As a result of the elections in May, the Council has a new Conservative administration, and Gill has decided it is the right time for the Council to seek a new CX to take it forward.

“This is an exciting time for the District and the Council. We have worked very hard over the last 5 years to deliver Craven’s Community Strategy and the Council’s vision of “prosperous rural communities”  - keeping jobs in the District and providing homes for those who work here. These key planks of the strategy will start to reverse the trend towards Craven becoming a commuter dormitory for Bradford, Leeds and Harrogate. We are now embarking on the delivery of projects which have been many years in the development stage, such as:-

• A step change in the delivery of affordable homes across the District, with the release of two major housing sites as part of Skipton Developments
• A new Bus Station (at last) for Skipton and the District, and other improvements to start to lessen car- dependence
• A range of tangible town centre projects, including the Settle Riverside project
• A major £70m boost for Skipton  including transformation of Skipton Town Hall , together with exciting new retail space and improved access arrangements
• A new Civic Centre on Gargrave Road which will provide high quality services to the residents of Craven, hopefully with NYCC
• Major improvements in connectivity through the “Martini” projects based on the newly available broadband speeds through NYNYET.

 

In some ways the Council is now at a watershed and I recognise that the time is right for a smooth transition to a new Chief Executive who can assist the Council to implement all of these schemes which are now fully approved and ready to go. The time is right for me personally also, and I would like to thank all the staff of Craven District Council whose dedication and enthusiasm over the last five years has not waned, despite a number of challenges including not one, but two rounds of Local Government Review.”

 

“I am proud to have been a part of the significant improvements achieved by the Council in recent years. Highlights include Craven achieving the joint top score in North Yorkshire in the last 2006 resident survey for ‘overall satisfaction with the Council’ , and improved performance across all Council services.  We have significantly improved access to our services, by telephone and in person, through ‘Contact Craven’ – a nationally recognised, award winning one stop shop for residents to access services across the District.   Other highlights include the  extension to  Craven Swimming Pool and  Fitness Centre, and better recycling facilities for all residents - which has reduced the amount of waste going to landfill.

 

Cllr Knowles- Fitton, Leader of Craven District Council said:

“Gill has worked tirelessly and with great enthusiasm over the last five years to make sure that Craven District Council delivers the best for its residents. She has implemented a great many changes to make us more efficient and up to date, and at times overcome many obstacles along the way. I thank Gill for her professionalism and dedication, and wish her well in the next stage of her career.”