The Council has fifteen members, representing Potton. Currently, one Town Councillor is also a member of Central Bedfordshire Council.
Each year in May an Annual Meeting of Town Council is held when the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Committees are elected.
How to become a Councillor
If you are interested in helping and serving your local community and would like to learn more about how to become a councillor go to the National Association of Local Councils website where you can access all the information you need on how to get involved.
http://www.nalc.gov.uk/
FOR COUNCILLORS REGISTER OF INTERESTS – Click Here
Charles Craig
Originating from Northern Ireland, I have been living in England for 34 years and in Potton for 18. My wife, son and I arrived here by accident through an exercise in triangulation (I worked in Stevenage and my wife in Cambridge). We have no regrets as the town is charming, the people friendly and the countryside (still) on our doorstep.
I’m a virologist, which is a profession that has unfortunately risen from obscurity during 2020/21 – hoping for obscurity again as soon as possible!
I’m keen to help address local and community issues. I have a natural affinity for issues around health, education and safety – I’m also enthusiastic for town and country environmental conservation.
When not mulling over variants, I enjoy the outdoors, especially dog walking, photography and music (all sorts – playing and listening).
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John Day
I moved to the area in 1999 when I started working for the RSPB. After living in Sandy for two years, I moved to Potton in 2001 as I seemed to keep gravitating there to socialise. I soon learned the town has a friendly community and atmosphere, with good facilities. I think it is fair to say Potton is the only place I have lived and felt part of a community.
In recent years, with increasing pressure from developments, I have sought to try to influence better environmental outcomes for the community and contributed to the environmental sections of the Potton Neighbourhood Plan.
It is privilege to support fellow councillors and the community to help Potton retain its character and natural environment and realise the community aspirations of the Neighbourhood Plan in order that Potton remains a good place to live and work.
In my spare time I enjoy watching wildlife, live bands and the occasional football match. I play guitar and sometimes paint and/or photograph wildlife.
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Andy Gibb
I’m a newcomer to Potton having only lived here since 2001, but was born many years ago just over the border in Pirton, Hertfordshire. My interests include cycling, allotment gardening, the natural world and climbing mountains in Scotland whenever I can get away. I work for Anglian Water and live in Bull Street and have two children who went through both the Potton schools.
I am keen for the council to be interactive and responsive and to help Potton be as sustainable a community as possible. As a cyclist and living near the town square, I am acutely aware of the traffic issues in town and will work to make Potton a safer place for us all. Potton has a great, active community and as a councillor I will work hard to help out and take part when I can.
I am particularly partial to properly made cider and help run the very enjoyable Potton Apple Day, which is held annually on the last Sunday of September.
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Vicki Gwilliam
I have lived in Potton with my husband and son since 2006. We relocated from North London and chose Potton for its charm and sense of community. I am ready and willing to support the council and our community and would like to take part in ensuring Potton retains its charm, character, community spirit and changes that take place are those that are welcomed and for the benefit of our community.
I am a dog owner and enjoy the green spaces around our town. As with many others, it is important to me that these areas are retained and accessible to all.
I work in education as a Higher Level Teaching Assistant in Huntingdon. I am actively involved in children’s football and hold the position of Welfare Officer for a local club.
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Richard Harris
I have lived in Potton for a decade now, moving up from London via Ware and Luton. My wife and I think it is a great place to live and, by joining the council, I hope preserve that for all residents!
The town has a unique heritage and faces many pressures to change…but not all are for the good and the Council appears to be a good place to ensure that a tight rein is kept on some of these issues.
Personally, I have no political affiliations and hope that I bring a range of knowledge to the Council proceedings, based on experiences working with the army, the police and, latterly, dentists!
In my spare time, I can be spotted in various public houses about the town (normally being berated about “potholes”), but I also enjoy gardening (badly), playing badminton (even more badly) and foreign travel.
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John Hobbs
I moved to Potton in 1979 to pursue a teaching career teaching Mathematics at a local Further Education College. I assumed many management roles during my teaching career, eventually becoming a Director at Bedford College, with responsibility for their Sixth Form, Teacher Education, Access Course and English as a Foreign Language provision.
Both of my children were educated in Potton and have benefited from being part of a very special community. I have been actively involved in many local groups and organisations, including Potton Playhouse and playing football for Potton Wanderers. I am also a former governor of Sutton School and have served as a committee member of Hall for All.
I retired in 2015 and am very actively involved within the community. I am currently chairman of the Potton Town Cricket Club Social Committee where I have coordinated many fund-raising events, including the May Day Fete. I also work as a volunteer for the Potton Consolidated Charities funded Samsung Tablet training for retired members of Potton. I also enjoy cycling and walking the local footpaths.
I served as a member of Potton Town Council for eight years in the 1990’s, during which time I was chairman of the Playing Fields Committee and was instrumental in providing a dog-free play area in Henry Smith’s Playing Fields and worked with Potton Timber to provide new play equipment. I was also instrumental in developing the Christmas lights in the Market Square, liaising with the local traders to raise funds to buy lights and eventually have official turning on ceremonies.
In my second spell as a Town Councillor, since 2015, I have led the development of our Potton Neighbourhood Plan, which will hopefully be adopted.
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Les Ivall
I have lived in Potton since 2012 and before that down the road in Sutton for thirty five years. I was on Sutton Parish Council for twenty five years several of those as Vice Chairman. I was also a Governor of Sutton school for several years.
I retired in 2012 (although many people say I retired years ago) after forty years in the licensed trade.
Since moving to Potton my wife and myself have enjoyed living here immensely and having been co-opted and then re-elected onto the Town Council I hope I can assist in keeping and improving Potton as a fine place to live for all.
My interests are walking, acoustic music, playing guitar, singing and when suitable visiting my wife’s home country of Finland.
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Lindsay Kitchener
I was born and bred in Potton – its history is in my DNA.
I worked as a nurse for over forty years in general and mental health within the NHS, Dudley and Cambridge Youth Offending teams and for the charities Brook and Terrence Higgins Trust. In 2018, I was ready for a change and, having trained in complementary therapies, I now work part time as a yoga teacher and reflexologist.
I have three grown up children who have now flown the nest. I play tennis for Potton Tennis Club (new members always welcome) and am currently the Social Secretary. I am one of a friendly group of volunteers helping with the early stages of creating and nurturing the Potton Community Orchard.
I want to help improve our communal spaces and sports facilities for everyone to enjoy and work towards a greener society for our own health and the environment. I am interested in promoting and increasing our recycling projects. I want to help with the Potton Hall for All development and encourage greater diversity within Potton Town Council.
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Jonathan Lean
I have lived in Potton now for 28 years with my wife, Kassy. We have raised 3 children here although they have now flown the nest. They all started their education at Potton Lower School and Burgoyne Middle School before moving to Sandy Upper. All 3 of them got good Degrees and 2 of them have gone on to gain PhD’s which is a testament to the standard of schooling in the town.
I retired in June 2015 from my job as International Sales Manager for a Pipe Fittings Manufacturer in Hitchin. During my working life I travelled the world extensively, principally in Asia but also as far afield as Australia and New Zealand.
In my spare time I enjoy Golf, Tennis and DIY and I am happy that my retirement now allows me more time for these activities. I am also keen to expand my interests and hope to join the Bowls Club in the Summer. I am a member of Potton Tennis Club and represent them in matches against other clubs in Bedfordshire. Kassy and I are also members of Potton Vineyard Church. Kassy keeps very busy running the Church’s Good Neighbour Scheme which is designed to provide assistance to local residents with transportation or small jobs around the house which they are no longer able to manager by themselves. I was elected as Chairman of the Town Council in May 2020.
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Carol Leggatt
I moved to Potton with my husband in 1974 following our marriage, being the first residents in Aldgate Close. Prior to that I had trained as a nursery nurse with the Church of England’s Children Society. I was a nanny in Regents Park for five years for Caroline and Terence Conran’s three children, often joined by his eldest two by a previous marriage. I continued to be a nanny for a local doctor and MP on moving to Potton.
When our two daughters arrived, I continued to be involved in childcare – St Mary’s (now Potton) Pre-school, Brownies, help set up the Rainbows Group in Potton, child minding and I was a local school governor for around 24 years. I was an organiser of Potton holiday playscheme. I have represented Pre-schools on Central Bedfordshire Schools forum and funding panel. I opened Woodentops in 1990 with a partner and continued to work there until my retirement in 2014.
I am currently a member of the Inner Wheel section of Rotary International and will become President of the Sandy Branch in June 2019.
Although this in my first time on town council, I have been involved on the side lines for a long time. I was involved in the steering group meetings between Potton and our twin town of Langenlonsheim. Following the signing of the Official Charter, I was Chairperson of the Twinning Association for several years. Alan and I organised ten day trips for the young people of Potton to Langenlonsheim and reciprocal hosting here.
I am still involved with the Christmas Lights, primarily the switch on event and I also organise the bi-annual litter picks. I would love to see us become a litter-free town!
I am passionate about Potton and the special community it has and I am looking forward to making a contribution as a Town Councillor.
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Angus Macdonald
I left my home in 1997 seeking employment South of the border. As my career progressed and the desire to move back to Scotland began to diminish, I started to search for my first permanent home. I moved to Potton in 2000 after my soon-to-be wife convinced me that this was the place to be – unsurprising coming from a local girl!
I’m pleased to say though that over the years, and given the many times she’s insisted that she’s right, she was absolutely spot on. Potton always feels welcoming and offers a character and spirit that is hard to find elsewhere. It feels like home to me now and has been the perfect environment to raise my family.
I work in the IT/Banking industry and mostly work in and around London. In my spare time I enjoy relaxing with the family, running, gardening and DIY. In the past I have been a governor at Burgoyne Middle School and the Potton Federation. I also represent the Town Council as a Trustee of Potton Consolidated Charity.
I joined Potton Town Council in 2009 and was struck by the enthusiasm that our Town Councillors had for the task entrusted to them, for their town and for the people who have made Potton their home. I have no political affiliation and have always been motivated to do what I think is best for Potton, now and in the years to come. I have previously served as Chairman of the Town Council from 2016 to 2020.
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Jonathan Price Williams
Having graduated with a Mining degree in 1983 I moved to the area to work for Kier Mining and rented a house in Potton with my fiancee. We never intended to stay for more than a few years, but we’re still here today having married, moved several times in the town and brought up a daughter. Coming from Camborne in Cornwall to Potton was a shock, it seemed so flat in Bedfordshire and no sea, but this town of ours stood out as a nice place to live. Having cycled around the area I know there may not be big hills, but there are definitely some “inclines”!
I have moved jobs, changed career and commuted to London for many years, but Potton has always felt like home. I would like to see the town stay that way and by serving on the council in the past and for the future I hope I can help to ensure the town can accommodate change but still continue to provide a pleasant, friendly and lively place to live and work for all generations without losing its essential character. I’m also pleased to be the Town Council’s agreed trustee for the Potton Hall for All charity. I’m more than happy to chat about the town and issues when out and about so do say hello.
In my spare time I enjoy photography, walking, gardening, wood turning, exploring the UK by motorhome and tinkering with motorbikes or any other machines.
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Mark Williams
I had a very particular idea of the kind of town I wanted to find to put down some roots after a decade of working for a London based shipping firm, but mostly travelling overseas. Potton met those requirements and I was very happy to move here in 2006. My wife joined me here after we married in 2012 and our daughter has benefited from early years education here. We are regulars at St Mary’s church on a Sunday. We value the community spirit, the vibrancy and compactness of the town centre, and the sense that Potton is a place people come to live in, not just to commute from.
I am in the pubs less than I used to be while I try to lose weight! A riding accident in 2014 ended my sporting career, though I chucked a few darts for the Bricklayers a long time ago.
As a Councillor I hope to help to maintain the positives that we all enjoy living here.
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Adam Zerny
I have lived in Potton for three years and reside on Station Road with my wife and children. I was elected onto the council in 2009.
I am keen to see the preservation of Potton’s Victorian heritage and as the owner of a three-legged cat who recently lost a limb on the roads, am eager to ensure that Potton’s thoroughfares are kept safe for its two-legged residents as well as its feline denizens.
I am a triathlete and when not attending council meetings can often be seen running or cycling through the town’s streets. I have not yet swum in the brook.
I am a company director of an office supplies firm in the city.
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01767 260086
pottoncouncil@btconnect.com