WEST Devon Borough Council has elected a new mayor and deputy mayor – as well as the leader and deputy leader of the council – in the first meeting of the new council following the May 2 elections.

Cllr Tony Leech, who represents Okehampton North on the council, was elected as mayor, while Cllr Caroline Mott, who represents Bridestowe, was elected as his deputy by their fellow councillors at the annual meeting of the council on Tuesday (May 21).

There were plenty of new faces, with 15 new councillors joining 16 returning ones.

Conservative Neil Jory was elected by fellow councillors as leader and Conservative Lois Samuel, who represents Exbourne ward, was elected as deputy leader, as she was in the last administration.

Cllr Jory is the leader of the Conservative group on the council, which with 16 councillors now has a majority of just one on the 31-seat council, down from 20 seats in the previous council.

Cllr Jory said: ‘I am delighted to have been chosen as leader and am really looking forward to working with the new council.

‘We have a real opportunity to move forward and develop policies which will residents on issues such as the climate change resolution that was brought before the council today.

‘I am also committed to maintaining the services that our residents value and rely on.

‘I would also like to lead the council in a vote of thanks for Philip Sanders, our former leader of many years.

‘It is because of his steadfastness, his commitment to moving the council forward, that despite reductions in direct government funding we are in the position we are in now.’

Cllr Terry Pearce also gave a vote of thanks to Robert Sampson, leader of the Independent group on the council, who retired from the council before the election.

Cllr Mike Davies stood down after a year in office as mayor during which he set himself the challenge of visiting every single primary school in the borough.

Out of this came his idea for a motion at Tuesday’s meeting calling for action on climate change because ‘at every school the question the children kept asking me was ‘what are you doing about plastic?’

Cllr Terry Pearce proposed a vote of thanks, saying: ‘Mike’s carried out his role with tremendous integrity and commitment.’

Cllr Leech, who was deputy mayor in the last administration, was proposed by Cllr Kevin Ball as the new mayor.

Cllr Ball said: ‘My experience of Tony is that he is a very diligent and hard-working member of the council.

‘In my experience, whatever he does he does wholeheartedly and fully commits himself to.’

He said that Cllr Leech had shown particular dedication in attending a crucial council meeting when he had just been discharged from hospital.

‘He stuck it through despite bleeding profusely over the papers in front of him and he’s to be commended for that,’ said Cllr Ball.

Cllr Caroline Mott was voted as deputy mayor.

Proposer Cllr Terry Pearce praised the cmembers’s commitment as a councillor.

Meanwhile Cllr Davies, also a church minister in Okehampton, agreed to Cllr Leech’s request that he be mayor’s chaplain.

l Meet the new-look West Devon Borough Council on pages 16 and 17 and find out members’ priorities for the next four years.