New council leader Rachel Bailey has been elected to replace outgoing Michael Jones.
Conservative Rachel Bailey was voted as Cheshire East leader at full Council yesterday (Thursday, February 25). Labour proposed Damian Bailey for election, but Rachel Bailey won 53 votes compared to Damian Bailey’s 17. Five councillors abstained.
It came after Michael Jones resigned following concerns over contracts issued to his physiotherapist Amanda Morris. Coun Jones said his resignation was nothing to do with the contracts, instead stating he left to stop party in-fighting.
Coun Bailey said only a few words, stating she has a speech planned for a council meeting tonight (Friday).
She said: “I look forward to serving this council and the great borough of Cheshire East.”
Coun Derek Hough said coun Bailey should bring a gentler leadership compared to the ‘bombast’ of Michael Jones.
He said: “Let’s hope it will be leadership in a gentler, more open and inclusive manner.”
One of the first issues for coun Bailey was the proposed closure of four children’s centres including Broken Cross. She answered concerns from councillors and the public who said the centres provide a vital service. Coun Bailey insisted the proposals are not about closing centres but ‘redesignating’ them.
She said: “We need to be spending money on children and families not bricks and mortar where footfall is reducing making them untenable.”
Macclesfield councillors took their chance to ask questions of the new leader. Stephen Carter asked for details of meetings between planning officers and King’s School before its applications for a new school, Janet Jackson asked for assurances of the financial stability of Ask Real Estate which is behind the town centre leisure scheme and Laura Jeuda asked whether the council had gone ahead with plans to buy Paradise Mill. Coun Bailey declined to comment due to the ‘sensitivity’ of the issues but promised councillors written responses.
Finally when asked her views on fracking in the borough, she said: “When I became Conservative leader, I said I was the group voice and any comments will be following discussions with them. It’s early days and you will be aware of our capability to deliver value for money though geothermal energy.”
