THE Forest of Dean District Council has a new chairman and a new leader following last week's annual meeting.

Current Mayor of Lydney Councillor David Clarke has taken over as chairman from Bill Hobman, under whom he served as vice-chairman. Councillor Lynn Sterry will be vice chairman of the council.

Councillors of all parties were united in their appreciation of Bill Hobman's two terms of office as chairman.

And Councillor Anne Martin was voted in unanimously as leader of the council, taking over from Bruce Hogan who is stepping down after eight years because of increasing work and other commitments outside the council.

Mr Clarke went to school in Leicester and has degrees from Durham and Bristol universities. He has been living in the Forest of Dean since the early 1970s and has a particular interest in achieving Special Status for the area.

His wide-ranging interests include the arts, film, the media and wildlife conservation, and he serves on the board of the South West Museums Council.

Mrs Martin has spent her life in education following in her father's footsteps.

She has lived in Woodcroft for the past 20 years and has grown to love the Forest of Dean as a home.

She said: "I see the job of a leader as a great challenge. There are many important issues – the District Local Plan, modernising local government and the future of our housing stock being just three.

"After the foot and mouth disaster, the tourism industry and local traders will need much support in order to claw back their livelihoods. The council has this recovery high on the agenda."