BOLTON Council leader Cliff Morris has reshuffled his cabinet line-up after his Labour group retained its majority in last week’s local elections.

Labour still dominate the authority with 37 elected members and after Cllr Morris was re-elected as group leader, he has made some changes to his front bench team.

Tonge with The Haulgh councillor Elaine Sherrington — a former executive member — makes a return to the cabinet and will head up a new portfolio focussing on housing, highways and procurement.

Cllr Morris said: “Elaine is a very astute politician and she really believes in what we are doing as a council — she will do a good job.”

“We need to look at different things as a council and procurement and purchasing items is one of those things.

“Housing is also an increasingly big issue for councils and I wanted someone specifically looking at this and working to build as much as possible on brownfield sites and thus try to protect our green belt and green field land.”

Westhoughton South councillor Anna-Marie Watters — who retained her council seat last week — makes her first appearance on the cabinet.

Cllr Morris has placed her in charge of social inclusion, community services and the voluntary sector.

He said: “It is important for us to have a good balance on the cabinet and I think Anna-Marie has proved herself during her time as a councillor.

“She is very interested in the areas she will be working on.”

Cllr Watters’ portfolio contains some areas previously looked after by her ward colleague Cllr David Chadwick.

He will continue with the key task of looking after transport in the borough but has now been handed new responsibilities for skills and for special projects.

Cllr Morris said: “David has an excellent eye for detail and that will be very useful when working on our special projects — such as the office block we are building in the town centre.”

The executive cabinet remains the same, with Cllr Morris leading a top-team including deputy leader Cllr Linda Thomas, Cllr Nick Peel and Cllr Ebrahim Adia.

Elsewhere, Cllr Asif Ibrahim will continue to look after adult safeguarding and social care, Cllr Ann Cunliffe remains on education and schools, Cllr Akhtar Zaman retains a development and regeneration portfolio, Cllr John Byrne stays with culture, youth and sport and Cllr Derek Burrows retains his neighbourhood services and policing brief.

Crompton councillor Hanif Darvesh remains chairman of the planning committee and Tonge with The Haulgh councillor Martin Donaghy will still oversee licensing.

Cllr Morris added: “We are looking to take things forward in the town and there will be many challenges ahead — but I am confident we have a team here that will do their very best for Bolton.”