HATHERLEIGH and Chagford’s county councillor has retained his place in the county council cabinet after a shake-up following the Conservative local election victory.

Cllr James McInnes remains as the cabinet member for children’s services, which includes education and social care.

He is one of four cabinet members to retain their place after county council leader John Hart decided to freshen up his cabinet after the election.

Mr Hart said: ‘This will be our ninth successive year of running Devon County Council.

‘We have recently streamlined our senior management team and these new cabinet responsibilities dovetail more exactly with individual officers.

‘Devon County Council is a big business with a turnover of more than one billion pounds a year and it is important that cabinet members gain experience in all areas of the operation and take on new responsibilities.’