South Ribble Borough Council appoints new leader

South Ribble Borough Council has appointed councillor Jacky Alty as leader.

Councillor Alty replaces Paul Foster who was elected as the MP for South Ribble in the general election.

represents the ward of Farington East and has sat as a member of the council since 2019, acting as cabinet member for licensing, social justice and equality and diversity and member champion for social justice and equality in that time. She also sits on the committee for the My Neighbourhood Community Hub – Central Villages.

She said: "I am surrounded by a great team of cabinet members and the wider member body who are all eager to get stuck in and keep moving the agenda forward.

“Ultimately, I want the residents to see a continued improvement in their quality of life. For me, this is all about residents and businesses having confidence that their council is responsive and uses its resources wisely to meet the needs of as many people as we can.

“I want to give my thanks to Paul who has been brilliant as leader and it's great he can continue to represent South Ribble in his new position in parliament."

Jacky has worked as a community activist for 25 years and has been employed in public service for longer than that. She is an advocate for those with disabilities and other minority and marginalised groups. 

Jacky has already made waves to ensure that the council’s activities have community at its heart. Council events have been made more accessible and initiatives such as the community toilet scheme have been implemented to ensure more inclusivity across the borough.