as the new Leader of the Council. Cllr Bridger’s appointment comes after Cllr Don Davies announced he was standing down from the role on Monday.
Cllr Bridger is also now Leader of the Independent Group, the largest political group on the council. He will serve as council leader until the next local elections in May 2023. He is the ward member for Yatton.
He said: “It is a privilege to take on this role and have the opportunity to lead our ambitious council in our commitment to be open, fair and green. I hope that I can bring the same balance of passion and determination to the role that Don has delivered over the past three years. He will be a hard act to follow and I know all councillors share the immense gratitude I feel for the work he has done.
“Over the next year I want to see us maintain and accelerate our commitment to tackling the climate emergency, invest in our communities, develop our Local Plan, do all we can to help tackle the cost of living crisis, back our children and young people and deliver better and smarter services. Our administration will continue to work hard together to deliver for the common good of the people of North Somerset.”
In taking on the role, Cllr Bridger also announced that Cllr Steve Hogg, Independent councillor for Wrington, is joining the Executive as the lead member for Transport and Highways.
There is no change to the political balance of the Executive or to the overall number of Executive members.
First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.