New Maldon Mayor vows to work ‘as hard as possible’ for ‘growing town’

Past and present - new Maldon Town Mayor John Driver (right) presented gifts to retiring mayor and mayoress Andrew Lay and Karen Lay. (Credit: Ben Shahrabi)

A NEW mayor and deputy mayor of Maldon have been elected by town councillors, taking over civic responsibilities for the next year.

The previous deputy town mayor, Councillor John Driver, was elected Mayor of Maldon on Monday evening (May 12).

Councillor James Burrell-Cook, landlord at the Queen Victoria pub in Spital Road, was appointed Deputy Town Mayor.

Both councillors are also members of Maldon District Council.

Accepting office as the new town mayor, Mr Driver said: “I shall work as hard as I possibly can for this council in the coming year.”

Mr Driver nominated his wife, Denise Driver, to be Mayoress of Maldon.

Meanwhile, Mr Burrell-Cook nominated his husband, Paul Burrell-Cook, as the Deputy Mayor’s Consort.

Newly appointed - Mayor John Driver with Deputy Mayor James Burrell-Cook and his consort, Paul Burrell-Cook. (Credit: Ben Shahrabi)

Both councillors expressed their thanks to the outgoing town mayor, Councillor Andrew Lay.

Mr Lay has served three consecutive terms, first taking the mantle in 2022.

The Maldon East ward councillor said he was “very proud” to have been mayor.

He added: “It has been a pleasure to serve the town.”

In his report as retiring town mayor, Mr Lay reflected on the campaign to save St Peter’s Hospital and keep banking services in Maldon.

He said: “As a growing town, we are facing a lot of changes.

“I’m very pleased we’re going to get a new banking hub in Maldon. And we worked to get more clarity for the residents of Maldon about the future of the town’s hospital.”

The new mayor, Mr Driver, was elected by a majority vote with one councillor, Carlie Mayes, abstaining.

Meanwhile, Mr Burrell-Cook was elected by a majority vote, with councillors Carlie Mayes and Tom Kelly abstaining.

The role of Maldon Town Mayor dates back to 1874, but the regalia and traditions surrounding it go back as far as the Romans.

Among the regalia is a bag of coins, which contains a gold Roman coin depicting Nero and Agrippina. It was unearthed in the grounds of the Lodge at the end of Dykes Chase, Maldon, in the 18th Century and is thought to be nearly 2,000 years old.