Draft:Westgate-on-Sea Town Council

  • Comment: Alright, now that it's easier to see through the extraneous stuff, I don't think you are going to be able to show that this specific town council, extant only since 2015, has sufficient in-depth coverage to need a wikipedia article separate from Westgate-on-Sea. What I think you ought to do instead is write a new section heading on that article, "Town council", and summarize what's left here in a few sentences. asilvering (talk) 21:40, 24 April 2024 (UTC)
  • Comment: Most of this is just material that belongs on the town council's website. I'm going to remove this and see what's left. asilvering (talk) 21:31, 24 April 2024 (UTC)

Westgate-on-Sea Town Council
Type
Type
History
Founded2015
Leadership
Chair
Cllr David Donaldson[1], Labour Party Town Councillor
Vice Chair
Parish Clerk & RFO
Trish Hamilton
Structure
Seats10 Councillors..[3]
7 / 10
2 / 10
Thanet Independent Group (TIG)
1 / 10
Elections
Multiple non transferable vote
Last election
4th May 2023
Last election
(also, subsequent by-election held on 14th March 2024)
Next election
6th May 2027
Meeting place
78 St. Mildreds Road
Westgate-on-Sea
Kent
CT8 8RF
01843 836182
Website
westgateonsea.uk
This is a temporary address and will revert to westgateonsea.gov.uk


Westgate-on-Sea Town Council's current office

Since separating from Margate and becoming, politically, an Independent Town in 2015, the seaside area of Westgate-on-Sea (in the District of the Isle-of-Thanet, Kent) has had an elected Town Council. Westgate-on-Sea Town Council sits at Tier 1, directly below Thanet District Council, which is, in-turn, a level below Kent County Council. The MP for the Town is The Rt Hon Sir Roger Gale.

Westgate-on-Sea Town Council held their Inaugural Annual Statutory Meeting[4] on 13th May 2015, where it was democratically decided to refer to them as Westgate-on-Sea Town Council, as opposed to Westgate-on-Sea Parish Council.

Westgate-on-Sea Town Council (often abbreviated to WoSTC) was formed in 2015[5] and exists to actively support the people who live, work and visit the historic town of Westgate (in 1879, the first town to experiment with electric lighting on the seafront)[6]. The Council’s vision for Westgate-on-Sea is that of a vibrant, thriving and welcoming community, where people want to live, work and visit.

The full powers of Westgate-on-Sea Town Council can be viewed at the official Parish Council's webpage at https://www.parishcouncils.uk/parish-council/westgate-on-sea-parish-council/

The Town Council is a member of both the National Association of Local Councils and the Kent Association of Local Councils.

Council Elections

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2015 - 2019
When the Town Council was first formed, there was no election, as only ten people put their names forward to become Town Councillors. Of these ten, four resigned during this, the first four-year, term of the Council. These were Graham Rickett,[7], Lynne (Ash) Ashbee, Richard Charlton and David Morrish[8]

Results of the uncontested May 2015 Election for Councillors on Westgate-on-Sea Town Council
Candidate
Rickett, Graham Resigned
Charlton, Richard Resigned
Lynne, known as Ash, Ashbee Resigned
Thomas, known as Tom, King Did not stand in 2019
Ronald, known as Ron, Rolfe Did not stand in 2019
Morrish, David Resigned
Scott, Hannah Louise
Cornford, Joanna
Pennington, Martyn
Nightingale, Roy John
Results of 16th February 2017 By- Election for two Councillors on Westgate-on-Sea Town Council
Candidate Votes %age
Page, Helen Marie 448 27.2%
Stewart, Sonia Yvonne 443 26.8%
Wallin, David 442 26.8% Lost
Kenrick R, commonly know as Ray, Taylor 315 19.1% Lost
Results of 12th October 2017 By- Election on Westgate-on-Sea Town Council
Party
(independent if not stated)
Candidate Votes %age
Scott, Matthew Anthony Frederick 526 59%
Labour Party Donaldson, David 362 41% Lost



2019 - 2023[9]
Eleven people put their names forward as candidates for the election, so there was an election and ten of these eleven were elected.
Of these, there were several who resigned during, or stood down at the end of, the term.

Results of 2nd May 2019 Election for Councillors on Westgate-on-Sea Town Council
Party
(independent if not stated)
Candidate Votes %age
Scott, Hannah Louise 855 14% Resigned
Scott, Matthew Anthony Frederick 770 12%
Wallin, David 647 10%
Cornford, Joanna 627 10%
Micallef, Robert Rozario 586 9% Resigned
15th July 2019[10]
O'Conner, Pauline Lilian 547 9%
Pennington, Martyn 509 8%
Page, Helen Marie 443 7%
Nightingale, Roy John 427 7%
Labour Party Donaldson, David 417 7%
Gray, James Walter 385 6% Lost



2023 - 2027[11]
For the election at the start of this, the current, four year term, only nine people put their names forward, and so all were deemed as 'Elected Unopposed'.

Since this election, there has been -

  • the co-option of Charlotte Thomason[12] on 7th November 2023, to bring the number of Councillors up to ten, followed by
  • the resignation of Cllr Tim Green in January 2024 bringing the number of Councillors down to nine again, and
  • the 14th March by-election[13], won by John Worrow[14]
Results of 4th May 2023 Election for Councillors on Westgate-on-Sea Town Council
Party
(independent if not stated)
Candidate
Scott, Matthew Anthony Frederick
Wallin, David
Veck, Clive Laurance
Green, Tim Resigned
January 2024
Fenning, Stephen
Mulinya, Alice Doreen
King, Thomas George
Labour Party Donaldson, David
Labour Party d'Abbro, Elysa Chiarina
Results of 14th March 2024 By-Election for a Councillor on Westgate-on-Sea Town Council
Party Candidate Votes %age
Thanet Independent Group (TIG) Worrow, John 457 57%
The Green Party Jarman, Sarah Joanna 351 43%% Lost

Political Control

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Westgate-on-Sea Town Council (WoSTC) has been under no overall control since creation in 2015[5], with the majority feeling that a Town or Parish Council should be devoid of any party commitments.

Facebook Groups

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The Town Council has a Facebook Page[15], but Councillors also decided in 2017 to ask for the creation of a group called Westgate-on-Sea Town Council Discussion Group[16], to enable local residents to talk about Town Council matters in an open forum that they, the Council & the Councillors, had no control over.
WoSTC also has a strong connection with the Facebook Group of Westgate Matters[17]

Town Magazine

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Westgate-on-Sea Town Council produce a local magazine. As well as being delivered to all of the residents of the Town, this is also viewable online.

Premises

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When first formed, WoSTC took offices in the building called the 'Town Hall Building', which hosts the Carlton Cinema and a number of other businesses.

As they grew, in 2017 the Council moved to 11 Ethelbert Square, before moving, in 2019[18], to their current location of 78 St. Mildred's Road.

 
Westgate-on-Sea Town Council's current office

WoSTC are now looking into the concept of being located in the Westgate-on-Sea Library Building.

Westgate Day and other Local Events

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Westgate Day

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On 21st July 2019, WoSTC hosted their first Westgate Day More information can be found out about this day by reading the 'Westgate Talk' magazine that the Town Council produce. This day was very busy and an outstanding success, bringing a large number of people to the Town. It was planned to be repeated, but Covid has stopped this.

Westgate Lights Christmas Festival

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WoSTC does play a part in the 'Westgate Lights festival', which is arranged by local businesses and also brings a great number of visitors to the Town.

 

Pancake Races

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[19] The Council has taken over running the annual 'Pancake Races'. This is a historical event, both for local schoolkids and adults.

Green Spaces

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In 2019, Westgate's Town Council gave a strong commitment to revamping their Green Spaces[20]

References

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  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference DavidDonaldson was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference CliveVeck was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Westgate-on-Sea Town Council Councillors". Westgate-on-Sea Town Council. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Inaugural Annual Statutory Meeting". Thanet District Council. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Westgate-on-Sea Town Council created" (PDF). Margate Civic Society. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Westgate-on-Sea, the FIRST provincial town to experiment with electric lighting on the seafront". Thanet District Council. Winter 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  7. ^ Nesling, Jodie (22 June 2017). "Westgate councillor quits over claims of 'spiralling staff costs'". Isle of Thanet News. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  8. ^ Bailes, Kathy (20 August 2017). "Westgate Town Council is hit by another resignation". Isle of Thanet News. Retrieved 3 April 2024..
  9. ^ "Westgate-on-Sea Town Council Election on Thursday, 2nd May 2019". Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Westgate town councillor quits role". Isle of Thanet News. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Westgate-on-Sea Town Council Election on Thursday, 4th May 2023". Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Westgate-on-Sea Town Councillor Charlotte Thomason". Westgate-on-Sea Town Council. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Results of Westgate-on-Sea's by-election, 14th March 2024". Isle-of-Thanet News. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  14. ^ , returning it to there being ten Town Councillors in Westgate-on-Sea"Westgate-on-Sea Town Councillor John Worrow". Westgate-on-Sea Town Council. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  15. ^ "Westgate-on-Sea Town Council's Facebook Group". Facebook. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Westgate-on-Sea Town Council's Facebook Discussion Group". Facebook. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Westgate Matters Facebook Group". Facebook. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  18. ^ "Westgate Town Council on the move". Isle-of-Thanet News. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Flipping great fun at Westgate's pancake races". Isle-of-Thanet News. 19 February 2018.
  20. ^ "Town to get green space revamp in three year project". Kent Online. 25 February 2019.

Category:Town Councils in England Category:Local government in England Category:Local government in South East England Category:Local government in Kent Category:Thanet Category:Local precepting authorities in England