Executive

SEEC Executive

The SEEC Executive is the decision making body for our organisation acting on behalf of all members between All-member meetings. It meets 3 times a year to decide the way forward on key policy issues relevant to SEEC’s four objectives, which are:

• Striving for a fair funding deal for the South East
• Promoting the South East’s position as a leading global economy
• Acting as a single democratic voice for South East interests
• Monitoring the pulse of the South East.

Elections to the SEEC Executive are made each year at the SEEC AGM. Seats on the Executive are allocated according to a political template based on the percentage of votes received by each party in local elections. The Executive comprises political representation from SEEC member authorities across the South East including unitaries, county and district and borough councils.

Meetings

The SEEC Executive meets 3 times a year, usually in central London.  Agendas and papers for these meetings can be downloaded below.

• Cllr Nicolas Heslop (Con, Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, SEEC Chairman)

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  Nicolas Heslop has been a councillor at Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council since 1998. He held cabinet posts at the council before becoming Leader in May 2012.

  He was elected Chairman of South East England Councils in June 2015. He was previously SEEC Secretary/Treasurer.

• Cllr Roy Perry (Con, Hampshire County Council, SEEC Deputy Chairman)

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  Roy was elected Leader of Hampshire CC in May 2013, following service as a councillor on the county council over a number of years. Before joining the council Roy was an MEP from 1994-2004.

  Roy was elected Deputy Chairman of South East England Councils in June 2015.

• Cllr David Monk (Con, Shepway District Council, SEEC Secretary)

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  Cllr David Monk is the Leader of Shepway District Council and was elected SEEC Secretary/Treasurer in June 2015. He became Leader of Shepway in 2013, where he chairs the Cabinet as well as the Constitutional Advisory Committee, the Employment Appeals Sub-Committee and the Personnel Committee.

• Cllr Keith House (Lib-dem, Eastleigh Borough Council, SEEC Vice Chair)

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  Keith House has been Leader of Eastleigh Borough Council since 1994. He served from 2002-8 as a Board Member of the South East England Development Agency, and again from 2009. Outside local government, he has worked with emerging democracies in Eastern Europe and central Asia.

• Cllr Tony Page (Lab, Reading Borough Council, SEEC Vice Chair)

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  Tony Page has served on Reading Council as a Labour councillor since 1973 without a break. He is now Deputy Leader of the Council. Tony has represented Reading on the Local Government Association since its inception in 1997 and is currently a member of its Environment Board. He sits on the Ministerial Bus Forum and in addition, he chaired the LGA Task Force which produced their policy on school transport.

• Cllr Ralph Bagge (Con, South Bucks District Council)

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  Ralph was elected to South Bucks District Council in 2010 and became Leader in 2015. He has specialised in planning and sustainable development. His previous career experience in investment banking and management consultancy has proved invaluable in leading his council in establishing a plan to achieve financial self-sufficiency, whilst simultaneously enhancing the council’s service offer to meet the needs and expectations of residents.

• Cllr Paul Bettison OBE (Con, Bracknell Forest Council)

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  Paul Bettison has been a councillor since 1991, becoming Leader of Bracknell Forest in 1997.

  He also serves as Chairman of IESE, a role he has held since 2009. In 2013 he received an LGIU special award for his contribution to local government.

• Cllr Andrew Bowles (Con, Swale Borough Council)

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  Andrew is Leader of Swale BC and is also a member of Kent CC. He has specialised in issues of environment, housing and the delivery of leisure services. He is currently involved in issues around strategic planning, service delivery and equity with reference to rural areas.

• Cllr Paul Carter CBE (Con, Kent County Council)

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  Paul has been a member of Kent County Council since 1997 and became leader in October 2005. Prior to assuming leadership, Paul held responsibility for the education portfolio, and he remains especially committed to transforming education, overseeing the introduction of a new 14-16 vocation educational programme in Kent.

  In September 2008, Paul was elected chairman of the South East England Regional Assembly, and following the dissolution of the Assembly he was elected the first chairman of South East England Councils – a post he held from 2009-2012. In  July 2015 Paul became Chairman of the County Councils Network.

  Outside local government, Paul still runs a number of land-related businesses in property, construction, and retail in London. Paul was also a founding partner of Gander PLC, the first property company on AIM (Alternative Investment Market).

• Cllr Peter Chowney (Lab, Hastings Borough Council)

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  Cllr Peter Chowney is Leader of Hasting Borough Council and Finance Portfolio Holder. Previously he has been a freelance researcher, writer and interim manager, having worked on various consultancy projects for both central and local government.

• Cllr Myles Cullen (Con, Chichester District Council)

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  Myles represents Chichester District Council on SEEC. He became involved in community affairs in 1990 and was a founder member of the Hambrook and District Residents’ Association. For several years he was also Solent representative for a Forum caring for small businesses. He is dedicated to getting resolution to concerns, encouraging community participation and developing the quality of amenities and the environment.

• Cllr Moira Gibson (Con, Surrey Heath Borough Council, District Leaders Chairman)

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  Moira is leader of Surrey Heath Borough Council. First elected as councillor for Windlesham in 1991, she became leader of Surrey Heath in 1998. Moira studied law at Newcastle University and after graduating was called to the Bar as a member of Lincoln’s Inn. She has been a governor at Windlesham Village School, involved with the community care home and has also been a parish councillor.
  She was Chairman of the Planning Panel that advised the South East England Strategy Board until it was disbanded in May 2010. She is now Chairman of the South East District Leaders’ group.

• Cllr Lynne Hack (Con, Reigate & Banstead Borough Council)

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  Lynne Hack is a Cabinet member at Reigate & Banstead BC. Outside politics, her professional career is as a Research Scientist, developing new methods for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

• Cllr David Hodge (Con, Surrey County Council)

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  David Hodge was elected as a County Councillor in May 2005 representing Warlingham division. He became Leader of Surrey CC in 2011.

  Previously, from 2009, David was Deputy Leader of Surrey County Council.  Before being elected to the County Council, David served as a district councillor on Tandridge DC from 1992.

  David chaired the County Councils Network from 2013-2015. In June 2015 he was elected Conservative Leader of the LGA.

• Cllr Ian Hudspeth (Con, Oxfordshire County Council)

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  Ian was elected as a County Councillor in 2005, becoming Leader of Oxfordshire CC in 2012.

  Previously, in 2007, he was Cabinet Member for Transport. From 2009 to 2011 his portfolio was Growth & Infrastructure covering strategic planning including transport, housing waste and the green & clean agenda. Since May 2011 Ian has been a member of the Adult Services Scrutiny Committee.

  He has also been a District Councillor at West Oxfordshire District Council. He served on the cabinet from 2003 to 2006, with responsibility for Community Health & Safety implementing the new Licensing act regulations. He was a member of Bladon Parish Council from 1998 to 2009. Ian is married with a daughter who attended the Marlborough school and now works in Oxford. Before becoming involved in politics Ian enjoyed playing golf but he still manages to watch Oxford United occasionally.

• Cllr David Neighbour (Lib-dem, Hart District Council)

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  Cllr David Neighbour is the Political Group Leader for the Liberal Democrats and Deputy Leader for Hart District Council. He has been a councillor since 2000 and works as a bookseller.

• Cllr Stephen Parker (Con, Hart District Council)

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  Cllr Stephen Parker has been a councillor at Hart District Council since 1996, and was elected Leader of the Council in December 2014. Previously he has been a credit manager in the IT industry, working for a number of hardware manufacturers, and later software companies.

• Cllr Carole Paternoster (Con, Aylesbury Vale District Council)

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  Cllr Carole Paternoster has been a councillor at Aylesbury Vale District Council since 1999 and is currently the Cabinet Member for Growth Strategy. She is also a Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning at Aylesbury Vale District Council. Previously she has been a maths teacher and also a lecturer in modern languages.

• Cllr Bob Standley (Con, Wealden District Council)

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  Bob has been a member of Wealden District Council since 2004,  joining the Cabinet in 2007 with the Finance Portfolio. Not surprisingly he has been involved in re-organising the Council’s finances and reducing running costs whilst maintaining services. Since May 2010 he has combined that Portfolio with that of Leader of the Council. He remains a Parish Councillor for Wadhurst and is also a member of South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) Executive Board. In July 2010 Bob retired early from his own printing company based in Central London.

• Cllr Chris Townsend (Independent, Surrey County Council)

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  Chris has been an Independent Mole Valley District Councillor representing the Ashtead Park Ward for 24 years, being first elected in 1992. He was leader of the Council recently for 3 years. He was elected as an Independent Surrey County Councillor for the Ashtead Division in 2009. He is a member of the Education Board and Social Care Board. He is also on the Member Development Group and was recently Chair of the Public Value Review on Education throughout Surrey.

  At the LGA currently he is the Independent County Councillor representative on the County Council Network and Chairman of the South East Region for Independents.

• Cllr Clive Woodbridge (Residents Association, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council)

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  Clive is a councillor at Epsom and Ewell Borough Council where he is a member of the Community and Wellbeing Committee and the Strategy and Resources Committee.