Cllr Geoff Hill sacked from cabinet in reshuffle

A cabinet member for the Royal Borough has been sacked as part of changes revealed at this week’s annual meeting.

Cllr Geoff Hill (Con, Oldfield), whose remit was customer and business services and IT, has been taken off the cabinet in a move announced by council leader Cllr Simon Dudley (Con, Riverside).

Cllr Hill, who chairs the Maidenhead Conservative Association, confirmed to the Advertiser he was sacked.

He said: “It would be reasonable to say I was dismissed but it would be inappropriate for me to comment on why.

“I really enjoyed it, I love the work I do for RBWM. I’m sad I won’t be working on it any more.”

Customer and business services will now be looked after by Cllr Samantha Rayner (Con, Eton Wick) who is also cabinet member for culture and communities, and Cllr Lisa Targowska (Con, Belmont) will look after IT, HR and legal.

Asked about the changes, Cllr Dudley said: “Cllr Hill is extremely busy being chairman of the Conservative Group.”

The Advertiser understands Cllr Hill was sacked by Cllr Dudley due to a disagreement about the greenbelt.

Asked if this was correct, Cllr Dudley said: “No, I’m just freshening up the cabinet.”

Panel changes include Cllr Philip Love (Con, Belmont) becoming chair-man of Maidenhead Town Forum and Cllr Adam Smith (Con, Riverside) sitting on the Maidenhead Development Management Panel.

Cllr Dudley said: “The emphasis in the cabinet is on regeneration and the Borough Local Plan and really rewarding people who have done great work. Cllr Evans (David Evans, Con, Hurley and Walthams) has been made into a cabinet member and Cllr Hilton (David Hilton, Con, Ascot and Cheapside) is now a principal member. Cllr Michael Airey is now a deputy lead member for planning performance.”

Adding he would like to see ‘more and more highly capable’ female councillors, he said: “We have too many men.”