The annual general meeting of Penrith Town Council, held this evening, saw a significant change in leadership as councillors elected a new Chair and Town Mayor, as well as a new Vice Chair and Deputy Mayor.
Outgoing Mayor and Chair of the Council, Cllr Doug Lawson, handed over the reins to his mother-in-law, Cllr Val Bowen, the Liberal Democrat representative for Penrith Pategill. Cllr Bowen received 10 votes from fellow councillors, defeating the outgoing Deputy Mayor, Cllr Danny Smith, who received 4 votes.
For the first time, the council used a newly introduced ballot box to carry out the vote—replacing the previously controversial method of using a biscuit tin for paper ballots.
In her remarks following her election, Cllr Bowen thanked councillors for their support and paid tribute to her predecessor. Cllr Lawson then presented her with two light-hearted gifts: the now-retired biscuit tin and a toilet roll, joking, “this is for the shit storm that may come your way.”
Cllr Barbara Jayson, Liberal Democrat councillor for Penrith West, was elected Deputy Mayor and Vice Chair. Earlier in the evening, she had been refused access to the Annual Parish Meeting by council staff on the grounds that she is not a Penrith resident.
Cllr Val Bowen now makes history as the first female Mayor of Penrith since the Town Council’s formation in 2015.
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