Christmas is a time of year when we start to think about families and friends and to reflect on the past year; it is also the time of year when editors ask a Mayor to provide thoughts for a message like this:
I became chair of Westbury Town Council and Mayor in May. Being Mayor is purely an honorary title – the work of the council is carried out by all councillors equally and, sadly, I have no special powers to keep banks open, move roads or stop planning decisions etc; I do get to sign a few things on behalf of the town, but the main job is being invited to see “stuff” in our town and around Wiltshire.
I thought that with my time on the town council and working with a number of voluntary groups that I had a fairly good handle on what happens in Westbury, but as Mayor you meet all kinds of amazing people, doing great things that you had never heard of before. It is really remarkable how much happens in this town and I have been deeply impressed and humbled by what I have seen.
Of course, not everything is good news: funding for our services continues to be cut; vital businesses like banks close; traffic still rolls through the town; planning often seems to ignore our thoughts and the feeling that many hold that Westbury is often overlooked, can’t be ignored.
But I really think we are making some headway by our own local efforts.
I’d especially like to thank the town council staff led by our splendid Clerk, Deborah Urch for a huge amount of work this year.
We have taken on so many new responsibilities, roles and special projects in the last few years, that those who knew the council of old, would not recognise the organisation. We know there’s more coming: Wiltshire Council are now very public about the lack of funds and the effects of drastic cuts in their central government grants. The signs for the future are not improving. The town council is looking at what services it might be able to take on, especially where services might otherwise disappear and how we can afford them as we are not expecting any money to come with those responsibilities we may accept.
I would also like to thank my fellow councillors. They all put in considerable work on behalf of the town entirely for free – there are no payments associated with being a town councillor. Many of them put in ridiculous amounts of their time. It’s not always a thankful task. They are criticised for all kinds of decisions over which they have no legal control e.g. banks, roads, planning decisions but for which they regularly fight and campaign on behalf of the town. They’re also called upon to make decisions on behalf of us all, which means that nearly always some people disagree and complain that their councillor does not represent them, despite this being an impossibility in almost all cases. Perhaps asking for goodwill towards councillors, even at Christmas time is a step too far? But for the record, I think they are a great bunch of people and the town should be grateful for their work.
At the town council, we are trying to encourage volunteering as a way of stretching our limited resources. There have been a number of areas where we have already had some great volunteer input. For example, litter picking, neighbourhood planning, cleaning of the White Horse. But we are looking for help with play areas and the upcoming community fridge, plus several other interesting initiatives. We appreciate that people are terribly busy, but it is something that you can do for your community and is a great way to meet people. So if you’re looking for that elusive New Year’s resolution, then why not get in contact info@Westburytowncouncil.gov.uk or call 01373 822232?
Personally, in a packed year, I already had a number of highlights including the Westbury Festival which is supported by the town council and many businesses and groups in the town. Although I am the chair of that group, it was a particular privilege to open the festival as Mayor and see the best festival yet.
We’ve had number of town council events including the spectacular summer event, beacon lighting, Remembrance service and our unsurpassed Christmas lights switch on. All have been very successful thanks to the hard work of the town council staff, councillors and volunteers from the community. We can always do better, but we should be proud of what we have achieved.
We have developed a town strategy and business plan, this sets out the direction and vision for the town. There will be so many ways the community can become involved. Please take a look and let us know how you can help.
The town council also opened the “Reading Room” the final stage of The Laverton upgrade. This will be used predominately for the benefit of the community. We are working with partners to deliver training skills, health and wellbeing.
We have been told by half of the businesses we spoke to that the free two-hour car parking provided by the town council is generating an increased footfall in the town. But we want to do so much more. If you have any ideas, please get in touch.
The council has also made a start on the neighbourhood plan which has been close to my heart for some years. We have new staff special advisors and most importantly, volunteers. The neighbourhood plan will allow us to add some of our thoughts to the planning policies and frameworks which rule so much of our lives.
So, it only really remains me to ask you to not forget some of the great things about our town and to thank all those who work hard to make it a better place to live.
I hope that you and your family have a joyous Christmas and a truly wonderful New Year. I thank you all for the honour and opportunity to be the Mayor of our special town and hope to see many of you at future events, involved in activities and enjoying the place where we all live. Take care of yourselves, friends and families.
Merry Christmas
Ian Cunningham
Town Mayor
