Mayor's re-election pledge to Hartlepool
In the local elections on 4th June, Stuart Drummond won his third term as Hartlepool Mayor. Now able to continue the projects and campaigns he has already instigated, he looks forward to his future role in the top job.
Everybody in town is familiar with the story of the monkey mascot making it as Mayor, but that tale can now be laid to rest in the history books because since his election in 2002, Stuart Drummond has proven himself more than capable to undertake the massive task in hand. He has turned the town around on a number of counts and following his re-election last month, now plans to pick up where he left off and resume his long-term vision for Hartlepool and its people.
"My initial reaction was one of great relief," Stuart comments, "There was some strong competition in the election, particularly from other independent candidates, but it means so much to me that the people of Hartlepool have voted for me once again. That fills me with confidence to do my job and to fulfil the faith they have put in me."
So what are his key priorities during his third term as Hartlepool Mayor? "The big one," Stuart says, "is of course the Tall Ships Races in August next year. I am absolutely delighted that I will still be in office to see through the event. However I am also looking forward to continuing my derelict buildings campaign, which has been incredibly popular with the public and so far has brought 60 buildings within the town out of disrepair. I want to progress further with this project and also extend it to tackle empty shops and houses."
When asked about his outlook and plans for business in the town, Stuart explained that there are a number of key issues he is looking to address: "The recession has brought a lot of uncertainty to business, both here and on a national scale. However Hartlepool has faced difficult times more than most so I have the utmost confidence that we can ride out the storm.
"One of my key priorities is the Middleton Grange Shopping Centre, where the current financial climate has forced a number of units to close. I am in the early stages of planning a large-scale showcase event to attract some of the big high-street names to the centre, as well as working to accommodate smaller businesses to the shopping centre’s indoor market."
Another crucial business campaign Stuart has been involved in is the Buy Local initiative, which encourages Hartlepool people to purchase products and services within the town, keeping spend within the local economy and boosting prosperity. "The campaign is really gathering speed now," Stuart comments, "and with phase two focussing on business-to-business trade, I would like businesses at Middleton Grange, Navigation Point and York Road all to get on board, just like they have at Hartlepool Enterprise Centre."
To further help businesses through the recession, Stuart has backed a Council pledge to pay all invoices within 10 days, as opposed to the regular 30-day terms. This is already happening in 90% of cases and will soon be applied to every business payment. In addition, it is his aim to have every Hartlepool business registered on the Council’s purchasing list and to offer advice and workshops to give them the very best chance of winning public contracts.
Looking ahead, Stuart Drummond has an extremely positive outlook both for business prosperity and for the future of Hartlepool as a whole. He says: "When you look at where the town has come from to where it is today, we have got to feel a sense of pride and also a sense of confidence to continue, regardless of what is thrown at us.
"Hartlepool is in a better state today than it has ever been, with more and more people hearing about the town every day, and that can only bode well for our future development and prosperity."
