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Warwick District Council Leader Takes On Planning in a Smaller Cabinet

Ian Davison now holds planning and the Local Plan himself, with seven Cabinet members instead of nine after Labour left. Who does what, the day before the vote on his future.

By Alex Harrington 2 min read Source: Warwick District Council; Local Democracy Reporting Service via Warwick Nub News Fact-checked
Leamington Spa Town Hall's red-brick clock tower and the Parade under a blue sky, with Queen Victoria's statue in front
Leamington Town Hall and the Parade. Photo: Robin Stott, CC BY-SA 2.0

Warwick District Council’s Green leader, Ian Davison, has taken planning and the South Warwickshire Local Plan into his own portfolio. The Warwick District Council Cabinet now has seven members, down from nine, after Labour’s councillors left it. The council’s portfolio holders page showed the new line-up when we checked on Tuesday 10 November, the day before full council debates a motion to remove him.

On this page
  1. Who does what now
  2. What changed
  3. What happens next

For residents, it means one councillor now speaks for the whole planning service, from planning applications and enforcement to the Local Plan that will decide where new homes go. That’s on top of running the council and preparing for the new council it would share with Stratford from 2029.

Who does what now

These are the seven portfolio holders and their headline areas, as the council lists them:

  • Ian Davison, Strategic Leadership and Place: corporate strategy, local government reorganisation, elections, planning applications and enforcement, building control, conservation, HS2, and the Local Plan and planning policy.
  • Jonathan Chilvers, Resources: finance, audit, council tax and business rates, and housing development.
  • Hema Yellapragada, Decarbonisation and Community Protection: council buildings, environmental health, food safety, licensing, community safety and CCTV.
  • Rebecca Davidson, Housing: council homes, repairs, homelessness and temporary housing, and fire safety.
  • Ella Billiald, Arts, Culture and Economy: business support, events, markets, town centres, tourism and the council’s venues.
  • Will Roberts, Neighbourhood: bins and recycling, parks, off-street parking, public toilets and the crematorium.
  • Kathleen Gorman, People and Organisational Development: IT, benefits and customer services, staff, communications, and community health and wellbeing.

What changed

The Local Democracy Reporting Service, through Warwick Nub News, reports that the Cabinet had six Green and three Labour members until Labour’s national party told its councillors to withdraw. It says housing, led by Labour group leader Jess Melrose, has gone to Cllr Davidson. Community health and wellbeing, part of Labour’s Jim Sinnott’s old portfolio, has gone to Cllr Gorman, and community safety to Cllr Yellapragada. Cllr Davison has taken on the place portfolio that Cllr Chris King held.

The Greens hold 14 of the council’s 44 seats, so the Cabinet can make decisions but could lose votes at full council. Our story on Wednesday’s vote explains who called it and how the seats add up.

What happens next

Updated 13 November: full council defeated Conservative Cllr Andrew Day’s motion to remove Cllr Davison on Wednesday 11 November, so this Cabinet stays in place. How councillors voted.

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Alex Harrington