BRIGG NOW LOOKING FOR NEW TOWN MAYOR 2014/15

Coun the Rev Alec Depledge - Deputy Town Mayor and Chaplain to current Town Mayor Coun John Kitwood.

Coun the Rev Alec Depledge - Deputy Town Mayor - has decided that he does not wish to be considered for the position of Brigg Town Mayor 2014/15. 
It is usual for the Deputy Town Mayor to serve a year in the secondary role and then be elected as the town's first citizen at the Town Council's spring AGM.
However, Coun Alec feels he can better serve the community by devoting the time he has available for civic duties to helping draw up the blueprint Neighbourhood Plan - setting out how Brigg will develop over the coming years. 
He announced his decision to fellow town councillors at their latest meeting in the Angel Suite - using the phrase "for personal reasons" to explain his decision not to stand for election as Town Mayor.
The council agreed to make a decision on how to proceed at its March meeting - Town Mayor Coun John Kitwood suggesting they should take time to think about the situation. 
The question to resolve is whether Coun Depledge should continue as Deputy Town Mayor until the AGM in May or whether someone else should take over for a couple of months from March, giving them some time to gain experience, ahead of being put forward  for election as Town Mayor for 2014/15.
Coun Mike Campion said Coun Depledge had done a very good job as Deputy, while Coun Jackie Brock thought it best for him to continue in his current role until the annual meeting.
Coun Ben Nobbs and Coun Penny Smith, who have both served terms as Town Mayor, stressed the need for the Mayor to have first served in the Deputy role. 
Coun Nobbs thought it unfair for a new Mayor "to start straight away." Coun Smith said: "You need to have a run up to being Mayor."
The Town Mayor's duties include being chairman of the council - presiding at meetings of the authority, as well as representing Brigg Town Council at a wide range of events and functions.
Coun Depledge put a huge amount of work into managing the Brigg Community Led Plan - gauging public opinion and aspirations for the future and producing a document that was officially adopted, setting out how Brigg people want their town to develop. 
Improvements to the railway station, improving the Recreation Ground and making better use of the River Ancholme were among  items included in the "wish list." Some progress has already been made on these. 
The Neighbourhood Plan will be more detailed and extensive and its contents will need to be taken into account by the planners at North Lincolnshire.  

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