Wealden Council appoints new chairman

At an extraordinary meeting held on Thursday (February 8), councillors appointed Jessika Hulbert as the authority’s new chairman.

Cllr Hulbert represents the Withyham ward as a Green Party councillor. She was the only candidate put forward for the role.

After taking her position, Cllr Hulbert said: “I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to stand as chair of Wealden District Council and promise to do my best to serve our community and foster strong relationships with both residents and businesses.“I would like to take the time to thank our wonderful outgoing chair for all the work that she has done since her chairship began last May. Her courage and determination to step into a position at a time of great change was extremely commendable.”

Cllr Hulbert’s appointment comes after the council’s former chairman, Green Party councillor Christina Coleman, stood down last month.

Cllr Coleman announced her resignation as chairman of Wealden District Council ahead of the next general election, in which she will be standing as a candidate

She had been selected as Green Party candidate for the new constituency of East Grinstead and Uckfield last year — something which had come in for criticism from Wealden’s Conservative opposition due to the “impartial” role of council chairman.

Conservative councillors had called for Cllr Coleman to resign last September to avoid a conflict of interest in her dual roles.

For its part, The Alliance for Wealden — the Green/Lib Dem coalition which currently controls the council — denied there was a conflict as Cllr Coleman had not been “actively campaigning” while in her position as chairman.