Sandy town council clerk makes the move to Biggleswade council

Biggleswade Town Council has appointed Mrs Sewell as its next town clerk, after the resignation of Peter Tarrant. She is due to start her role at the Old Court House on Monday, May 11.

As well as spending the last four years at Sandy Town Council, Mrs Sewell “has previous clerking experience elsewhere and brings additional private sector experience”, Biggleswade Town’s Council’s annual assembly was told.

Mayor of Biggleswade Jonathan Woodhead said: “Members look forward to welcoming Nicola to the council, and to the leadership and experience she will bring.”

The former clerk, Mr Tarrant, left the town council in January after five-and-a-half years of service. Councillor Woodhead began his annual report by paying tribute to the former clerk’s contribution.

He said: “In January, we bade farewell to Peter Tarrant, who left the local authority to return to consultancy.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank Peter for his transformational work in improving processes and the finances of the town council, during the past five years. The council and in turn its residents are in a much better place because of this.

“Councillors expressed their gratitude to him for his leadership and the significant contribution he made to the council’s development, and we wished him well for the future.”

Mrs Sewell was an assistant clerk at Toddington Parish Council from July 2019 to September 2021. She has also held a part-time clerk position with Kensworth Parish Council, and was a locum clerk for seven months at St Ives Town Council in Cambridgeshire.

The clerk is a paid professional employee in charge of the daily administration and operation of a town or parish council, while ensuring the local authority acts lawfully. The elected councilors make the decisions.