NAILSEA Town Council has named its new chair.

On Wednesday, December 13, Cllr Anita Smith was named as chair of the council after being elected by residents and her fellow colleagues.

Cllr Smith has taken over the role from Cllr Mike Bird, who stepped down after three years in the role since 2021.

Cllr Smith has lived in Nailsea since the late 60s. She went to the Pound Lane Junior School and Nailsea School before going on to Weston College. After moving away to work in London and Canada, she returned to live in Nailsea 28 years ago and has stayed there ever since.

Cllr Smith, who is an artist and wedding official,  has a background in banking, having worked at the Police HQ in Portishead for 20 years before retiring 2017.

Nevertheless, she still finds time to act as a ceremonies officer officiating at weddings for the Somerset Registration Service.

Not only that, but she also represents the town council on the Forces Covenant and sits as a town council adviser on the North Somerset Standards Committee.

Cllr Smith said: “When I was co-opted onto Nailsea Town Council in 2019, this was my first experience of local government and how it works.  I had relatively little idea of what the council had decision-making control over and I honestly thought it was more - especially regarding planning, potholes and town centre rejuvenation!

"I now understand what our power limitations are, but that does not mean we don’t have a voice.  We need to look at how we can better collaborate with North Somerset Council in getting the best deal for Nailsea, but also holding them to account for their responsibilities.

"Our four district councillors can assist with that and act as a conduit between the two councils to ensure that Nailsea is not left out.  We need better communication with Nailsea residents so they can see what we are trying to achieve on their behalf.

"As a town council we are responsible for how we spend the money we get via the council tax and we need to explain better how we spend that money and we need to show that we are doing that efficiently and effectively.

“We have a large amount of money to spend on Nailsea from the sale of land at Engine Lane and other monies - I want to see that spent wisely.  I know that there has been consultation with residents, but we now need to progress this at pace."