Keith Purdom has been elected as the Chairman of Wilmslow Town Council for the coming council year and Gary Barton will take on the role of Vice-Chairman.
Speaking at the Town Council meeting on Monday, 18th May, Cllr Purdom said he was honoured to be selected as Chairman for the second time and especially appreciated the unanimous vote he received from his colleagues.
Keith said "I want to place on record the excellent job done by the outgoing Chairman Cllr Martin Watkins. I know that he and his wife spent many many hours representing Wilmslow. He has set the bar high and I certainly don't want to lower it.
"We have lost a number of councillors for various reasons and they brought much hard work and much success to the Council and we will miss them.
"I would like to especially mention Cllr Ruth McNulty and Cllr Ellie Brookes for their work on the Community and Order Committee and their roles with In Bloom and in support of the volunteers at Incredible Edible. Cllr Jim Crockatt was in the public area for many years. He was the 'father' of the Council, our first Chairman and I thank him for his leadership and advise to me during the last years."
Keith continued "I welcome the new councillors most warmly and look forward to working with them and hearing why they have volunteered and what special interests they have. The elections are now in the past and the 15 councillors now have a common goal which is to do our part to ensure that Wilmslow continues to be a great place to live work and play.
"I want the year ahead to be a year of action and achievement."
He added "A number of us have said publically that we want to see the toilets in the Carrs finally built and this is high on my personal to do list.
"Housing is also very much back on the agenda given the recent statements about the possibility of far more than the previously expected 400 houses being built in Wilmslow during the next Local Plan, when this is finally decided.
"We will be proactive and vigilant. We will continue to seek to influence Cheshire East Council to find a way to maximise the build on brownfield and to defend the Green belt that we all value so highly. We need to influence the total number as well as the site/s to be developed and also the type of housing must be in keeping and in line with the needs of Wilmslow.
"We will also keep fighting for Section 106 moneys despite knowing how difficult it is to find a legal way to have the money allocated and spent - but just because its difficult doesn't mean we don't keep fighting.
"We must also continue with all the excellent work achieved in the last Council with Britain in Bloom and the various floral and hanging basket enhancements that have so delighted our residents."
Cllr Purdom concluded by saying "We are very lucky in Wilmslow that we have so many volunteers, such as The Clean Team, The Motor Show organisers and of course the Wilmslow Town Council events are also so very dependent on volunteers.
"I would also like to thank my wife in advance for joining me in representing Wilmslow externally and supporting me in the hours I will be spending on Wilmslow Town Council business."
Speaking at the Town Council meeting, the outgoing Chairman Cllr Martin Watkins said it has been an honour to be Chairman of the Town Council for the past year.
He added "I have met so many people, so many organisations and so many councillors this past year from so many and so diverse walks of life, that I can honestly say that I am the better for the experience. What stands out particularly are the sheer numbers of volunteers who step forward, for a variety of reasons, to make a significant contribution to the society we live in. It is a humbling experience to talk to them for their contribution is irreplaceable. I was at a national conference this weekend being held in Eastbourne when a 94 year old lady was interviewed about her volunteering which had spanned more than 7 decades. She said "I am not a volunteer, just a willing worker!" Well done, willing workers everywhere.
"As I said last month, you really cannot do this job without the active involvement of both our Town and Assistant Town Clerks, Matthew Jackson and Helen Richards whose wealth of experience and advice is so invaluable. To them both my sincere thanks for all your help.
"My best wishes to Keith for a successful year as the first Chairman of Chapter Two. It does not seem two minutes since our roles and seating arrangements were reversed! He knows, as I do, that many a challenge face us in the forthcoming 12 months which require careful and skilled handling, not least with our partners in Wilmslow - local businesses, community groups, charities and individual citizens. I hope that, resolute and determined, together we can make Wilmslow a town worthy of a bright and exciting future for I shall be proud to play my part."
Comments
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I suggest that WTC get their retaliation in first vs CEC and those quite outrageous demands on our green fields for unjustified housing. Cllr Jones on record that we will only have 400 built has a memory problem, now the election is out of the way.
A tactical patchwork of housing for commuters doesn't make a strategy.
Let Manchester, Tafford and Stockport take care of themselves.