The chairman of the Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) has stood down after seven years in the role.
Councillor Mike Stanton (one of two Liberal Democrat councillors for the Curry Rivel and Langport division) officially stepped down as chairman at the SRA board meeting on Friday (September 11), having held the position since June 2019.
In his closing address in Taunton, Mr Stanton - who will not be standing in next year's local elections - said the experience had "been a breeze" and that he had "enjoyed it immensely".
He will be replaced by Councillor Steve Ashton, one of two Lib Dem councillors for Crewkerne and Somerset Council's associate portfolio holder for climate change.
Mr Stanton's tenure at the SRA has coincided with the reigns of six UK prime ministers, having assumed his post shortly before the resignation of Theresa May and stepping down early in Andy Burnham's current ministry.
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It also coincided with the coronavirus pandemic, the creation of the new unitary Somerset Council, and the tenth anniversary of the devastating floods of 2013/14 which led to the SRA's creation.
Reflecting on his time in office, Mr Stanton said: "We're not really fast-moving on this board, or at least not as fast-moving as we would like.
"Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose [the more things change, the more they stay the same].
"Anyway, it’s been a breeze, I’ve enjoyed it immensely."
Mr Stanton identified several highlights of his time in office, including improvements made to the River Sowy and King's Sedgemoor Drain, which he described as "the most significant achievement" of his time on the board.
He added: "Flood flooding has been the biggest change during my time, whether it's in Croscombe, off Exmoor or on the River Cam. We're getting it a lot of the time and it doesn't get noticed quite so much, but it is significant.
"Creating the new ten-year plan was a landmark moment, and of course the flooding minister's visit in February and the subsequent announcement of £50m were really important."
Mr Stanton will remain a member of the SRA board until he formally stands down from Somerset Council before the next local elections, which are scheduled to take place on May 6, 2027.
Vice-chairman Tony Bradford praised Mr Stanton, stating: "When Mike came in, he was a little bit naïve about flooding and related matters - and he would keep reminding us about when he used to live in Moorland.
"But Mike had the ability to be a quick learner. He wanted to get involved in flooding and sort it out - he's been a huge asset to this board.
"He's chaired it pretty well, he's always been available, and he's given a lot of time to this.
"I don't think we've always been on the same page when it comes to delivering flood relief to people, but through healthy debate we have always come out with a solution that's beneficial to people."
Mr Bradford stood to be the next chairman, but agreed to stay on as vice-chairman after losing the board vote to Mr Ashton.
Mr Ashton said: "I've been fully aware of flooding for the last 25 years, and we have been flooded out twice where I live [near West Chinnock].
"I feel that I can add quite a lot of value here, because of my interests in flood modelling - but I also appreciate I have a huge hill to climb in terms of experience.
"I sincerely believe that climate change is something which is going to affect us to a greater and greater extent - including El Niño, which is probably going to give us a very wet last quarter of 2026/27 and make life very challenging for us here."
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