Introducing ... Your New Town Council

More than half the Hedge End Town Council was elected unopposed on 5th May, so in some parts of the village there was little publicity for those candidates who now find themselves representing the seven town council wards.

The Town Council web site has now been brought up to date with information about the new council.  Go to http://www.hedgeend-tc.gov.uk/ and click on “The Council” in the header menu bar.

There is also a useful map if you are unsure of the town council ward boundaries (which are smaller than the borough council wards).   If you are already in “The Council”, click on “Elections” in the side menu.

In summary, there are twenty members who stood as Liberal Democrats and one Independent.

Fourteen were members of the previous council.  Of the other seven, three are existing borough councillors for neighbouring parishes, one is returning after a few years’ gap and three are new faces.  So it’s welcome back to Councillor June Watson (Wildern) and welcome to Councillor Caitlin Bloom (Grange Park East), Councillor Margaret Allingham and Councillor David Humby (both Shamblehurst ward).

At the AGM, Councillor Jane Welsh was elected Chair with Councillor Louise Bloom as Vice-Chair.

Chairs of the main committees are:

Recreation and Amenities: Councillor Jane Welsh

Finance and Administration: Councillor Derek Pretty

Highways and Planning: Councillor Cynthia Garton

Communities and Culture: Councillor Louise Bloom

Personnel: Councillor Keith House

Strategy: Councillor Keith House

The first full council meeting after the elections was a relatively low key affair.  The Borough Councillors had little to report.

County Councillor Rupert Kyrle is dealing with some of the more extreme cases of damaged  road surfaces in Hedge End (in particular he mentioned Portelet Place and the village centre crossroads).   County Councillor Bruce Tennent gave a more general update including the streetlight replacement programme, street pastors and the Sure Start Centres. 

The minutes of the AGM and the first ordinary council meeting are posted on the council web site.

The next meeting will be the Highways and Planning Committee on 1^st June.