Uppingham Town Council has new members after a mass resignation

A town council left heavily depleted after almost half the councillors resigned has some new members.

Four men have joined the eight remaining councillors left on Uppingham Town Council following the mass resignation of seven councillors at a town council meeting this summer.

The councillors had quit citing concerns about what they saw as a conflict of interest between some members of the councillor and private company Uppingham First, which runs the town’s bus hopper service.

The county council had issued a notice of election, and as only four people put themselves forward for election by the deadline of last Friday (September 6) they have automatically been made councillors.

They are: Geoff Thompson, Hugh Illingworth, Barry Read and Andrew Mankowski.

Yorkshire born Hugh Illingworth was a manager in the print and publishing industry in London and has lived in the county since the Millennium. A founder member of The Elms Residents Association he has lived in Uppingham for three years.

Geoff Thompson has also joined the council, and as a director of Uppingham First he has increased the number of councillors who are also Uppingham First members to five.

Councillors Ron Simpson, Andrew Colbourne, and Mark Shaw are directors and Christine Edwards is listed as a community representative.

The new Coun Thompson also chairs Uppingham Community College and is a director of Uppingham Community Land Trust, whose objective is to build and manage affordable homes in the town.

Details for councillors Barry Read and Andrew Mankowski have not yet been shared by the council.