IT'S all change at Cheshire East Council with a new committee system in place and the appointment of a new borough mayor and deputy, both with links to the Crewe area.

Bunbury councillor Sarah Pochin was elected Mayor of Cheshire East at a virtual ceremony on Tuesday, while Shavington councillor David Marren was chosen to be her deputy. Both Cllr Pochin and Cllr Marren are independent members of the authority.

Meanwhile, new chairmen were appointed to manage seven service committees, which will now by charged with the council's decision making.

Previously, the council operated under a cabinet system since its formation in 2009, where 10 individual councillors (cabinet members) had responsibility for specific areas.

Cabinet members were appointed by the leader of the council and their decisions were scrutinised by cross-party overview and scrutiny committees.

Now decisions will be made by committees, made up of 13 members, each responsible for a different area of services.

The chairs of the committees are: Corporate Policy Committee, Cllr Sam Corcoran; Finance Sub Committee, Cllr Amanda Stott; Children and Families Committee Cllr Kathryn Flavell; Health and Adults Committee; Cllr Jill Rhodes; Economy and Growth Committee, Cllr Nick Mannion; Highways and Transport committee, Cllr Craig Browne; and Environment and Communities Committee, Councillor Mick Warren.

The system was implemented following a decision in November 2020 and cannot be changed for five years.

The leaders of all political groups of Cheshire East Council said: "We hope that the committee system will lead to a more consensual way of working, dealing with the matters that concern our local residents the most, with a broad range of opinions represented on each committee and giving more councillors a seat at the decision-making table."

Cheshire East's new mayor, Cllr Pochin, is a magistrate, has represented Bunbury since 2019 and was first elected as a member of the council for Willaston and Rope ward in 2015.

Both the mayor and deputy mayor are non-political roles, carrying out civic duties on behalf of the council and residents of the borough.

Cllr Pochin, who was sworn in along with her husband Jon, as mayor's consort, said: "I am taking the chair of the council at a time of fundamental change for Cheshire East as it moves from a cabinet system to a committee system.

"I hope to modernise the mayoralty, making it more relatable to residents and to use the publicity the mayor can bring to raise the profile of those good causes that need a voice."

Cllr Marren said: "I am pleased to have been elected deputy mayor, to be able to support our newly elected mayor, Cllr Sarah Pochin, in promoting the borough and raising its profile.

"Sarah and I have worked closely together for many years now as councillors and we share an aspiration of modernising the mayoralty and working more closely with the mayors of our towns.

"We are both fully committed to upholding the democratic process and being a strong link between members of the public and organisations and the council. I know we will make a strong team."

Tuesday's meeting of full council also elected Cllr Corcoran (Labour, Sandbach Heath and East) leader of the council and Cllr Browne (Independent, Alderley Edge) as deputy leader.