Verwood Town Council has appointed Cllr Simon Gibson as Mayor for the third time.
Simon was Mayor in 2012/2013 and again in 2022/2023, and takes the baton from Councillor Spencer Flower.
He’s pictured with Mayoress Sarah Gibson.
The role covers the town of Verwood, plus Three Legged Cross. The Mayor acts as the chairman of the Town Council and represents the town at civic and ceremonial functions.
We caught up with him to find out what he’s planning over the next 12 months.
“What made you want to take on the role of Mayor again, and what does it personally mean to you?”
It always means a lot to me personally, as Verwood Town Council was the place where I first got the opportunity to be a councillor as an 18-year-old. The chance to be Mayor doesn’t come round too often, and you need to be careful when you do it, as it is entirely voluntary, so it needs to be balanced against working commitments. Perhaps the part of it that I always enjoy the most is the community nature of the role. It is strictly non-party political. There is a time and place for party politics, but I am not convinced about it happening at Town Council level, and certainly not as the Mayor. The fact that it is non-political allows you to attend every event without an agenda and genuinely find out what’s happening in our town and how the Council can support our community.
“What are the biggest issues facing Verwood right now, and which ones do you most want to focus on during your mayoral year?”
It is hard to look past the looming decision on the future of Crane Valley Golf Club and the possible impact on Verwood from such a large-scale new development. We won’t know for a while yet if the site is to remain in the next draft of the Local Plan, but it is important that we keep supporting the community, who have made it clear that there is widespread concern. Not just at the loss of Crane Valley itself, but the impact on the infrastructure, roads, and character of the area too. The Town Council needs to have an active and strong presence in whatever happens next and, as Mayor, I want to lead that.
I also want to try and make some progress on an upper school. This is not in the gift of Verwood Town Council, or really Dorset Council, as it requires there to be enough students to secure the funding. We do not have enough yet, but I do think that there is more that can be done in the interim to make progress. I want to bring together people from across the town, from inside and outside of local government, our MP, and teachers to try and build a project that is ready to go as soon as the numbers are high enough. This is a project that I am looking to launch in the coming weeks.
“You’ve already been involved in local campaigns around Potterne Park and housing plans – how do you want to balance protecting Verwood’s character while planning for future growth?”
This is a brilliant question that highlights the real challenge that councillors at all levels face – competing priorities. Over the 19 years that I have been a councillor, I have generally supported new development in Verwood, whilst being keen to try and secure improvements to infrastructure. Like many people in Verwood, my family moved here in the 90s when the character of Verwood was changing rapidly. It is important that the village feel that Verwood has is protected. We live in a beautiful and safe town. However, there is a need for some growth in the town, and we do need some new homes for local people. Far too many younger people leave Verwood either for work opportunities elsewhere or because we do not have enough affordable houses for first-time buyers or renters. This is a shame, as it fragments our community and does not allow Verwoodians the opportunity to remain in the areas where they grew up. But, to be absolutely clear, that cannot mean large-scale development at any cost. That is why I am particularly concerned about the Crane Valley proposals. It loses jobs and loses important community facilities at a time when we need more of both.
“What would you most like residents to say has improved in Verwood by the end of your term as Mayor?”
Change happens slowly, and a year is a remarkably short time to affect real change. However, I want to improve how we, as the Council and individual councillors, communicate. I want people to feel that they understand what the Council is doing, why it is doing it, and how they can work with us to make the decisions that Verwood needs. I have always tried hard to be available, but the mayoralty allows another opportunity to speak with people.
“How do you want younger residents and families to feel more connected to the town and local council decisions?”
This is important, and something that almost all councils are wondering about. It is, in part, about communication again. I fully accept that, for many people, turning up to a meeting to debate an issue is not the way that they wish to be part of the discussion. Younger people are especially busy too. I want to ensure that we are always using modern ways to communicate with Verwoodians. I do think that Verwood Town Council has been getting much better in recent years, especially on some social media platforms, but this is an area where I would like to do more this year.
I also feel that it is important to have councillors who can connect with different groups within the town. I am still relatively young (by council standards anyway), and I hope that, by having a younger Mayor, people of my age feel at least a little more interested in the work that we do and that we are approachable.
“Is there anything you’re looking at differently following Spencer’s term?”
I am lucky to be following on from Spencer, who has been a great Mayor. He rightly made volunteering a priority for his year, and I want to continue that and go even further. I want to spend the year supporting our community groups, finding out what they need, and saying thank you for the work that so many people do. I am launching a community awards event during the year to try and highlight some of the exceptional volunteering that happens across Verwood, often quietly.