Councillor Graham Bull has been appointed the new leader of Huntingdonshire District Council and he says he is proud to be representing the district in which he was raised.

Cllr Bull was confirmed as executive leader at an extraordinary meeting of the district council held last Wednesday (July 26).

The appointment came after the former leader, Councillor Robin Howe, stepped down from the position in order to devote more of his time to his duties as deputy mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

Cllr Bull was previously deputy executive leader, with responsibility for development management and planning enforcement. As a district councillor, he represents the Somersham ward.

“I want to do the very best for the district. This is my home and my family comes from this part of the world,” Cllr Bull said.

“As a kid I used to bike all over the place so I know a lot of the villages and I was brought up in Alconbury so I’m very proud to be the leader of the council.”

During his time in the role, Cllr Bull says he will set his focus on eradicating homelessness throughout the district.

He said: “One of the things I’m very concerned about is homelessness. One of my aspirations is that we have no homelessness in Huntingdonshire. Everyone deserves decent and affordable accommodation.”

However, Cllr Bull added that this will not happen overnight but he will continue strive to make Huntingdonshire a great place to live.

“Huntingdonshire is an interesting district as it doesn’t have a homogenous character or geographical character but it offers so many different possibilities,” he added.

“We need to continue to recognise that Huntingdonshire is a destination of choice for a lot of people and we need to provide them with the best quality services we can at affordable prices.”

Cllr Bull has previous experience in this role having served on the London Borough of Ealing before being appointed leader in the 1990s.

Immediately after taking his position as district council leader, Cllr Bull confirmed his cabinet, with Councillor Ryan Fuller, member for housing and planning, assuming the role of deputy leader.