Message From the Mayor

Published: 13 August 2026

It has been another busy and rewarding few weeks serving as Mayor of Axminster.

I was pleased to hold my second 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆, as well as a joint surgery with our local Neighbourhood Police Team, giving residents the opportunity to raise concerns, share ideas and discuss the issues that matter most to them.It has also been a pleasure to support so many fantastic community events, including the Pippins Community Centre 𝟭𝟬𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆, the Nourish 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 Axminster Carnival 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗲𝘁𝗲, and the Flamingo Pool 𝗙𝘂𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆.

I also enjoyed visiting The Minster Church, including climbing the church tower and learning more about the rich history and heritage of our town.

Behind the scenes, I have continued working with fellow councillors, council officers and partner organisations on a number of important matters. This has included supporting the coordinated response to the recent unlawful occupation in the town, undertaking councillor training to continue developing my knowledge, and helping progress Axminster's Community Emergency Plan to ensure our town is better prepared for future emergencies.

One of the highlights of the month was attending the 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲'𝘀 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴 at Axminster Guildhall. We welcomed over 130 people to the Guildhall across the 2 screenings. Thank you to everyone who came along. It was encouraging to see so many residents interested in how we can work together to make Axminster more resilient and sustainable.

Axminster Town Council has already taken a number of positive steps to address the climate emergency:

𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵 – Signed the Plastic Free Pledge with Plastic Free Axminster to reduce the use of single-use plastics.

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 – Declared a Climate Emergency, helped establish the Axminster Climate Action Group (ACAG), and installed a public water bottle refill station.

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 – Planted the Axminster Community Orchard.

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 – Installed solar panels on The Axminster Guildhall roof and removed the building's gas heating system, significantly reducing the Council's total carbon footprint.

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 – Opened the Community Orchard to the public and created a wildflower meadow to increase biodiversity.

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 – We are now developing a Community Emergency Plan to help build resilience and ensure Axminster is better prepared for extreme weather and other emergencies.

While there is still much more to do, these projects demonstrate our commitment to creating a greener, more sustainable and resilient future for Axminster.

Finally, I would like to address something that is completely unacceptable. In recent weeks, Axminster Town Council staff have been subjected to abuse while simply carrying out their duties. Our officers work incredibly hard on behalf of the community and deserve to be treated with courtesy and respect. Healthy debate and constructive criticism are always welcome, but abuse, intimidation and personal attacks have no place in our town and will not be tolerated.

Thank you to everyone who volunteers their time, organises events, supports local organisations and contributes to making Axminster such a wonderful place to live. It is a real privilege to serve as your Mayor, and I look forward to continuing to work with residents over the coming weeks and months.