Kewal transported into top role in a first for Sikh councillor

DERBYSHIRE’S new cabinet member for Highways Assets and Transport is thought to be the first Sikh to have taken on such a role in the country.

County Councillor Kewal Singh Athwal was appointed into the role last week, at the authority’s first physical meeting since the coronavirus outbreak, and says he is proud to be a cabinet member.

Cllr Athwal is the first person from the Sikh faith to be appointed by the council into a cabinet role, after he was elected in May 2017 to represent Sawley. He was also chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Scrutiny Places Committee. He said: “I am hugely honoured to be given such a high-profile role and am looking forward to working with the team to make a positive difference to those we serve in Derbyshire.

“My first priority will be to make sure that we deliver the ambitious programme of improvements across the county. We’ll be spending £120m over the next three years to improve roads, pavements, bridges and drains across Derbyshire.

“My faith has always been important to me and I am delighted to be the first Sikh to have the responsibility for highways assets and transport.

“I hope that my appointment will encourage more people from my faith, and from any other faith group, to realise that they too could take part in civic life, and help to improve life for all those who live in our wonderful county.”

He replaces Dovedale ward member Simon Spencer. Cllr Spencer, the authority’s deputy leader, has switched to a role as Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Budget. He has long been a champion of the A515 bypass, and says his new role will allow him to campaign even harder for the a relief road, as he has previously had to back away from decisions due to a personal and prejudicial interest in the project.

Cllr Athwal was born in India, in a village named Phoolpur, near Lambra, in the District of Jalandhar in Punjab. He is married to Lakhbir, and they have two children who were both educated in Long Eaton, Dovedale and Wilsthorpe, before both going to university. Both are married and Kewal has five grandchildren.

He has lived in the Sawley division for more than 35 years, his working life has mainly been in two industries, the motor trade and textiles. He started his working life on the shop floor, progressing to manage at director level and owned multi-million pound turnover companies, along with being a non-executive director for local trade association and a private company.

His interests are football, socialising with family and friends, visiting the cinema, along with charity work in the UK and abroad.

Kewal has also been a councillor at Erewash Borough since May 2007, representing Wilsthorpe residents, he is chairman of the licensing and public protection committee and also is the Chairman of the Taxi Drivers Panel at EBC. He was also the Mayor of Erewash in 2014-2015.