Dover District Council
With a third of Dover District Councillors taking their seats in the council chamber for the first time, and the first Labour-led administration since 2003, a new look Dover District Council met for its annual meeting on 17 May 2023.
Labour control
Labour took control of Dover District Council at the local elections on 4 May 2023 winning 17 of the 32 seats and marking the first Labour-led administration in the district for twenty years.
Key leadership roles for women
Ten councillors were elected to Dover District Council for the first time with women now accounting for a quarter of the seats. Women also assume key leadership roles at the Council with half of the seats on the new-look Cabinet.
New Leader of the Council, Cllr Kevin Mills said: “This is a new Council in every respect with new members and more women on both Council and in Cabinet roles. This reflects a clear vote for change in the district. It’s a Council that is more representative of local people and we’re excited to get to work and to deliver on local priorities.”
The new Council elected Cllr Gordon Cowan as Chairman of the Council to officiate at full Council meetings and to represent the district as the civic head of the Council.
New cabinet and shadow cabinet posts were also confirmed at the meeting.
| Cabinet Member | Portfolio | Shadow Cabinet Member |
|---|---|---|
| Cllr Kevin Mills | Leader of the Council | Cllr Trevor Bartlett |
| Cllr Jamie Pout | Deputy Leader of the Council | Cllr Chris Vinson |
| Cllr Jamie Pout | Licensing, Transport and Regulatory Services | Cllr Martin Bates |
| Cllr Charlotte Zosseder | Community and Corporate Property | Cllr Oliver Richardson |
| Cllr Sue Beer | Finance, Governance, Digital and Climate Change | Cllr Chris Vinson |
| Cllr Pam Brivio | Social Housing, Port Health, Skills and Education | Cllr Dan Friend |
| Cllr Ed Biggs | Planning and Environment | Cllr Nick Kenton |
| Committee | Chair |
|---|---|
| Governance | Cllr Helen Williams |
| Planning | Cllr Mike Nee |
| Regulatory | Cllr Gordon Cowan |
| Scrutiny | Cllr Chris Vinson |