New Deputy Leader for Chelmsford City Council

Councillor Lynne Foster has become the new Deputy Leader of Chelmsford City Council. Cllr Foster, the Cabinet Member for a Fairer Chelmsford, was chosen by the administration after Cllr Marie Goldman MP stood down from the role and from the city council’s Cabinet after becoming the Member of Parliament for Chelmsford. Two new Cabinet Deputy positions have been created with responsibility for areas formerly covered by the Cabinet Member for a Connected Chelmsford.

Leading the council’s response to the housing crisis

Cllr Foster was selected as Deputy Leader by the Liberal Democrat political group after a year spent as Cabinet Member for a Fairer Chelmsford. A former operations director for housing association CHP and a trustee of Keene Memorial Homes, Cllr Foster brings many decades of housing sector experience to the Fairer Chelmsford portfolio. Her brief includes three key areas of council business: housing services, corporate property and building services. A key challenge for this area is leading the council’s response to the national housing emergency in Chelmsford and supporting residents who either find themselves homeless or at risk of homelessness.

New Cabinet Deputy roles created

The former Cabinet role of Cabinet Member for a Connected Chelmsford has been split into two new positions: Cabinet Deputy for Cultural Services and Cabinet Deputy for Support Services.

Councillor Jennie Lardge, a ward member for Waterhouse Farm since 2019, becomes the Cabinet Deputy for Cultural Services. This role includes responsibility for cultural and entertainment activities and facilities, including Chelmsford Theatre and Chelmsford Museum.

Councillor Joanne Hawkins, a former Cabinet Deputy for Finance and Audit, is the new Cabinet Deputy for Support Services. Cllr Hawkins was elected as a ward member for St Andrews in 2023 and her new portfolio includes the council’s legal and democratic services, customer services and digital services.

Cllr Jennie Lardge and Cllr Joanne Hawkins are Cabinet Deputies

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“I’d like to thank Cllr Marie Goldman for her exceptional service as Deputy Leader over the last five and bit years. As a Cabinet Member she was (among other things) our lead for the much-needed remodelling of our outdated theatres, which have just had their most successful year on record.

"I welcome Cllrs Foster, Lardge and Hawkins to their new roles and look forward to working with them, as they contribute to dealing with the many challenges we face in local government.”

Cllr Stephen Robinson, Leader, Chelmsford City Council

Chelmsford City Council’s Cabinet

The full list of Cabinet Members is as follows:

• Council Leader: Cllr Stephen Robinson
• Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Chelmsford: Cllr Lynne Foster
• Cabinet Member for Finance: Cllr Chris Davidson
• Cabinet Member for a Greener Chelmsford: Cllr Rose Moore
• Cabinet Member for a Safer Chelmsford: Cllr Donna Eley
• Cabinet Member for an Active Chelmsford: Cllr Natacha Dudley
• Cabinet Deputy for Cultural Services: Cllr Jennie Lardge
• Cabinet Deputy for Support Services: Cllr Joanne Hawkins
• Cabinet Deputy for Economy and Strategic Projects: Cllr Simon Goldman
• Cabinet Deputy for Sustainable Transport: Cllr Terry Sherlock

Changes to opposition spokespersons

The council’s Conservative Group has made changes to reflect the Cabinet appointments. Councillor Andrew Thorpe-Apps, who had shadowed the Cabinet Member for a Connected Chelmsford, will cover both Cultural Services and Support Services for the opposition.

Their spokespeople are as follows:

• Leader’s responsibilities and finance: Cllr Roy Whitehead
• A Fairer Chelmsford: Cllr Mike Steel
• A Greener Chelmsford: Cllr Jacob Armstrong
• A Safter Chelmsford: Cllr Philip Wilson
• An Active Chelmsford: Cllr Julia Jeapes
• Cultural Services and Support Services: Cllr Andrew Thorpe-Apps
• Economy and Strategic Projects: Cllr James Raven
• Sustainable Transport: Cllr Sue Dobson

Find out more about the council’s key priorities

You can find out more about Chelmsford City Council’s Cabinet on our website, including dates for forthcoming Cabinet meetings. Cabinet meetings are streamed on our YouTube channel, with a recording available after the meeting.

The council’s strategy for creating a fairer, greener and more connected district can be found in Our Chelmsford, Our Plan.