Mayor and Deputy Mayor Elected for 2020/21

June 5, 2020

Councillor Nicholas Trimble (UUP) has been elected Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council for 2020/2021 at the council’s Annual Meeting, which was held today (5th June 2020).

It was a very different meeting from previous years due to the current situation, which meant most elected members attended remotely to adhere to government guidelines and make social distancing possible.

Councillor Jenny Palmer (UUP) was elected as Deputy Mayor.

The new Mayor thanked his party colleagues, his wife Sarah, and his family for supporting his election to office. He is delighted to take up his new position within the council and is honoured to have been nominated by his fellow councillors. The Mayor is looking forward to working with the new Deputy Mayor and congratulated fellow party colleague Councillor Jenny Palmer on her new position.

Councillor Trimble announced his Mayoral Charity for the year would be the Lisburn and Dundonald Foodbanks.  He feels that the council has a moral obligation to support our residents who are struggling for household essentials, especially at a time when our community works to recover from the impact of Covid-19.

Speaking about his plans for the year ahead, Mayor Trimble said: “It truly is an honour for me to serve as the First Citizen of Lisburn & Castlereagh. I am humbled by the support from my UUP group in nominating me for the position and I will do my utmost to fulfil the role to the highest standard. I fundamentally believe that the Mayor should represent everyone in our area regardless of background or persuasion and I will do everything I can in my position to ensure Lisburn & Castlereagh is an area in which everyone feels welcome.

“For me, the impact of Covid-19 is the greatest challenge we have faced for a generation personally, socially, and economically. The sad reality is that many of us are going to face increased financial hardship because of it and the struggle to put food on our tables will become too great for some. That is why I have chosen to raise funds during my Mayoral term for Lisburn Foodbank and Dundonald Foodbank. It is deeply lamentable that we live in a world where foodbanks have to exist, but I am so thankful that they do. I am delighted to support them both as my chosen charities for the year.

“I would also like to express my admiration for the work of the former Mayor Councillor Alan Givan and Deputy Mayor Councillor Johnny McCarthy. Both of them discharged their duties professionally and with compassion, and I want to personally thank them both for the advice and words of wisdom they both gave me on taking up my new role,” he concluded.

The following Committees, with Chair and Vice-Chair representation, as appointed at the Annual Meeting are:

Corporate Services Committee

Alderman Paul Porter      (Chair)     

Alderman Stephen Martin      (Vice-Chair)

Leisure & Community Development Committee

Alderman Michael Henderson MBE (Chair)                        

Councillor David Honeyford     (Vice-Chair)

Development Committee

Alderman Jim Dillon (Chair)                

Councillor Uel Mackin    (Vice-Chair)

Environmental Services Committee

Councillor Nathan Anderson (Chair)                

Councillor Ross McLernon (Vice-Chair)

Governance and Audit Committee

Councillor Gary McCleave    (Chair)                

Councillor John Laverty (Vice-Chair)

Planning Committee

Alderman Owen Gawith     (Chair)                

Alderman David Drysdale    (Vice-Chair)

Capital Projects Committee

Councillor Stuart Hughes (Chair)               

Councillor Andrew Gowan   (Vice-Chair)