Hailsham Town Council Annual Meeting Rescheduled for 27 May

The Annual Meeting of Hailsham Town Council, which was due to be held on 5th May, has been rescheduled for Thursday 27th May and will take place at the James West Community Centre in Brunel Drive at 7pm.

At the meeting, the Town Council will receive nominations for and elect both the Town Mayor (Chair) and Deputy Town Mayor (Vice-Chair) to hold office until the Annual Meeting of the Town Council in 2022.

This will be followed by a discussion of how future Council and committee meetings will be organised, whereby the implications of coronavirus legislation for all meetings will be highlighted and meeting arrangements agreed.

The Town Council’s Standing Committees and committee membership (including Chairs and Vice-Chairs) will be appointed, in addition to the setting up of working groups and allocation of members to represent external bodies, including local authorities and community groups.

The end-of-year accounts, annual governance and audit for the previous year will be noted and ratified by Council members at the meeting.

The Annual Council Meeting, like all the regular meetings of the Town Council, is open to residents to attend (with the exception of items of confidential business), and parishioners will be given the opportunity to put any questions directly to councillors and hear the Town Council’s achievements during the last year, despite the effects of the pandemic on services.

Prior to commencement of formal business, a period of up to 15 minutes will be assigned for members of the public to address the Town Council or ask questions on matters relevant to responsibilities under the direction of the Council, at the discretion of the Chairman. If several residents attend who wish to address members of the Town Council or Committee, the 15 minutes allocated will be shared between them.

Sadly, the Town Council may have to turn away members of the public if numbers are too high, due to social distancing regulations.

“We are living through strange times and postponing the Annual Council Meeting was the only option available to us,” said Town Clerk, John Harrison. “We continue to monitor developments concerning coronavirus legislation very closely, in line with guidance from the Government and National Association of Local Councils.”

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the public for their understanding of these necessary precautions as we take every step possible to ensure their well-being and safety – and that of our members and staff.”

A copy of the agenda for the Annual Meeting will be displayed on the notice boards outside the Town Council offices and in Vicarage Field, as well as on the Town Council’s website: www.hailsham-tc.gov.uk.