Message from the Town Mayor -
Cllr Tony Ford JP

I was thrilled to be chosen as the new Town Mayor of Saint Annes on The Sea Town Council at its Annual General Meeting in May 2009. As I have only served on the Council for two years I didn’t expect such a swift ‘rise up the ranks’ but I see it as an honour as well as a privilege to be chosen as the Town Mayor and I hope I can live up to everyone’s expectations.

I would like to pay tribute to the outgoing Town Mayor Barbara Mackenzie who has led the Town Council so well since its formation four years ago. She has presided over an embryonic organisation that has found its feet and is now ready to go forward in developing and promoting the town and meeting the aspirations of its residents.

I thank my colleagues on the Town Council for their unanimous endorsement and for having the faith in me to take on this roll. I am looking forward to us all working together for the benefit of the people of St. Annes. My diary is already starting to fill up with invitations to local and Lancashire-wide community events so I think I am going to be in for a very busy year.

Fylde Borough Council has promised the Town Council a Community Governance Review so the level of representation more realistically reflects the size of the population (at no extra cost to council taxpayers). This will enable us to take on some of the functions more generally associated with parish and town Councils. Currently, with only seven members, it is difficult to consider doing much more so that if all is agreed that after the 2011 elections we have a slightly larger and a more dynamic Town Council.

Members of the public are welcome to attend Town Council meetings. We set aside 15 minutes for residents to raise issues of concern. Meetings take place on the third Tuesday of each month at 7.00 pm at St Margaret’s Church Hall, Rowsley Road, off St Leonard’s Road West. Everyone is welcome to attend. Alternatively the Town Council welcomes your views via our website http://www.stannestowncouncil.gov.uk

During my year of Office I expect that the Town Council will have:

• Established an office in St. Annes from which our Town Clerk can work
• Appointed a Development Officer to support the Council’s work and activities
• Contributed to the reopening of the town’s Swimming Pool
• Made progress with the St Annes station site
• Continued to lobby for an improved rail service
• Influenced discussions and decisions made by other bodies on matters affecting St Annes residents
• Progressed the development of a Town Plan which will state the community’s aspirations for the future and include a detailed Action Plan for future activities

Plans already in the pipeline include:

• Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the signing of the Twinning Charter linking Lytham St. Annes and Werne in Germany (18th - 21st June)
• An Aviation Day
• Support for Community Events and activities
• Guided Walks of the town
• Entertainment in the Square
• A ‘Battle of Britain’ History Day celebration in 2010

Although a new Town Mayor has been chosen, St. Annes Town Council policy remains the same: to reflect the wishes of the people of St Annes.

Members of the public are welcome to attend Town Council meetings where 15 minutes are set aside for them to raise issues of concern.  Meetings take place on the third Tuesday of each month at 7.00 pm at St Margaret’s Church Hall, Rowsley Road, off St Leonard’s Road West.