NEW Blackburn with Darwen council leader Mohammed Khan has shaken up his top team, with Maureen Bateson returning to children’s services and her regeneration brief going to Phil Riley.

The only other change to Labour’s ruling executive board is Queen’s Park councillor Mustafa Desai taking the health and adult social care portfolio.

Cllr Bateson moves to the job she held previously in various stints since 1983, following the former children’s services boss Frank Connor narrowly losing his Marsh House ward in May 7’s local elections.

Cllr Desai takes over as health boss as the brief was vacated by Cllr Khan when he was elected as leader in place of new Labour MP Kate Hollern.

Cllr Riley also becomes joint deputy group leader with finance chief Andy Kay in place of Cllr Khan. He previously worked in the private sector as as senior project manager in charge of large construction projects. Top of his in-tray is the potential legal dispute over the delay in completion of Blackburn’s new £.4.7 million bus station, which the Lancashire Telegraph revealed on Friday s now expected to open in December, a full year late.

He will also supervise the completion of the £33 million Cathedral Quarter complex and the £40 million Pennine Reach public transport scheme.

Cllr Riley, former chairman of the council Labour group and party election agent, has been councillor for Roe Lee since 2011, and previously supervised major building projects for RHM, now part of Premier Foods. He said: “It will be challenge but I am looking forward to it. I shall be examining the issues around the bus station as a matter of urgency.”

Cllr Bateson said: “I am happy to go back to children’s services, a really important issue for the council, young people and parents. I am sad I will not see several major construction projects through to completion .”