Cabinet members

Appointment of Leader, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Members

The Leader of the Council is appointed by Full Council for a four year term. The Leader is usually a member of the group with the political majority.

The Leader then appoints up to nine other councillors to serve with them on the Cabinet. These councillors are usually of the same political group as the Leader.

One of the Cabinet Members is appointed Deputy Leader. The Cabinet Members assume responsibility for different key areas of local governance.

Cabinet responsibilities

The Cabinet is responsible for:

  • Running council services
  • Ensuring delivery of best value
  • Implementing policies
  • Delivering services
  • Approving new policies other than major policies
  • Playing a leadership role within the city
  • Generally promoting the economic, environmental and social wellbeing of the city

We will post decisions made by the Cabinet, also known as ‘Executive Decisions,’ on the Democracy Peterborough website within two days of them being made. View the Executive Decisions (opens Democracy Peterborough website).

The Leader publishes a rolling programme outlining the 'key decisions' likely to be taken over the next few months. This is called the Forward Plan (opens Democracy Peterborough website). 

You can see the delegated functions for Cabinet and Cabinet Members in the Executive Functions section (part 3 section 3) of the Council’s Constitution on the Democracy Peterborough website.

Current Cabinet Members

  • Leader of the Council - Councillor Mohammed Farooq
  • Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Corporate Governance and Finance - Councillor John Howard
  • Cabinet Member for Adults and Health - Councillor Saqib Farooq
  • Cabinet Member for Children's Services - Councillor Ray Bisby
  • Cabinet Member for Housing, Growth and Regeneration - Councillor Peter Hiller
  • Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Environment and Climate Change - Councillor Gavin Elsey

Cabinet Advisors

  • Cabinet Advisor for Adults and Health - Councillor John Fox
  • Cabinet Advisor for Finance, Legal and Corporate Services - Councillor Chris Harper

Responsibilities of Cabinet Members

Areas responsible for:

  • All functions of the Leader of the Council
  • Political leadership and strategic direction for the council
  • Communications

Responsibility for the corporate and community functions of the council including but not limited to:

  • Legal
  • Finance
  • Business Transformation
  • Governance
  • Commercial Strategy
  • Capital Programme
  • Treasury Management
  • Procurement
  • Registration / Bereavement Services
  • Commercial Partnerships, Property and Assets
  • HR
  • IT
  • Equality and Diversity
  • Community Engagement and Community Support, including International Relations
  • Data insight and analytics

Responsibility for the Adult Social Care and Public Health duties of the council, including but not limited to:

  • Care Act 2014 and related legislation
  • Safeguarding Adults and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
  • Oversight of selected NHS staff and services via s75 arrangement
  • Early Intervention and Prevention including Reablement, Therapy Services and Technology Enabled Care, Disabled Facility Grants
  • Care Act assessments
  • Mental Capacity Act assessments
  • Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism and Physical Disabilities
  • Integrated Community Equipment
  • Commissioning and Market Sustainability
  • Better Care Fund
  • Independent Mental Health and Mental Capacity Advocates
  • Integrated Care System (partnership and integration)
  • Health and Social Care Act 2012 (as amended) and related legislation
  • Public health services including children's public health services, sexual and reproductive health services, integrated behaviour change services, substance misuse services
  • Public health duties such as emergencies that present a risk to public health
  • Health promotion for oral health
  • Public health intelligence
  • Health in Everything We Do

Responsibility for the Children’s Services and Education functions of the council, including but not limited to:

  • Children’s Social Care, including all matters specifically provided for by the Local Authorities (Social Services) Act 1970, personal social services and care in the community, together with the responsibilities under associated and ancillary legislation not limited to but including - Crime and Disorder Act 1998, Children Act 1989, Children Act 2004, Childcare Act 2006, Education and Inspection Act 2006
  • Safeguarding Children
  • Services for Looked After Children and Corporate Parenting
  • Early Help Services
  • Specialist Young People Services
  • Responsibility for councils' health related functions under Health Act 1975 in so far as they relate to children
  • Targeted Youth Services
  • Education services (excluding certain functions relating to higher education and adult education)
  • School property maintenance and asset management (excluding disposal)
  • School admissions and place planning
  • Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
  • Early Years

Responsibility for the growth, regeneration, housing, skills and university functions of the council, including but not limited to:

  • Planning
  • Building Control, including the Building Act 1984 (as amended)
  • Economic Growth and Development
  • Housing Strategy
  • Tourism
  • Heritage, leisure and libraries
  • Homelessness and rough sleeping
  • Community safety and enforcement
  • Business Improvement District (BID)
  • Learning and skills for post 16 and for 16-25 year old learners with learning difficulties or disabilities
  • Skills strategy
  • Further education, higher education and university provision
  • Adult Learning and Skills Service
  • City College

Responsibility for the infrastructure, environmental and climate change functions of the council, including but not limited to:

  • Regulatory Services
  • Highways and Transport
  • Car parking strategy for the use of council car parks and a charging policy
  • Climate Change and Net Zero Ambition
  • Environment Strategy
  • Energy Strategy
  • Waste Management, including strategy and operations
  • Parks and open spaces
  • Flood Risk Management

Further councillor information

Visit the Democracy Peterborough website for more information about all councillors.