Cllr Barbara Corrigan - Newark Town Council (South Ward), Deputy Town Mayor

I am honoured to have been elected to the town council, representing Newark South Ward. I am truly grateful to everyone who voted for me.

I pledge to represent all my constituents to the very best of my ability.

It is amazing to be part of a town council comprised mostly of Independents for Newark councillors. We come from different backgrounds and have varied life experiences, but we are united in our love of Newark and its residents - we aim to make decisions that benefit our town and townspeople.

As I said in my campaign, I believe local councils should not be run along adversarial party political lines, but instead by councillors working together, collaboratively and respectfully, to achieve the best possible outcomes – even if they have different opinions on how that can be achieved.
As an independent councillor, free from the pressures of party politics, I will listen to residents, businesses, and community organisations to make decisions that best represent their interests. 

I’ll strive to:

Provide young people with access to affordable activities:

Supporting youth programs and organisations that offer recreational, educational, or cultural activities to young people.

Collaborating with schools, community centres, and other organizations to provide safe and engaging spaces for young people to gather and participate in positive activities.

Support local businesses under pressure in the cost of living crisis:

Advocating for policies that support small businesses, such as tax breaks, grants, or loans and encouraging residents to shop locally and support small businesses.

Address concerns with antisocial behaviour:

Working with community leaders, and other stakeholders to identify and address issues of crime, disorder, and safety in the community.

Supporting programs that promote conflict resolution, positive behaviour, and community engagement.

Protect nature and green spaces:

Protecting wildlife, promoting sustainable land use, reducing pollution and waste, and enhancing and protecting more green spaces in our town.

It's important to me that I represent local people to the best of my ability in an open and transparent way. I believe that good governance and fiscal responsibility are vital, and I'm committed to delivering on those values.

ONE YEAR ON…

The most enjoyable part of being on Newark Town Council so far has been meeting so many different people, including veterans at Armed Forces Day, visitors from Newark's twin towns of Emmendingen, Germany and Sandomierz, Poland, cemetery experts and of course many of my constituents.

I'm proud that we have been working on many important behind-the-scenes functions of the town council, such as developing a maintenance plan for the town council's parks and buildings and updating financial processes and procedures. I look forward to continuing to work with my fellow councillors and council officers to deliver the best services, events and facilities for Newark.