New leader confirmed by Shrewsbury Town Council after Lib Dems' victory sweep

By the time the results were announced on Saturday the Lib Dems had taken Shropshire Council from the Conservatives and Shrewsbury Town Council.

Following the town council victory Councillor Rob Wilson has been named as leader, taking over the post from Councillor Alan Mosley.

In total the Lib Dems now have 10 councillors on the authority, Labour have four, the Green Party have two, and Reform have one.

It means there are eight new councillors on the council.

In a statement Shrewsbury Town Council said: "The council is delighted to welcome eight new councillors who will bring fresh perspectives and renewed energy to the work of the town council. They are looking forward to making positive contributions to serving the residents of Shrewsbury.

"At the same time, the council extends its heartfelt thanks to the councillors who have either stood down or were not re-elected: Elisabeth Addams, Mary Davies, Phil Gillam, Nat Green, Chris Lemon, Pam Moseley, Alex Phillips and Becky Wall.

"Their dedication to public service, commitment to their communities, and support for the people of Shrewsbury over the years has been deeply appreciated."

• Get a bespoke headline round-up from Shropshire, as well as breaking news updates, when you sign up to the Shropshire Star’s free emails
  
  

In his first remarks since taking the post as leader, Councillor Wilson paid tribute to the hard work and achievements of the council since its formation in 2009.

He emphasised the opportunity for a fresh start, and said the council would look to build on past successes, while being in a position to be able to address new challenges.

“Residents on the doorstep during the election told us that they wanted to see the town council supporting our services and playing an even greater role in cleaning up our streets,” said Councillor Wilson. “We will ensure that the town council is visible and proactive in these endeavours, not just in the town centre, but in the surrounding neighbourhoods too. The recently launched ‘Stepping Up’ team is an early example of this work.

“The town council is now 16 years old, so it is right that we look at how the town council operates with a clean piece of paper and prepare it for the next 16 years. This will include revamping some of its committees so that they are lean, agile and future-proof. This is essential to ensure we can protect the services most at risk and continue delivering for the people of Shrewsbury.” 

Councillor Wilson went on to stress the importance of the town council working well with Shropshire Council, Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley, the Big Town Plan Partnership, and Shrewsbury BID, as well as other partner organisations such as Team Shrewsbury.

He said: "The town council has always been a fantastic team player in the running of our town. They bring reliability and an enthusiastic and knowledgeable workforce with strong local leadership. The town council often goes above and beyond for the town, and long may this continue. We look forward to working collaboratively to ensure Shrewsbury remains a vibrant, inclusive, and well-supported town for all its residents."