The focus for new Beccles mayor Richard Stubbings during his year in office will be to improve leisure facilities in the town for both young and old.
Mr Stubbings was voted into the role at last night's annual Beccles Town Council meeting, with Elfrede Brambley Crawshaw voted deputy mayor.
Mr Stubbings, 59, joined the council for the Rigbourne Ward in 2015 and spent his first year as deputy and second year as chairman of the planning and finance committees.
He said: 'Through my mayor's appeal I want to deliver better leisure facilities for the town. I don't want to restrict it to two projects, but the Waveney Centre is a wonderful resource for the elderly and they need a new fire system, which is essential, and a new shed for the garden. And I want to give the skate park project a final push this year to make sure it gets done. They are in limbo at the moment waiting to hear if they have been successful for a sport England grant so I want to keep impetus going and keep the profile raised so it doesn't get forgotten. The current skate park is near the end of its life and it's a really important facility.'
Mr Stubbings also said he wanted to push ahead with discussions on improvements to Beccles Quay, and bring ownership back to the town.
'We can't keep saying it is going to cost too much money, but it needs to be done responsibly and we need to start somewhere,' he said. 'It is the entrance to Beccles and our main leisure area.'
Mr Stubbings said he was proud but nervous about his new role, and added: 'I want to make this council more accountable and make sure everything goes forward constructively. I want to encourage heavy discussion and make sure we are considering everything.'
Mrs Brambley-Crawshaw, 33, joined the council the same year and has been chairman of the Pride in Beccles working party, a town council youth champion and is chairman of the Beccles Neighbourhood Plan operating group.
She said: 'I want this council to be open, inclusive and well rooted in the community and for people to know we are here to represent them.
'I'm excited to be deputy while Richard is mayor because I feel like we have the same vision.'
Mrs Brambley-Crawshaw was also recently elected as Suffolk county councillor for Beccles and is prospective parliamentary candidate for the Green Party in Waveney.
To keep up-to-date with Mr Stubbing's fundraisers, search for Beccles Mayors Appeal 2017/2018 on Facebook.
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