New face on council cabinet

Changes to the Isle of Wight Cabinet’s portfolios have appeared on the council’s website, along with a new face.

Although most responsibilities remain the same, there is a renewed focus on the council’s key priorities of housing, homeless and poverty. Councillor Ian Stephens, is still deputy leader, but he has also taken on specific responsibility for housing and poverty alongside homelessness.

Tackling climate change and leading the council’s zero-carbon ambitions are also now specifically named in Councillor Jonathan Bacon’s portfolio, which also includes the environment.

The new face in the cabinet is Cllr Karen Luccioni, who is taking on responsibilities for community protection and regulatory services from Cllr Stephens and waste management from Cllr Bacon.

Councillor Peacey Wilcox said: “In May 2021 when I became leader, I promised the staff that I would ‘not rock the boat’. We were coming through a pandemic and change was not needed at that time along with everything else people were struggling with.

“However, Islanders are now facing an urgent cost of living crisis and we simply have to give greater priority to looking at how we can best support them through that. Cllr Lucioni’s portfolio builds on her previous work on the Neighbourhood and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee and Ryde residents will know she is somebody that has a great record of getting things done.

“We are also giving an increased focus to the council’s priorities, housing, poverty, homelessness and the environment, as they have a knock-on effect on everything else we do.”

The new roles are:

Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox – leader and strategic oversight.
Cllr Ian Stephens – deputy leader and Cabinet member for digital transformation, housing, homelessness and poverty.
Cllr Karl Love – Cabinet member for adult social care and public health.
Cllr Debbie Andre – Cabinet member for children’s services, education and lifelong skills.
Cllr Chris Jarman – Cabinet member for strategic finance, transformational change and corporate resources.
Cllr Jonathan Bacon – Cabinet member for climate change, environment, heritage, human resources and legal and democratic services.
Cllr Phil Jordan – Cabinet member for infrastructure, highways PFI and transport.
Cllr Paul Fuller – Cabinet member for planning and enforcement.
Cllr Julie Jones-Evans – Cabinet member for Levelling Up, regeneration, business development and tourism.
Cllr Karen Luccioni – Cabinet member for community protection, regulatory services and waste.