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Annual Town Meeting 2009

Introduction

This year's meeting for all Midhurst residents was held on 30th. April.


The Annual Town Meeting was held on 30th. April in Capron House and attended by Midhurst Town Councillors and members of the public.

View from the Spread Eagle Hotel up towards Church Hill

Chairman of the Council, Colin Hughes, welcomed everyone to the meeting and reminded them that last year's Town Meeting had been preceded by a public meeting which had established that the overwhelming view of local residents was for secondary education to remain within the town. It seems that this has now been achieved as has the Town Council's wish that Midhurst be included within the boundary of a National Park - two examples of the many issues the Town Council has been involved in.

There are still a large number of projects ongoing including :

Future of Leisure Provision

Plans for the Historic Centre of the town

Combating anti social behaviour

Town Centre Manager

Relocating Farmers' Markets

As Chairman Mr. Hughes has been very much involved in these and many other projects during his 13 years in office but he announced to the meeting that he would be stepping down at the Annual Meeting of the Council in May. He noted that the role of Chairman has changed a great deal since he was first elected and he had always found his chairmanship interesting and full of challenges. He had had the opportunity to work with a wonderful community and a dedicated team of Councillors and hoped others would continue to fight for Midhurst to receive its fair share of public funding and recognition and that projects currently underway would come to fruition for the benefit of the town.

The guest speaker was Dr. Joe Vitagliano, Principal of Midhurst Rother College who summarised the tasks and challenges which lie ahead for the new academy.

Matters raised in the Open Forum included :-

Possible introduction of parking charges in the town

Plans to establish an Arts Festival in the town.

Gratitude was expressed for all that Mr. Hughes had done for the town during his chairmanship.

Mr. Quilter, Vice Chairman of the Council echoed the above sentiments. So many events and projects in the town had been established and steered by Mr. Hughes it was difficult to think of any recent initiative he had not been involved in. On behalf of all of his fellow councillors he expressed appreciation and thanks.