I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you across the district a truly enjoyable Christmas and a happy new year.

This festive time of year is often one for reflection and this year is a particularly eventful one to look back upon, with European

elections in May, a change of the district council's executive leader and an unexpected winter general election.

I'm proud of the progress that we have made as a council throughout the district in 2019. We continue to push forward to ensure that

Huntingdonshire remains one of the best places to live, strives to be a great place to work and continues to attract major investment. One highlight of the past 12 months was the adoption of our new local plan to 2036 which outlines our approach to sustainable development in the district, a mighty achievement that means so much for the future of Huntingdonshire.

As I look to the forthcoming year, I can't help but reiterate what a great privilege and honour it was to be elected to the role of leader of the district council in December.

My excitement for what can be achieved for Huntingdonshire only grows as we move towards the new year, and I hope that 2020 can be the year that we start to move on from divisive national politics, pull together and work to achieve a strong and prosperous

Huntingdonshire.