Newly elected South Kesteven District Council leader Ashley Baxter (Independent) has outlined his top priorities for the role.

The representative for Market & West Deeping assumed the role during Thursday’s Full Council meeting after narrowly defeating his Conservative rival Councillor Graham Jeal in the vote.

He swapped leadership with Councillor Richard Cleaver (Independent), who now became his deputy.

Following the lengthy meeting, Cllr Baxter mentioned concerns raised by Tory councillors who, hesitant to elect him as leader, proposed a secret vote.

He reassured them, stating: “They have nothing to fear, I want to work collaboratively and across parties. Once they come to terms with my new role, life will be bearable, in fact, life will be better.”

The Independent councillor also expressed gratitude to the residents of his ward and his fellow Deepings councillors, Virginia Moran and Phil Dilks (both Independent), for their support.

“We’ve been able to stand up for the Deepings community in all sorts of ways and who would have expected that it would end up with me as leader.”

When asked about his top priorities as he steps into the role, the Independent councillor said he intends to maintain openness, transparency, and honesty, and continue in the footsteps of his predecessor.

“That remains a top priority and I think we have done much better than the previous administrations,” he added.

Cllr Baxter also reaffirmed his commitment to reviving the Deepings Leisure Centre. The council recently pledged £850,000 to assist in its reopening.

He continued: “We are fully committed to keeping the leisure centres open and improving the services. I’m watching what happens in the Deepings with interest. 

“We are dedicated to providing accessible leisure for all, including in the Deepings, as well as Stamford, Bourne, and Grantham.”

Following the allocation of funds to the leisure centre in the Deepings, the independent councillor noted the evident community interest: “It’s clear that people want to get back to the Deepings.”

He expressed hope for its reopening within the year, adding: “The demand is definitely there, the hurdles now are the other funders.”

Lastly, he was eager to continue overseeing the council’s redevelopment project for St Martin’s Park in Stamford.

South Kesteven District Council has been involved in this project for almost four years. It includes plans for a mixed-use development on the outskirts of Stamford, featuring offices, workshops, a food shop, 190 new homes, and a retirement village.

To date, the council has invested £10.5 million in the project, with £8 million allocated for land acquisition, £1.5 million for the demolition of existing buildings, and £1 million towards planning and premises maintenance.

Cllr Baxter described the project as “one of the many legacy issues” left by the previous administration.

“It’s been a disappointment for many people involved and we really need to crack that nut,” he remarked.

The council is currently midway through its budget-setting process for the year, where it has proposed a 3% increase in council tax. This is attributed to “unprecedented financial challenges,” including escalating costs and high demand for key services.

Despite the ongoing cost of living crisis affecting many families, Cllr Baxter defended the proposed tax increase.

He said: “This is the result of over a decade of underfunding by the Conservative government in Westminster. They have deliberately under-resourced local authorities.

“I don’t want to put council tax up, but if we don’t, then we lose the ability to deliver services. If we want to meet all the ambitions within the Corporate Plan, then we need to find resources.”