Mayor Janet pledges to fight for Fakenham

Chris Hill Fakenham's new mayor said she hoped to use her community connections to speed the progress of town projects after accepting the civil role.

Chris Hill

Fakenham's new mayor said she hoped to use her community connections to speed the progress of town projects after accepting the civil role.

Janet Holdom was handed the chains of office from previous mayor Mike Coates after she was unanimously elected by Fakenham Town Council.

The new mayor wants to combine her new role with her position as co-ordinator of the Fakenham Area Partnership (FAP) to foster partnerships which could revive public schemes like the redevelopment of the Millennium Park.

A youth group headed by Salvation Army captain Ian Walford had previously generated proposals to revamp the Queens Road site as a skate park. But the plans have stalled while awaiting permission from the Charity Commission.

Mrs Holdom said she hoped to link up a three-pronged approach between the council, the area partnership and the Kick Start Fakenham group, which has begun fundraising towards a project, which could include exercise facilities for older children and improvements of the existing swing-park.

“Fakenham is a growth town,” she said. “There's a long wish-list of 'must haves' and cherished ambitions I would like to breathe new life into, starting with the improvement of facilities on the Millennium Park.

“From my roles in community activities I know a collaborative way of working is required for success. The over-arching theme is about doing as much as we can locally by working across all community groups, and the town council should be at the heart of that.”

Mrs Holdom has served 11 years as a town councillor and almost 30 years as a “community activist”, helping to create the Fakenham Forum which evolved into the FAP in 2006.