Issue 483 – U-turn over new Mayor’s chain

WESTBURY Town Council has revoked its decision to replace the mayor’s chain.

The town council came under fire after it decided to replace the chain, at a cost of £1,285, at a meeting of the town council on 14th February. Following the meeting, cllr Mike Cuthbert-Murray, who voted against the decision at the time, collected the signatures of eight councillors who requested the cancellation of the decision.
The request, which was signed by cllrs Cuthbert -Murray, Hawker, Hawkins, Jones, Miles, O’Hara, Tout, and Windess, allowed the issue to be brought up again and on Monday 7th March the move to reverse the decision was voted through by councillors.
Although a discussion which lasted just over half an hour was held, a final decision on whether the chain will or will not be replaced has been defered. Councillors resolved to refer the issue to a full town council meeting at a later date, when it can be clearly laid out before councillors and the public why it needs replacing.
It is believed that the current chain has been used since the 1960s and has had to undergo several repairs to keep it operational. However, some councillors argued that spending a large amount of money on the chain when times were hard for many in the town could not be justified.