New Welshpool Mayor reveals plans for his year in office

Councillor Malcolm Douglass was appointed as Welshpool's mayor at the town council's annual meeting this week.

In his welcome speech he thanked the council for its support and outlined his plans.

He said: "During the year I would like to put pressure on reopening Welshpool canal.

"I feel this is a tremendous asset which is going to waste.

"It has tremendous potential economically for Welshpool.

"I would like to see the High Street enhanced with trees.

"You may say , Well, what about the vandalism?.

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"That brings me to my third point - I would like to stamp out vandalism and use the CCTV system we have installed to stamp out this loutish behaviour."

He also thanked the outgoing mayor, Councillor John Meredith, for his hard work during the previous year.

"Raising money is a big part of being town mayor and I will try to match John's magnificent total of £4,000 last year," he said.

"I work so I won't have as much time to devote, but I hope to hold mayor's money makers which could be anything from bingo nights to cake sales to rummage sales to a horse show. You name it we'll do it. My charities for this year will be Hope House, the Wales Air Ambulance and the World Wildlife Fund."

The new mayor's support for wildlife was also mentioned at Wednesday's meeting by Councillor Ann Holloway, who nominated Councillor Douglass for the role.

"He is a quiet man but one of strong principals," she said.

"He's the only deputy mayor I can recall who has refused to wear his robes as they had fur on them and he is against blood sports."

During the meeting Coun Douglass was presented with a new set of robes which were made with fake fur trimmings.

Councillor Steve Kaye was appointed as deputy mayor.

l A community transport charity which provides a vital link for more than 180 pensioners has been given a grant of £250.

Welshpool Community Transport supports more than 100 elderly residents in the town and a further 80 within a 10 mile radius.

The service issues taxi tokens to its users each year and was given the grant by Welshpool Town Council on Wednesday to help towards the costs of the 2015/16 tokens.

Councillor John Corfield said: "The lives of the service users would be a lot more lonely and a lot less interesting if this was withdrawn and this is one of our most worthwhile charities that we have in the town."

Councillor Shane Squibb agreed.