A NEW-LOOK Conservative cabinet has been unveiled at Worcester City Council - with a raft of new jobs and a promotion for one Tory.

The city's leadership has just been reshuffled after Councillor David Wilkinson decided to step down from the top table.

It means St Peter's Councillor Mike Johnson, who was elected for the first time last year, has joined the cabinet, taking on a new job title of sport, leisure and retail.

It is the first time a cabinet role has been named to cover the city's shopping scene and comes at a time when a £150 million John Lewis-led out-of-town retail plaza could be built at Worcester Woods, off Newtown Road.

His new role also includes provision for making sure the city's planned £10.4 million swimming pool is built on time and to budget at Perdiswell.

Councillor Johnson is a retired NHS executive and was responsible for planning and development at the acute trust in Hereford, before doing freelance to work with GPs.

He said: "I'm very pleased, it's a really interesting portfolio and I'm having a meeting on Friday to flesh out how it will work."

Councillor Wilkinson, who lives near Evesham, was elected to the Inkberrow ward at Wychavon District Council earlier this month, and for time reasons decided to step down to the city's backbenches.

The other cabinet members remain the same, with Councillor Marc Bayliss staying as deputy leader with a new title.

His old role of cabinet member for economic prosperity has been expanded to include 'city centre and riverside enhancement', giving it a clearer title.

Councillor Lucy Hodgson, who was responsible for customer services, takes on a new title of 'history and heritage'.

Elsewhere, Councillor Chris Mitchell stays in charge of the finance brief while Councillor Andy Roberts remains cabinet member for cleaner and greener, which has been renamed 'clean, green and safe' to include functions like CCTV.

The new titles have been backed by leader Councillor Simon Geraghty, despite Labour group boss Councillor Adrian Gregson being angry at no consultation, calling it "outrageous".

Councillor Geraghty said it was "in the leader's gift" to rename them.

In the other changes, Councillor Alan Amos was handed the role of chairman of the city's planning committee.

His first job with that task starts tomorrow, when he will lead the first planning session since the elections, which includes a decision over whether to build 200 homes at Middle Battenhall Farm.

Worcester's former Labour parliamentary candidate Councillor Joy Squires is the new chair of the watchdog-style scrutiny committee, which is the biggest role a member of the opposition can have.

Tory Councillor Allah Ditta remains chairman of the licensing committee, which rules over pubs, clubs and taxis, despite a bid by Labour to elevate Paul Denham to the role instead.

* For the latest news on Councillor Amos' move to the Conservatives, see here.