'A wonderful result': Green Party celebrates huge gains on Oswestry Town Council

Serving Green councillors were re-elected and will be joined by a host of new faces when they return to the chamber later this month.

The town council results followed hot on the heels of two big wins for the Oswestry Greens in the Shropshire Council election results, with mayor Duncan Kerr and fellow town councillor Mike Isherwood taking Conservative seats in Oswestry South and Oswestry West.

Councillor Kerr said: “Over the moon is an understatement. It’s a wonderful result.

“To have 12 of 18 seats possibly makes us the greenest council in the country.

“It’s a huge vote of confidence from the people of Oswestry and now we have got to deliver, and we understand that.

“We have said all along we want to make Oswestry greener, cleaner and better town and we have got quite a lot to do.”

Councillor Kerr said the incoming town councillors had a “huge amount of experience” in a range of fields, including Gemma Cassin, director of CHALK community interest company, which supports people seeking employment, and Sam Chadwick and Josh Cockburn who both work for the NHS.

He said new councillor Jonathan Upton was “Mr Oswestry” with his extensive knowledge of the history of the town, and younger councillors, including 23-year-old Georgia Stackhouse, were full of ideas and “passionate about taking the town forward”.

Councillor Kerr said: “We have perhaps now got a more dynamic, more vibrant council, with a mix of some of us with a bit more experience.

Passionate

“There will be some challenges – we don’t have the resources of Shropshire Council for example – but I am a big believer that passionate and committed people can shift the earth.”

Councillor Kerr said the council would be looking into how it can “establish a structure that enables people to get involved” and working with residents to make improvements to the town, including setting up tree planting schemes and tourist attractions.

At such a pivotal moment for Oswestry – with the Innovation Park plans in, the Oswestry Masterplan being developed and the award of High Street Heritage Action Zone funding for town centre imrpovements – Councillor Kerr said it was a “great time to be able to take the town forward”.

Supporting independent traders and improving cycle networks are also on his list of priorities.

Mr Kerr will soon hand over the mayoral chains to mayor elect Mark Jones, who was re-elected to represent Cabin Lane ward.

However deputy mayor elect Steve Mason failed to hold onto his seat in Carreg Llwyd, meaning a new deputy mayor will need to be chosen.

The town council custom is for the next most senior member to become deputy mayor, meaning Jay Moore will be put forward for the role.

He could however choose to decline, and his appointment will be subject to a formal vote at a future meeting of the new council.

Other town councillors who lost their seats were Sandy Best for the Conservatives and independents Nikki Hughes and Mike Coppock.

Shropshire Council deputy leader Steve Charmley – who will now be acting leader following Peter Nutting’s defeat in his Shrewsbury ward – was among the other unsuccessful town council candidates.

The final results were:

Cabin Lane (3 seats): Les Maguire (Con) 274, Mark Jones (Con) 245, Frank Davis (Con) 193, Jemma Isherwood (Green) 164, Martin Bennett (Ind) 164, Mike Coppock (Ind) 104, Nikki Hughes (Ind) 93, Romer Hoseason (Lib Dem) 43.

Cambrian (3 seats): Rosie Radford (Green) 261, Stephen Froggatt (Green) 251, Jessica Michie (Con) 239, Luke Watkins (Green) 214, Cathy Osselton (Con) 209, Rachel Richardson 208.

Carreg Llwyd (3 seats): John Price (Con) 273, Sam Chadwick (Green) 246, Gemma Cassin (Green) 236, Steve Watts (Green) 216, Steve Mason (Con) 194, Ann Parry (Con) 174.

Castle (3 seats): Duncan Kerr (Green) 428, Mike Isherwood (Green) 344, Olly Rose (Green) 319, Steve Charmley (Con) 233, Judith Williams (Con) 179, Mo Woof (Con) 161.

Gatacre (2 seats): Sian Kerr (Green) 215, Jay Moore (Green) 175, John Atherton (Con) 98, John Gibson (Con) 61.

Maserfield (2 seats): Georgia Stackhouse (Green) 331, Jonathan Upton (Green) 317, Philip Keable (Con) 297, Ian Davies (Con) 279.

Victoria (2 seats): Paul Milner (Con) 353, Josh Cockburn (Green) 273, Sandy Best (Con) 250, Merrick Rose (Green) 240.