Former clerk to see council in a new light (From Hereford Times)

Former clerk to see council in a new light

5:00pm Monday 4th February 2013 in Ledbury By Tarik Al Rasheed

A FORMER council clerk will get to experience life from the other side of the table after being voted in as a Worcestershire town’s newest councillor.

Andrea Oliver, who was clerk of Upton Town Council for five years before leaving 18 months ago, was given a warm welcome back as she was chosen to fill a council vacancy during a meeting on Tuesday evening.

Mrs Oliver, who is also the secretary of Upton in Bloom, said she was delighted to be joining the council and looked forward to “doing my best for Upton and its inhabitants”.

“I have got the time now that I am retired and I feel I can do a little bit to help,” she said.

“It is a new challenge and one I look forward to.”

She hopes her experience as clerk will help her settle in as a councillor.

“It was a very different perspective sitting in the meeting as a councillor rather than the clerk and there have been a lot of changes just in the last 18 months,” she said.

“It can be daunting sitting there as a new councillor but I think that the experience I have had as clerk will help.”

Mrs Oliver said she was particularly keen to look at the provision of sport.

She said: “I have always been interested in it and I am very keen to ensure that there are sporting facilities in Upton, particularly for young people, because I believe sport is a great leveller.”

Mrs Oliver beat competition from two other candidates as councillors voted for their new member.

She received nine votes, with Malvern Hills district councillor Mike Morgan receiving four and Tunnel Hill resident Sylvia Partridge receiving one.