PRESTEIGNE welcomed in a new mayor and deputy mayor last month, with Deb Edwards the new mayor and Beverley Baynham acting as her deputy mayor.

Councillor Edwards is from Norton and replaces outgoing mayor Fiona Preece, with deputy mayor Cllr Baynham from Presteigne.

Certificates of appreciation were presented to retiring members at the meeting and long-standing retiring members Colin Kirkby and John Wilding received engraved paperweights.

In a handover speech, former mayor Cllr Preece talked about her year in office, which included a gradual return to normal life following the Covid-19 pandemic, and praised the hard work Presteigne and Norton Town Council had done.

“The last year has seen a gradual return to almost normal for residents and businesses alike and I am sure we all hope that the Covid pandemic is now behind us,” said Cllr Preece.

“The council continued to work throughout the pandemic but the easing of restrictions has meant that we have returned to physical meetings combined with online streaming – a process not without its problems but I think everyone has appreciated being able to meet face to face and being able to discuss matters in more detail.”

She talked glowingly about the various community projects undertaken and completed by the town council in the last year, including the new car park and additional burial spaces at the cemetery, the success of the Presteigne Dark Skies Project and the grant gained for a new woodland nature reserve.

“Firstly, the cemetery, discussions started in 2014 to extend this as spaces were running out and we finally opened the new car park and new section of the cemetery last year,” said Cllr Preece.

“My thanks to all involved especially county councillor Beverley Baynham for all her hard work, Colin Kirkby and John Wilding and officers at Powys County Council.

“During the year the town council applied for and received a grant for the play park at Lugg View and this has now been completed.

“The climate action group has been really busy this year and with the help of the tree group has organised events such as the very successful tree weekend last October and the lovely tree and cake event on the Warden a few weeks ago.

“Work continues on the Dark Skies Project and it is hoped that the full application will be submitted at the end of the summer.

“The new town WiFi is soon to be installed, a project working with the county council continues to work towards improving broadband provision in the town by bringing fibre to the premises and 100mb minimum connections to all who want it.

“The town benches have now all been refurbished or replaced thanks to the very generous financial support from a former mayor, John Kendall, and thanks is due to him for his kindness in doing this.

“The biggest achievement this past year is of course the successful grant application to make a new woodland nature reserve in Presteigne that will become part of the National Forest of Wales and I would like to say well done to everyone involved, particularly Cllr Rose Bamford, for all the work they put in preparing the application. Work on the project is now getting underway.”

Cllr Preece also thanked all contractors who had worked with the town council and spoke pf her joy at raising £1,200 from a fundraising walk she completed along the Offa’s Dyke path from Hay-on-Wye to Knighton; proceeds were split between East Radnor Day Centre and Presteigne 1st Responders.

“I would like to wish the next mayor all the best of luck for the year ahead,” she added.

“Finally, I would like to thank you all for your support for me in my term of office. I have felt very privileged to represent such a special place.”