DURSLEY councillor Geoff Wheeler has said he has a busy time ahead as he takes over the reigns at Ebley Mill.

Last week it was announced that father-of-two Cllr Wheeler, who has only sat on Stroud District Council for a year, had been appointed leader of the authority.

However, Cllr Wheeler, 70, is no novice to local government having served as a town councillor in Dursley for 12 years, was Dursley Mayor for three years and served as a county councillor for four years.

Cllr Wheeler’s appointment is a result of the local elections earlier this month, which saw a swing in public opinion towards Labour. The Stroud Labour Group saw its numbers increase from 11 to 16, and the Conservative saw its numbers drop to 21 making it unable to form a working administration.

In an interview with the Gazette this week Cllr Wheeler said the Labour group had teamed up the Liberal Democrats and Green Group but had not formed a coalition.

He said: "We have reached an agreement with the Liberal Democrats and the Green groups. It’s a lose agreement, it’s not a coalition, in areas where we do have agreement."

Instead of the familiar cabinet system Cllr Wheeler has decided not appoint cabinet members but has asked the three parties, Labour, Lib Dems and Greens, to name people suitable to take policy leads, which will be the start of a move towards a committee structure at the district council.

Policy areas will include environment, finance, housing, regeneration, community services and planning, as well as a new area called health and wellbeing.

Cllr Wheeler said: "There will be an executive committee to oversee policy as part of a move to a more committee based system within the council because that should lead to greater member involvement on policy making and essentially to a more democratic process."

Cllr Wheeler said the council’s priority would be housing and added the Core Strategy would be reviewed.

He said: "The big issues are firstly housing the so called Core Strategy has been a very controversial issue particularly in Eastington and Cam where large blocks of housing have been proposed.

"We do need to review that position, what is the basic need for housing in the area and look at more affordable housing.

"Doubts were drawn up about the number of housing we need for a five-year supply of housing. We will look again at the whole thing."

Cllr Wheeler said generating employment in the district would also be a priority and he said he hoped the council could continue to push the Littlecombe development and canal regeneration.