New leadership arrangements have been agreed by Northumberland County Council.

At its Full Council meeting  Councillor Glen Sanderson was voted in as the new Leader of the Council. Councillor Richard Dodd was appointed as Deputy Leader and Cabinet Secretary.

Both are long-serving county councillors who bring a wealth of experience and skills to their roles.

Cllr Sanderson was first elected to the county council in 1989 and has served continuously for the past 15 years. He was most recently Cabinet Member for Environment and Local Services.

He also holds senior roles within Northumberland National Park Authority and the Local Government Association.

Cllr Sanderson said: “It truly is an honour to lead this Council and I look forward to building on the achievements and progress we have driven forward over the past three years.

“Of course these are extremely challenging times we’re living in, and it seems we are all in for a difficult few months ahead. This Council is absolutely committed to doing all we can to protect our most vulnerable communities.

“I am determined that we continue to lead from the front, in supporting our residents and businesses on our road to recovery from the pandemic, and to make sure we continue to provide the first-class services people have come to expect from us .”

Cllr Dodd was first elected as a county councillor in 2001 and was until today the council’s Business Chair.