NEW Vale of Glamorgan Council Leader John Thomas has pledged to put education and social care at the forefront of the new Conservative administration's plans for the next five years, but admits financial restraint must be a priority.

Cllr Thomas, a Vale councillor since his election in 1999, became Council Leader in May following the local elections which saw the Conservatives overtake Labour as the largest party, albeit narrowly missing out on an overall majority. Independent councillor Bob Penrose has since supplemented the group.

On education, Cllr Thomas said: "Education is a huge part of the budget. We are second in Wales at the moment and I’d like to be top of the tree."

Born and raised in Flemingston, near St Athan, Cllr Thomas once attended St Athan Primary School, the school he has now governed for around 15 years.

"I relish that job," he said, "but education as a whole in the Vale is very important and I want to make sure we maintain the standard.

"Social care is obviously a huge issue, with increased demand and decreased resources. There is going to have to be a bit of blue sky thinking to make that work and deliver the services that the most vulnerable people in society need."

Cllr Thomas acknowledged that financial realities could prove a challenge during his term, emphasising the necessity to make savings where possible.

"It’s difficult these days. There’s not a lot of money swilling around as everyone knows. There are cuts and savings to be made, but it’s about making sure that the money that is there is spent in the best way possible to help the people that we’re there to help," he added.

"The main objective is to run the Council as efficiently as we can to make the savings that are necessary. I want to keep Council Tax increases to a manageable level and we also want to deliver good quality services that people need."

On his new role, Cllr Thomas described it as "a privilege" to represent the people of the Vale.

"I’ve always been interested in the community and tried to do my bit to help. I didn’t have a lot of political ambition when I first set out. It was just about representing the people of St Athan. I never imagined I would be standing up as Leader of the Council. It’s just the way things fell into place."

After starting out as a councillor 18 years ago, Cllr Thomas - a farmer by profession - has since worked on the Environmental Health Committee, the Licensing Committee, the Scrutiny Committee for Safe and Healthy Communities and was also Cabinet Member for Housing.

"The Vale is a lovely place to live and work and it’s a privilege to represent the people of this wonderful area," he said.

"I wouldn’t want to knock the previous administration because this is a difficult job. I’d like to think that we can engage with the community so that their priorities become our priorities."

"I’m very proud to be in this position and I will give my all to deliver the best for everyone in the County."