New mayor of Falmouth Cllr Alan Rowe has been sworn in

Hundreds of people packed into the Princess Pavilion in Falmouth last night to witness the voting in of mayor elect Cllr Alan Rowe and deputy mayor elect Cllr Louise Coley.

Former deputy mayor Cllr Rowe takes over from Cllr Kirstie Edwards who fulfilled the role for a year.

The new line-up of Falmouth Town Council (Image: Newsquest)

At last night's mayor making ceremony, councillors officially confirmed the roles with the majority of council members voting for both the mayor and his deputy, although it was not unanimous.

Accepting the role of mayor, Cllr Rowe said he was “deeply honoured and proud” to be elected as the latest mayor in this 360-year-old tradition and in the town council’s 50th year.

He praised Cllr Edwards' time as mayor and said the town and the town council was now “thriving” and was more tolerant and inclusive than it had ever been.

However he said this had all come at a “personal cost to Kirstie” and he said he was “shocked” at the tone of the comments she had received. “I was blown away at her calmness and stoicism in the face of such abuse,” he said.

Thanking her for her service he said that her true legacy would be the things that she had achieved. He also thanked his fellow Labour councillors, Cllr Steve Eva for his guidance and town council staff.

He announced his chosen charity this year as the Young Generation Theatre Company.

Cllr Coley told the audience that it was good to see so many people there and she had been told it was the biggest audience they’d ever had at a mayor making ceremony.

She said it was going to be a big change for her going from a behind the scenes role as chair of the staffing committee to a more public facing role.

But she said being a councillor in such a vibrant town was all about meeting challenges and she was looking forward to it.

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The outgoing mayor Kirstie Edwards told the packed venue that the mayoral chain had been a “heavy thing” to carry this past year “both metaphorically and physically”.

She said it been “harrowing” to be a public leader during a time when many people were struggling throughout the world.

She said she could hold her head up high knowing she had “given it everything” and the “very best of me” to do the town proud.

Getting emotional after listing the council’s achievements during her term, Cllr Edwards thanked “most” fellow councillors for their support.

She also thanked staff at the council for their support as well as town centre manager Richard Gates and town clerk Mark Williams.