Jon Gilbey has been elected Mayor of Shanklin for a fourth consecutive term, making him what is thought to be the longest serving Mayor in the town’s history.
The local businessman will now serve Shanklin for a further 12 months, supporting the local community and ensuring the town’s facilities are protected.
Mayor Gilbey said:
“I’m extremely honoured to have been re-elected as Mayor of Shanklin for a fourth term. This coming year will allow me to complete the many projects I started along with my colleague Richard Priest in our previous rolls as Isle of Wight councillors.
“As part of that role I negotiated all the freehold transfers of the public toilets in the town over to the Town Council ownership, so we now own all these facilities, protecting them from possible closure as a result of further cuts from the Isle of Wight Council. I have also negotiated the tender for the rebuild and upgrade of two of these facilities; I’m hoping this will start in early June with a completion date before the main summer season of mid-July.
“It will also be nice to see the £1million investment in the Shanklin Cliff Lift come to fruition; this is a vital link between the Esplanade and the cliff top for many locals and holiday makers and to have lost this would have been a travesty for the economy of our town and its businesses.
“I will continue to manage the grounds maintenance contracts around the town as well as the beach safety for the longshoremen and offer any other support where I can give it.
Jon lost his place on the Isle of Wight Council by just 6 votes earlier this month. Michael Beston (Conservative) took the Shanklin Central seat…
“I will find it quite difficult drawing the line between Town Council responsibilities and the Isle of Wight Council responsibility, as I use to just cover the both as part of my dual roles, but ultimately I still have Shanklin and its residents best interests at heart.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support and kindness over the last few years; it truly has been an honour to have worked with so many groups and voluntary organisations, as well as the many contractors I speak to on a daily basis.
Mayor Gilbey has confirmed that he intends to once again stand for councillor in the next Isle of Wight local elections in 4 years time.
