Welcome from the new town Mayor Frances Betts for 2023-2024

It is a great honour for me to have been appointed as the Town Mayor and I look forward to representing Bungay for the next year.

I moved to Bungay in 2016 having previously run a B&B with my husband in Ilketshall St Lawrence and initially became involved with the council during the pandemic. Having been asked to co ordinate mask making for the town’s residents, I, along with a band of helpers produced an estimated 1500 masks for the elderly and vulnerable in the town. I was also one of the first volunteers to help out with Bungay Emergency Community Support, collecting and delivering shopping and prescriptions.

I found out more about the role the council has in the town during this time. It became clear to me that this was something I could help with. When a vacancy arose, I applied and was co opted on in September 2020. This was all done remotely over Zoom as we were still in periodic lockdowns. I didn’t meet any of the councillors face to face for 6 months!”

In my year I hope to continue the work that has been started by my predecessor and further develop the assets that the council now owns. These include the town hall which we will make accessible to all residents with a newly redesigned museum as well as meeting rooms for hire. We now have several green spaces and will work within the remit of the Neighbourhood Development Plan to improve and update these including the play parks. The centre of the town is also important to me and I will be working to make it more attractive and interesting for residents and tourists alike.

Jordan Hindes has been appointed as deputy mayor for the year ahead and I look forward to working with him.

My thanks go to the outgoing mayor Tony Dawes for all his work in the past year.