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Foundations set at inaugural Grantham Town Council meeting




The 'foundations' have been laid for a new town council after its recently elected members met officially for the first time.

The Grantham Town Council meeting in the Ballroom of the Guildhall Arts Centre on Tuesday (May 14) saw the councillors elected on May 2 sign off on initial decisions.

This included officially designating the new authority as a town council, not a parish council.

The first meeting of Grantham Town Council on May 14, 2024. | Photo: Daniel Jaines
The first meeting of Grantham Town Council on May 14, 2024. | Photo: Daniel Jaines

Councillor Tim Harrison was voted chairman of the authority, with Councillor Marie Reid as his deputy.

Coun Harrison said the meeting had gone “very well” but there was still a lot to organise.

He added: “It’s been a bit tricky and will be for the next couple of months but we’ll get everything sorted.

Former Mayor Coun Mark Whittington and wife and Mayoress Mary (centre left) with the new leadership at Grantham Town Council, from left, ambassador's consort Coun John Morgan, ambassador Coun Charmaine Morgan, chairman Coun Tim Harrison, vice chairman Coun Marie Reid and deputy ambassador Coun Wayne Hasnip. | Photo: Daniel Jaines
Former Mayor Coun Mark Whittington and wife and Mayoress Mary (centre left) with the new leadership at Grantham Town Council, from left, ambassador's consort Coun John Morgan, ambassador Coun Charmaine Morgan, chairman Coun Tim Harrison, vice chairman Coun Marie Reid and deputy ambassador Coun Wayne Hasnip. | Photo: Daniel Jaines

“It’s the first time in 50 years that we’ve had a town council. There’s a fantastic team there. I know what they’ll bring to the table and I have every faith in every single one of them.”

“None of these guys are getting paid for this, they walked miles and miles to deliver their leaflets, they paid for them out of their own money, and they will get no reward for this whatsoever.

“They’re doing it because they love the town.”

New ambassador Coun Charmaine Morgan with outgoing Mayor Coun Mark Whittington. | Photo: Daniel Jaines
New ambassador Coun Charmaine Morgan with outgoing Mayor Coun Mark Whittington. | Photo: Daniel Jaines

He said the first priority was to “get our foundations right”. He acknowledged the first year would probably be “very, very tight” due to the limited precept but hoped that over the next three years the new authority would continue to develop and grow.

Coun Charmaine Morgan was voted in as ambassador for the town while a decision over the future of the mayor’s role was confirmed. She will take over from Coun Mark Whittington who was mayor of Grantham under the former Grantham Charter Trustees.

A competition will be held to create a new emblem or logo for the council.

The first meeting of Grantham Town Council on May 14, 2024. | Photo: Daniel Jaines
The first meeting of Grantham Town Council on May 14, 2024. | Photo: Daniel Jaines

An initial design by Coun Chris Noon was put forward with the Latin phrase for 'Together We Are Strong'.

Councillors were happy with the design, with chairman Coun Harrison saying there were 'positive connotations'.

However, Coun Rob Shorrock suggested that the new logo could be an opportunity for 'community engagement', and councillors agreed to open the opportunity to the public.

The first meeting of Grantham Town Council on May 14, 2024. | Photo: Daniel Jaines
The first meeting of Grantham Town Council on May 14, 2024. | Photo: Daniel Jaines

Full details will be released in the future.

The council set up three initial committees to get the ball rolling, including a working group of six - councillors John Morgan (Ind), Chris Noon (Ind), Rob Shorrock (Lab), Linda Jackson (Ind), Charmaine Morgan (Ind), and Marie Reid (Ind) assigned to gathering contacts and background skills for each councillor in a bid to allocate them to their most suitable positions.

A personnel committee to oversee the council’s staff in the interim will be led by Tracey Forman, and a finance committee led by Linda Jackson will organise the council's finances for the next meeting.

The next meeting will take place on Monday, June 3, at a location to be confirmed.



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