Midsomer Norton Mayor, Paul Myers, is set to stand down as of the Annual General Meeting of the Town Council in May. After eight years of working day and night for the good of the town, and achieving some major milestones, he has decided it is now time for others to take the lead, and move forward with projects such as the Town Park.

Speaking to The Journal this week, Paul says: “Having launched the campaign for an Independent Midsomer Norton Town Council, alongside Chris Watt a decade ago, and serving eight years as Town Mayor, I have decided not to stand again for the Town Council in the forthcoming Local Elections.

“When we put forward the case for the town breaking away from the then Norton Radstock Town Council, on the basis that it simply

wasn’t working, we felt a huge responsibility for delivering what we had promised, with the eventual creation of the new Midsomer Norton Town Council in 2011.

“It was always about much more than delivering a well-run Council which local

people could respect. It was also about encouraging a strong sense of community and civic pride in Midsomer Norton, whilst at the same time, breaking away from party politics at Town Council level, which had blighted every effort to get on and

unlock the town’s potential for local people.

“I could never have imagined when I started just how much time and effort it would take to deliver our vision for Midsomer Norton. But, as I look back on the last eight years, I feel proud to have been part of a community, which, in partnership with the Town Council team, has achieved so much.

“We have won national In Bloom and river management awards in recognition of work to improve the general look of the town centre. We have bought a new Town Park and reclaimed a large part of the town’s community assets – gifting them to the Midsomer Norton Town Trust to protect them for future generations to enjoy.

“The Midsomer Norton Community Trust has helped enrich the life of the town; bringing back Midsomer

Norton Fayre, creating a new release Community Cinema, a wide ranging live music

programme, and providing community spaces for over 100 local groups to thrive.

“Midsomer Norton Carnival has also returned to the town that bears its name, and West Clewes, home to Welton Rovers, has been transformed. We even got in the Guinness Book of Records for the ‘Largest number of participants in a Nativity Play’.

“Whilst my aim is to find some time to have a life going forward, I still hope to be involved in driving forward the regeneration of the town; now that we have finally secured £1 million of funding from the West of England Combined Authority, and with the prospect of more from the Central Government’s

Future High Streets Fund. It is for those reasons that I am standing again on 2nd May to be a B&NES Councillor.

“I also hope to be able to find a role working with the Midsomer Norton Town Trust to realise the true

potential of all the recently acquired community assets.

“Ever since coming to the town over twenty years ago, I have had a passion for

Midsomer Norton, which for me is, and always will be, ‘the centre of the universe’. My guiding principle has always been that nothing is too good for this wonderful town.

“If I have one regret, it is that by being unlike any other Mayor in Somerset and staying in post more than a year, my role became far more than ceremonial. That was fine when we were creating the Council, but it has meant that in the eyes of some residents, I have

become personally responsible for absolutely everything that happens, when in fact, the Town Council is a team.

“At times, it has been quite frankly difficult to deal with, as I’m only human, and I’d ask residents to try and

consider this for my successor. Having regularly been on the receiving end of hate mail and instances of people screaming abuse in my face when I’ve been out

shopping – that is hard for anyone to handle. But at the end of the day, I would

emphasise that instances like this were in the minority.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank local residents, community groups and Town Councillor colleagues for the support and encouragement they have given me as Mayor. It has been an immense privilege to be the first Mayor of

Midsomer Norton, and represent the town at a time of such exciting opportunities.

“I will never forget my time as your Mayor and

retire with many happy memories, knowing I gave the role my all.”