Rob Polhill has announced that he will stand down as leader of Halton Council after May’s local elections.
After more than a decade at the head of the council, Cllr Polhill said it was “the right time” to hand over to a new leader who will be chosen after the elections on May 6.
However, Cllr Polhill added that he would still be seeking re-election as councillor for Halton View and hoped to continue as a ward councillor, a position he has held since 1988.
In a statement announcing his planned resignation, Cllr Polhill said: “For the past 11 years I have had the privilege of representing the council as leader. However, I have decided that now is the right time for me to step down from that role.”
Cllr Polhill has served on Halton’s executive board since 2000, when he was made executive board member for planning, transportation and development.
Five years later he became deputy leader, and was then elected leader in 2010. Since that point, he has overseen several major developments in Halton, particularly the construction of the Mersey Gateway Bridge.
He said: “Halton has undergone many changes over the past decade and we have faced many challenges.
“I am proud of the transformation that has taken place in the borough, and I was personally pleased to have seen the Mersey Gateway project through to its completion and the start of the long-awaited Station Quarter in Runcorn, along with a number of other projects.
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“I have always been proud of the staff at Halton, but over the last 12 months they have gone above and beyond to help the people of the borough.
“Rising to the challenges of Covid - working with our partners and volunteers to support the community throughout this difficult time, and still keeping the day-to-day services running - truly amazing.”
Cllr Polhill’s tenure as leader has covered an extremely difficult time for the council, during which it has seen its government grant slashed and been forced to cut its budget by more than £50m.
His successor has not yet been named, but will continue to face similar problems, with further cuts of around £20m expected to be needed over the next three years.
At the same time, they will have to manage the regeneration of both Runcorn and Widnes, with the work on Runcorn’s Station Quarter continuing and the construction of Widnes’ new leisure centre expected to get underway. Further regeneration work around Halton Lea could also be on the agenda.
Cllr Polhill said: “I wish my successor all the very best for the future and I will strive to continue representing the residents of my ward to the best of my ability.”
