The new Chief Executive of Bath & North East Somerset Council has visited Peasedown St John, after receiving an invitation from the village’s local councillors.
Sophie Broadfield, who is head of the Local Authority’s Paid Service, was invited to spend a morning in the community by Peasedown St John’s Independent Councillors, Karen Walker and Gavin Heathcote.
Karen and Gavin said: “We were pleased not only that Sophie accepted our invitation to visit, but she was able to spend so much time with us.
We gave her a tour of the village and discussed many of our community’s most pressing issues.”
The councillors raised with the Chief Executive:
· The need for additional speed reduction measures in Bath Road
· The lack of funding for essential community services like the village library
· What more could be done to support local independent businesses during the tough economic climate
· Road safety measures along the A367 and in Orchard Way
· The need to prioritise funding for road resurfacing and replacing outdated street lights
Sophie Broadfield was officially appointed the new CEO of B&NES Council at the beginning of the year. She initially joined the council in 2021 as Director of Sustainable Communities and previously served as deputy director at the government departments of both the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Ministry of Housing Communities & Local Government.
As Chief Executive of the council, Sophie is the most senior officer and is responsible for managing the local authority’s day-to-day operations, implementing council policies, and leading staff. As the head of paid service, the CEO is non-party-political and acts as the primary advisor to elected councillors, ensuring efficient service delivery, financial management, and, often, acting as the returning officer for elections.
Cllr Gavin Heathcote has also arranged for the Chief Executive to attend the village’s Annual General Meeting at Beacon Hall on Tuesday 31st March. Sophie will be accepting the peppercorn rent on behalf of B&NES Council.
