New civic head of Ashington and other roles elected by Ashington Town Council at annual meeting

Council leader John Tully has been reelected as well, after he assumed the role in February following the resignation of Cllr Matthew Cuthbert for health reasons.

Cllr Tully said: “I am pleased to have been elected by my colleagues as leader of Ashington Town Council.

“I hope to continue what I started in February, which is to lead the strategic direction of the council.

“Cllr Mark Purvis continues as business chair, and his experience in this position will serve us well as we tackle achieving the priorities the council has set.”

The priorities that Cllr Tully has previously told the News Post Leader he wants to focus on are keeping the town clean, urgent action on the effects of climate change, community support via events and grant funding, and making Ashington a safe and pleasant place to live.

He added: “We welcome Cllr Victor Bridges as the new civic head of Ashington.

“Among the civic roles Cllr Bridges will enjoy, he looks forward to representing the council at the town twinning event in Remscheid, Germany in September.

“The civic calendar can be a busy one, and we thank outgoing civic head Cllr Bob Walkinshaw for his commitment and lively reports over the last 12 months.”

The council also voted for vice business chair to be Cllr Marjorie Chambers, deputy civic head to be Cllr Vicki Brown, and deputy leader of the council to be Cllr Louis Brown.