Councillor Debbie Townsend has been elected as the new mayor of St Ives, following a unanimous decision from town council members at the mayor making ceremony last night (May 18).
“It is a great honour to have been supported by the newly elected town council as town mayor of St. Ives,” Councillor Townsend told The Hunts Post.
“This is the second time I have had the honour to represent St. Ives as town mayor, the last time being four years ago.
“During my year as mayor, I would very much like to see opportunities for the town council to work closely with other partners and authorities to support prosperity in our town, and continue to build on the work that the previous council has undertaken to promote the many assets that St. Ives clearly has.”
She added: “The development of RAF Wyton will have a direct impact on St. Ives and so any proposals that come forward will be carefully scrutinised by this council, as we are fully aware the impact of additional housing will have on increased traffic through the town and we need to secure the wellbeing of existing and future residents of St. Ives.”
Councillor Townsend is joined by her new deputy mayor, Councillor Philip Pope, who was also elected following a unanimous decision.
“It feels an honour, but it’s quite scary,” he said.
“I believe in safety in St Ives. My key focus is keeping everyone safe and happy. I also run a bar so I spent a lot of my life making sure people are safe – making sure people are cared for.”
The night, held at St Ives Corn Exchange, also saw Councillor Ian Jackson step down from his role as mayor, although he will remain on the town council.
He said: “I feel like I’ve got a bit of my life back – it’s a bit of overwhelming in many ways.
“A year has flown by but I think that’s a good sign, and I think it’s about the right time. There are projects I have not completed, but which I’ll be able to focus more on now, especially my work with the dementia group.
“I’m very pleased Debbie is going to follow on. She knows what’s best for the town.”
Councillor Townsend’s charities for this year will include the Macmillan Woodlands Centre appeal as well as supporting nearby voluntary groups.
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