Councillors elected a new Mayor for Tonbridge and Malling last night.
The current Deputy Mayor, Cllr Chris Brown, who represents Kings Hill, will step up to the year-long role, taking over from Cllr Steve Hammond, who was unable to attend the ceremony due to ill health.
During his term as Mayor, Cllr Hammond raised more than £1,000 for Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) based in Aylesford. The evening also saw the RBLI awarded Freeman of the Borough status in recognition of its work supporting armed forces veterans and those with disabilities.
Cllr Brown has served on the council for a total of 18 years, firstly between 2003 and 2015 and since 2019. He has been a member of a number of committees, including those covering planning, licensing, scrutiny and finance. He lives in Kings Hill with his wife Joanne and their three sons, as well as his mother and brother. He supports his sons who play for Kings Hill Football Club and who are members of the nearby Larkfield Swimming Club which he and Joanne help run.
During his time as Mayor, Cllr Brown’s chosen charities are the British Heart Foundation and Hospice in the Weald.
Cllr Brown said: “It’s a huge honour to represent Tonbridge and Malling as Mayor and I’m looking forward to supporting the many organisations and individuals who make our borough special.
“I’d like to thank Steve Hammond for his tremendous work as Mayor over the last year, soldiering on, even while battling with health issues. Everyone at the council wishes him a speedy recovery.
“I must also express my appreciation of the support I’ve received from James Lark, Sue Bell, Roger Roud and Dave Davis as past Mayors who have stepped in to assist me in supporting events across the borough.”
The Deputy Mayor for the coming year will be Cllr Kim Tanner.
The annual meeting of the council also saw Cllr Matt Boughton confirmed for a further term as Council Leader.
Cllr Boughton then announced his cabinet, which is formed of six members, including a new role responsible for infrastructure and Tonbridge regeneration. Cabinet members and portfolios are as follows:
- Cllr Matt Boughton - Executive Leader
- Cllr Martin Coffin - Deputy Leader and cabinet member for finance, waste and technical services
- Cllr Robin Betts - Cabinet member for housing, environment and economy
- Cllr Des Keers – Cabinet member for community services
- Cllr Adem Mehmet – Cabinet member for infrastructure and Tonbridge regeneration
- Cllr Mike Taylor – Cabinet member for planning