HISTORY was made last week as the new Tory leader of North Somerset Council created two new positions without specific job roles

HISTORY was made last week as the new Tory leader of North Somerset Council created two new positions without specific job roles.Leader of the council, Nigel Ashton, appointed fellow Conservative councillors Felicity Baker and Peter Bryant as executive members for special projects. Cllr Ashton said: "They will be working with myself and executive members looking at the details of various portfolios. "We have got to find ways of saving money in order to put more money into services people really need. This council has over 700 services and we need to find out if they are all necessary."The leader of the council also has no specific portfolio, and his nominations for scrutiny panels were greeted with scepticism by the sole Green member of the council, Tom Leimdorfer.He said: "The chairmen and vice-chairmen should be allocated on the basis of political balance."With the exception of Liberal Democrat councillor Deborah Yamanaka, who will chair the environment scrutiny panel, the remaining scrutiny chairman positions went to Tory councillors. Members of the executive now include: Cllr Nigel Ashton: leader of the council. Cllr Elfan Ap Rees: deputy leader and strategic planning, highways and economic development. Cllr Ian Peddlesen: community services, adult services and housing. Cllr Tony Lake: finance, property and personnel. Cllr Carl Francis-Pester: environmental including waste. Cllr Jeremy Blatchford: children and young people's services. Cllrs Felicity Baker and Peter Bryant, special projects.* Chairman of the scrutiny panels are as follows: Cllr David Jolley: finance and performance. Cllr Jan Barber: children and young people's services. Cllr Clive Webb: strategic planning and economic development. Cllr Deborah Yamanaka: environmental services. Cllr Sue Creasey: adult services and housing. Cllr Ann Harley: health overview. Cllr Howard Roberts: community services.