Step forward for a town council role (From This is Hampshire)

Step forward for a town council role

8:50am Saturday 13th March 2010 in

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A PUBLIC meeting to be held in Andover’s Guildhall next Thursday aims to encourage local people to step forward for election to the town’s new council.

With elections to the council only weeks away, the meeting will hear how people can – and should – get themselves nominated.

The gathering in Andover Guildhall, starting at 7.30pm, has been organised by the Campaign for an Andover Town Council (CATC).

The evening’s speakers will be Terry Simpson, the clerk to Ringwood Town Council, and Cllr Steven Lugg, chief executive of the Hampshire Association of Local Councils.

The public discussion will be followed by CATC’s annual meeting.

“Now we have won a town council the key thing is to get it off to the right start and ensure that people come forward who want to improve their town,” said campaign chairman Tony Raper.

“Local councils are for local people, regardless of their political views, to pool their ideas and work together for everyone’s benefit, and I would urge anyone with positive ideas for the town to come along and hear how to get involved,” Tony said.

Campaign joint secretary Gloria Smith added: “Terry and Steven have given our campaign massive support over the last couple of years, and they have a wealth of experience of how local councils can help to create a better environment for all.

“It would be a tragedy for our new council to fall by default into the hands of those who opposed it being set up and who would want to strangle it at birth.

“Winning our local council was the first step – now we need people to step forward and share their ideas, and this meeting is an opportunity to do just that.”

The Andover Councillors’ Forum held its last meeting on Monday. Chairman Marion Kerley said the forum had been going for 15 years and during that time had been supported by Test Valley Borough Council officers and local organisations. She gave special thanks for all the hard work given by secretary Caroline Lovelock, who was presented with flowers.