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Town Mayor & Chairman Elected at Annual Meeting

Council News & Services

Photo of Cllr Paul Holbrook signing Declaration of Acceptance for office of Chairman and Town Mayor - 17 May 2023 

Long-serving local councillor Paul Holbrook has been voted to serve as Town Mayor and Chairman at the Annual Meeting of the Town Council held at the James West Community Centre on Wednesday 17th May.

The Annual Meeting also elected Councillor Anne Marie Ricketts as Deputy Town Mayor and Vice-Chairman, as well as various representatives for local community organisations.

On accepting the chain of office, Councillor Holbrook, represnting Hailsham Central Ward, said that his long-term vision is for a town that is community-driven and stated that it will be another busy year ahead for the Town Council.

“As Town Mayor and Chairman, I look forward to continuing my contribution to the Council’s future achievements, including continuing to work hard for our residents to make further significant improvements to our services, finding more efficient ways to carry out our activities and make front-line operations as efficient as possible.”

“As we all know, due to the cost-of-living crisis, a number of key changes have affected the Town Council, and we have all had to work hard – and under greater constraint than usual. These changes include a significant increase in the cost of utilities across most of our sites which we maintain for residents, in addition to an increase in other running costs across the board.”

“Throughout the course of the next year, myself, my fellow town councillors and council staff will continue to work meticulously to ensure that we provide value for money for residents and make further improvements to our services.”

Cllr Holbrook added: “In terms of my role as Town Mayor, I feel honoured to represent the people of Hailsham and hope to meet members of the local community at future civic engagements, whilst helping to raise the profile of local charities, community groups and voluntary organisations – all of which work selflessly to help others and make individuals lives just that much better and brighter.”

“A lot can be achieved in our town and, as mayor, I will endeavour to work with different groups of people to overcome the challenges we face now and in the future, especially moving forward and seeing us through the cost-of-living crisis. Hailsham is a special place, and I will work hard to ensure that it remains so.”

“In closing, I would like residents to know that the Town Council is here for you. If you have any issues about the town you should get in touch with us. While we can’t promise to be able to have a solution to every problem, we will always do our best to attempt to get some sort of positive outcome.”


Enquiries relating to this media release

Terry Hall, Communications Officer
Hailsham Town Council, Market Street, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AE
Telephone: 01323 841702 | Email: terry.hall@hailsham-tc.gov.uk