SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL LEADER ELECTED NEW CHAIR OF THE REGIONAL ASSEMBLY

Mr Nick Skellett, Executive Member and Leader of Surrey County Council, was elected as Chair of the South East England Regional Assembly at its Annual Meeting in Brighton earlier this week (17 July 2001).

In a two-way contest with Reading Labour Councillor, Dr Lawrence Silverman, Mr Skellett secured 120 of the 193 votes cast by Regional Assembly members during the election.

Mr Skellett has been Leader of Surrey County Council since May 1997 and a Conservative member since 1993. Chair of the Regional Assembly's Regional Planning Committee since it was established in 2000, he has also been instrumental in lobbying Government on key planning issues for the South East, such as transport and affordable housing.

Mr Skellett pledged to carry on his hard work for the Assembly, which he began as Chair of the Regional Planning Committee: "I am pleased with the way we have developed our regional assembly over the last three years. We have forged a strong partnership between the local authority members and the economic, social and environmental partners in the Assembly. This has given us both strength, and influence.

"We are now far better placed to face the challenges ahead. We are currently facing a number of serious issues, such as the changes to the planning system, a threat to funding in the South east and the introduction of directly elected regional assemblies in England. It is vital that all members work together to ensure that the interests of the South East are well represented nationally and heard by Government."

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Alex Butlin, PR Executive - 01483 555221

Notes to editors:

1. The Regional Assembly is the “voluntary regional chamber” for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
2. The Assembly is made up of 111 members including elected councillors nominated by the region’s local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
3. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007