New boss to clean up (From Barry And District News)

New boss to clean up

BARRY man Miles Punter is the new boss of the Vale of Glamorgan Council's Visible Services Division.

The 37-year-old's responsibilities include highway maintenance, waste management, parks and grounds maintenance and engineering design.

Miles, who has lived in the town all his life, has worked for the authority for 20 years.

He has held various management positions and most recently was responsible for the authority's building maintenance, cleaning, security and fleet management functions.

Educated at Barry Boys Comprehensive School, Barry College of Further Education and Swansea Institute of Higher Education, Miles is committed to providing a high quality service for local people.

He has worked closely with residents' groups and the public in the past and will continue this work to shape visible services to meet the needs of the community.

He told the News: "I am committed to providing a safer and cleaner environment for the people of the Vale of Glamorgan.

Residents expect and deserve no less, while an attractive environment is key to both economic development and to driving up the numbers of tourists who visit the Vale."

Miles added: "I want to improve links with the private and voluntary sector and increase the use of partnerships to make the Vale of Glamorgan a better place to live and work.

Communication is key and I want to listen to our council tax payers and better explain why we do what we do."

Cllr Gerald Fletcher, Vale of Glamorgan Council Cabinet Member for Visible Services, welcomed the appointment.

He said: "Miles comes from the Vale and understands the needs and expectations of local communities.

Visible Services is a crucial area of the council's work.

In the past two years we have made substantial improvements in service delivery in areas like highway resurfacing, street care and recycling.

I am confident that with Miles' leadership we can continue to deliver on the commitment we have made to providing excellent services".