Shrewsbury’s first Green mayor sworn in

A new walking festival and a ‘youth agenda’ for Shrewsbury have been pledged by the town’s first ever Green mayor.

Julian Dean was voted into the post on Monday evening, at the first in-person meeting of the town council since before the pandemic.

As the former deputy mayor, he had been due to take over the role next year – until former mayor Gwen Burgess lost her seat in the recent local elections.

In his acceptance speech, Councillor Dean jokingly ruled out a ‘Shrexit’ bid and said he wanted to support the town’s live music scene to get back on its feet, and ensure young people have a greater involvement shaping the future of their town.

He said: “I don’t see myself as typical mayoral material, but that is probably unfair to others who have held this position.

“Perhaps there is no typical mayor, just as there is no typical Shrewsbury resident.

“Whilst not being as visibly diverse as some other communities, we nevertheless include people of different ages, genders and ethnicities, but also beliefs and faiths and cultural and sporting interests, states of health, educational experiences.

“So it seems right that our mayors should, so far as is possible, reflect that diversity and also embrace it.

“On that basis the question turned for me – why should I not be mayor or Shrewsbury?

“What will I do with this role? Will I be an embarrassment to the council? Will I make Shrewsbury great again? Will I lead the call for Shrewsbury to have an arms-length relationship with the county and the country – to get Shrexit done? Probably not.

“I’ve had only a week to consider this. For now I’d like to let you know that I will be looking for your support and for the support of the town for a number of initiatives.”

Councillor Dean said he would like to organise a walking festival, based on the Big Town Walks initiative he started in 2019, and champion Shrewsbury’s “fantastic live music scene” with a photoshoot inspired by the iconic shot ‘A Great Day in Harlem’ and an evening of live music “of all genres across all types of venues in the town”.

He added: “I am conscious that, while the age profile of the town council has definitely widened, we still struggle to offer an effective voice to young people.

“So I will be discussing with our fantastic youth officer how best to gather young voices with a view to setting a youth agenda for the town.”

Councillor Dean will support the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund and Médecins Sans Frontières as his chosen charities for the year.

He said: “As Gwen’s term was cut short, and was a period marked by severe restrictions, I have decided it is appropriate to continue to support the charity she chose – the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund. They raise funds both to improve cancer care in our hospitals, and to improve lives of cancer patients in the community.

“At the same time, we should recognise that we live in a relatively prosperous town, in a significantly prosperous country, but that we are part of a world and affected by a world marked by suffering and pain in many communities.

“So I would also like to support a second charity – Médecins Sans Frontières – who send medical teams to war zones and refugee camps around the world. I have been particularly struck by the work they have done to support the victims of the Syrian conflict.”

Councillor Dean grew up in Bridgnorth before moving to London to study politics, and later trained as a music teacher. He settled in Shrewsbury in 2005, becoming involved in the town’s live music scene as a concert organiser and playing with Shrewsbury Jazz Orchestra.

Councillor Dean has been a member of both Shrewsbury Town Council and Shropshire Council since 2017, representing Porthill on both authorities.

He is also the chair of Shrewsbury Growing Forward, a group set up by former mayor Jane Mackenzie and the civic society in 2018 to look at development within the town.

Newly elected Labour councillor Elisabeth Roberts, who represents Harlescott, was elected deputy mayor and will become mayor next year.

Town council leader Alan Mosley said: “I’ve been acquainted with Elisabeth relatively recently, but quickly recognised that she is a very dedicated, hard-working, caring and determined person, who will become effective deputy and in future a very effective mayor, and a fine ambassador for Shrewsbury and its population.”

Ms Roberts is a mother of three and works at the Priory School. She is also a SEND governor for the Tuition, Medical and Behaviour Support Service which has seven hubs across the county, and volunteers at the Emmanuel Church food share.

She set up the Jigsaw Community support group for families with children with additional needs, and at the onset of the pandemic she launched the Shrewsbury and Surrounding Villages Mutual Aid group.

Councillor Mosley added: “Initially she will be hard at work improving amenities for the people of Harlescott, and will want to develop more youth services there and for Shrewsbury overall.

“I have no hesitation in saying that Elisabeth will be an excellent councillor and that we can be delighted that she is able to take on the role of deputy mayor.”