OUTGOING mayor Andy Hutton has admitted Tavistock’s council needs a shake up with an injection of new members from a younger generation.

Cllr Hutton, who stepped down from his mayoral role on Tuesday night, said he would give up his council seat if a 40-year-old wanted to take his place.

He said it was important for the future of the town that younger people should step up when the council holds its next elections next year, although he felt they were put off by the formality of local authorities.

Cllr Hutton added: ‘I don’t know if I will be standing at the next election, but I feel that there are some councillors who have been there a long time and will not be standing next time.

‘What I would really like to see is for younger people to come forward and take their place if that does happen.’

He said: ‘I’m not just talking about Tavistock Town Council, I’m talking about all councils and people I have talked to.

‘Without going into personalities, I know for a fact that some councillors don’t even read their agendas before they go into meetings. Some of them, you don’t know why they’re even there.’

Cllr Hutton, who is in his early 60s, said one of the problems stemmed from the fact that some councillors are coopted because there is no opposition.

He said: ‘We do need younger people. I think one thing to a degree which puts them off is the formality, when maybe it needs to be more relaxed. I also understand that younger people with families are working hard.

‘But after a few years on the council, I don’t think people even know what they do, which is wrong. I hope I have managed to get people more interested over my year, because I feel that new people are the future of Tavistock.

‘I don’t know myself whether I will be standing at the next election - it’s something I am considering at this stage. I am, in fact, one of the younger councillors, but I might feel it’s time to go.

‘If a 40-year-old came along who wanted my seat, I would stand down and if a lot of youngsters came forward, that would be great. If there was a council made up of some experienced members and some new ones, that would be ideal, in my view.’

Cllr Hutton, who with his wife Sue are looking after a Ukrainian family who have fled their country’s war with Russia, said he enjoyed his year ‘very much’, although he admitted that because of the fall out from the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions on the council’s spending, they had not achieved as much as he had hoped.

But he said: ‘We have encouraged people to come out of covid and Tavistock has been welcoming to Ukrainian refugees, which I think are good things.’

As a last duty before he handed back his mayoral chain, Cllr Hutton asked residents to back an events to raise funds and awareness for youth mental health being held in Tavistock on Sunday.

The town council-owned Meadows will host a run or walk of up to 10k for Papyrus, a charity which helps prevent suicide in young people.

The event, open to everyone, was set up following the death of Tavistock teenager Darcy Hollinson, who took her own life just over a year ago.

Her mother, Debbie, will be running in a simultaneous event in Canada with a lifelong friend and resident who supported her following Darcy’s death.

While the Tavistock version will have a separate course for runners, supporters are asked to walk or jog around The Meadows as far as they can.

Cllr Hutton said he hoped as many people as possible would support the event and added: ‘It is a tragic story and I hope people will support this.

‘Mental health among teenagers is so important, especially at the moment when so many out there are feeling stressed about things. I feel it’s something that should be supported.’