The wellbeing and prosperity of all the residents and businesses in the South Hams must be at the heart of everything we do, the new leader of South Hams District Council declared.

Cllr Judy Pearce, the Conservative councillor for the Salcombe and Thurlestone ward, was elected as the new leader of the council at the annual meeting on Thursday.

She replaces John Tucker as the council’s leader, he stepped down from the role after 12 years prior to the May local elections.

Cllr Pearce, who was first elected to the council in 2014, told councillors that she will continue to explore further opportunities to work more closely with West Devon Borough Council, but that any reopening of the failed merger bid between them will not happen.

She also called for officers to prepare a plan to make all reasonable carbon footprint savings and to continue to pressure the Government to close a tax loophole which allows second home owners to avoid paying any tax on their properties.

Speaking at Thursday’s meeting, she said: “My priority as leader will be to ensure that everything the Council does is focused on the wellbeing and prosperity of all the residents and businesses in the South Hams.

“We must welcome visitors and allow tourism to flourish, but at the same time take every care to preserve our historic buildings and landscapes, particularly the protected ones. Sustainability is key and we must be sure that nothing we do deliberately harms the environment by degrading or depleting natural resources or biodiversity.

“Continuing on this theme I have asked officers to look at preparing a plan to make all reasonable and rational carbon footprint savings within the way our Council works and to offer all assistance possible to Devon County Council with their climate change agenda plans.”

Following the adoption of the Joint Local Plan, she said that these objectives will mean housebuilding and the provision of employment space will be priorities. But she added: “Even more important will be housing for local people at rents and sale prices they can afford to pay. We shall invest in local enterprise and other projects in the District with the absolute priority of providing local wellbeing and employment opportunities, but also of providing some income for the Council.

“The latter is forced upon us by the austere funding situation in which we find ourselves. The ending of the very unfair business rate option for second home owners will therefore also remain in the cross hairs of this council until the government finds some improved solution, as the net result is that full time residents are forced to pay more council tax than they would otherwise need to and the billing authorities are out of pocket. This is clearly unfair.

“We shall continue to explore further opportunities to work more closely with West Devon. The Joint Local Plan project, now concentrating on monitoring, delivery and future strategic plan making, and the successful joint waste procurement contract, clearly indicate that joint working is possible to the benefit of both councils, but I have made it clear to officers that any reopening of the One Council debate will not happen.

“The wider political scene is very uncertain, with the delay of Brexit, and an almost certain imminent change of prime minister, if not a general election as well. We must ensure that our finances, systems and administration are secure enough to withstand outside pressures and events as far as possible in order to protect the wellbeing of our communities.”

Cllr Hilary Bastone was elected as the deputy leader of the council, while Cllr Nicky Hopwood, Cllr David May, Cllr Jonathan Hawkins and Cllr Keith Baldry, the leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition group, were also appointed onto the executive.

Cllr Rosemary Rowe was elected as the chairman of the council for the upcoming year, while Cllr Richard Foss was elected as the vice-chairman.