South Hams District Council announced its new chairman for the next 12 months at this year’s Annual Council meeting on 23 May.

Cllr Bernard Taylor, ward member for Charterlands, will be the chairman for the coming year. Cllr Taylor accepted the chain of office from the outgoing chairman, Cllr Guy Pannell. Cllr Pannell, ward member for South Brent, was appointed as vice-chairman of the council.

Cllr Taylor said: “I would like to thank our leader Julian Brazil and all of our members for having faith in me to represent the council for the next 12 months. I hope that I can do this honorary role justice on behalf of the council.

“We have some work to do as a team. Most important of all is to build affordable housing, which I believe should be top of our spending list.

Not forgetting climate change and biodiversity of course, which is very important.”

He praised outgoing chair Cllr Guy Pannell.