New mayors appointed for Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath

Burgess Hill Town Council appointed Roger Cartwright as mayor at its annual meeting on May 13, after recommendations from new council leader Robert Eggleston, deputy leader Joseph Foster and deputy mayor Anne Eves.

The packed public gallery responded with applause when the news was announced.

This week, Mr Cartwright said: “It was a bit of a shock. I am feeling good about it, and it is quite an eye opener, you get all these invites to things from day one.”

The new mayor said his priorities were schoolchildren and elderly people in the community.

“There are a lot of things to be done,” he added.

His deputy, councillor Anne Eves, said she was ‘immensely’ looking forward to working with Mr Cartwright.

“There is a lot more enthusiasm around the new councillors,” she said.

“It has been quite a shock but I think it is great that we have a Lib Dems mayor and a Green deputy mayor, and that we are a man and a woman.”

She added that her priorities were to bring back trees in Lower Church Road and a market.

“The town is in a terrible situation at the moment,” she said, adding: “This is the first time I have seen a queue in a shop for a long time! We need to re-invest. How has this gone so badly wrong?”

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Councillor Alastair McPherson said he is looking forward to an ‘exciting’ role as mayor for Haywards Heath – a town that he loves.

He said: “It is a great honour to be chosen as town mayor and I am looking forward to the good work we can achieve together as a community.

“My mantra has always been ‘you cannot complain, if you don’t get involved’ and I therefore am already involved in several community groups locally.

“We already have a great mission for our town and I welcome the challenge of getting all the businesses, residents and community groups in Haywards Heath to pull together to shape the future of our town.”

Mr McPherson, who has been deputy mayor for the past two years, played a pivotal role in the initial stages of the Bolnore Village Primary School, working as a member of the Bolnore School Group.

He was also the driving force behind the building of the Woodside Community Centre and for setting up the Bolnore Village Community Partnership (BVCP) Charity.

Mr McPherson said he was proud of the community ethos in the town and wishes to expand this further.

He said his aim is to encourage all age groups to get involved in the town’s plans and activities and all groups and businesses to work closer together.