New Littlehampton mayor selected in council meeting

Littlehampton has a new mayor after the town council elected a new councillor.
Ian Buckland is the new mayor of Littlehampton. His fellow Liberal Democrat councillor, Billy Blanchard-Cooper, will be deputy mayor. Picture: Littlehampton Town CouncilIan Buckland is the new mayor of Littlehampton. His fellow Liberal Democrat councillor, Billy Blanchard-Cooper, will be deputy mayor. Picture: Littlehampton Town Council
Ian Buckland is the new mayor of Littlehampton. His fellow Liberal Democrat councillor, Billy Blanchard-Cooper, will be deputy mayor. Picture: Littlehampton Town Council

Councillor Ian Buckland, who represents the River Ward, became first citizen following the annual meeting of the council on Thursday.

Mr Buckland succeeds Councillor Marian Ayres who stood down after her year in charge.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Presenting a cheque for £1,636.27 to her chosen charity, Equine Partners, the former mayor said that her year in office had been very rewarding and that it had been ‘a great pleasure to serve the town’.

Equine Partners is a small charity which provides support to young people struggling to come to terms with trauma through working with horses.

Receiving the cheque on behalf of the charity, Fran Hibberd said: “We’re overwhelmed by the generosity of this donation”.

Equine Partners work with many families in the Littlehampton area and the money will enable them to develop the project further and buy a new pony.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Buckland’s fellow Liberal Democrat councillor, Billy Blanchard-Cooper, will become deputy mayor for the next 12 months and will be the next mayor after Mr Buckland.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the council, the new mayor said: “It is a great privilege to represent our town and I am very proud to have been elected town mayor”.

Presenting the outgoing mayor, Councillor Ayres, with a bouquet of flowers on behalf of the council, he thanked her for service to the town.

The new mayor is focusing his efforts on raising funds for the charity Coastal West Sussex Mind.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The charity provides a valuable lifeline to people of all ages who become isolated or experience discrimination because of a mental health problem.

For more information about the mayor’s charity visit coastalwestsussexmind.org.

If you would like the mayor to support one of your events, contact the mayor’s office on 01903 732063.

Related topics: