Extravagant baubles and flummery or regalia signifying the dignity of an historic office?

Seaton council would have had much more power as a self governing “urban district council” prior to the incorporation of “East Devon District” in 1974, with nothing standing between it and County. It was these councils that oversaw the council house building programmes of the 50’s and 60’s.

[Owl believes that many Urban District Councils were run by elected “Chairs” rather than “Mayors” and chains of office.]

The decision to spend more than £8,000 on a mayoral chain in a Devon town has left some residents “disgusted”.

By Miles Davis www.bbc.co.uk

Seaton Town Council considered various options but voted for a new replacement chain at a cost of £8,257.

Some people living in Seaton on the south coast said it was wrong to spend the money on a mayoral chain during a cost of living crisis.

The council said the decision had been taken “very carefully” with a cost to residents of 5p per household per year.

Anthea Parkin, a Seaton resident, said: “I’m absolutely disgusted. It’s a total waste of our money and it’s wrong in this economic climate.”

The mayoral chain in Seaton is engraved with the name of the mayor and there is no room for more links on the current chain.

The town has a population of just over 7,000 and is known for its tramway and Jurassic coastline.

Seaton resident Bob Chapman said: “I think it’s disgusting when there’s lots of other things that could benefit from that sort of money being spent on it in the town.

“It’s just a little piece of chain. Why don’t they go to Pandora and buy one for about £200?”

Another resident who did not want to give their name said £8,000 would be better spent maintaining the town’s public toilets.

Two of the councillors on Seaton Town Council said they voted against spending more than £8,000 on the chain at the meeting in November.

Councillor Cheryl Wood said she had called for the existing chain to continue to be used with future mayor’s names added to a plaque in the council chamber.

Neil Dyke, also a councillor, said he had suggested keeping the chain as it is and arranging a public consultation.

The current mayor, Amrik Singh, was not available for interview and Seaton Town Council sent a statement.

It said: “The current chain of office is now full and the cost of preserving it and replacing it with a new chain of office that will last for a minimum of 48 years was considered by the nine councillors present.

“The cost worked out at 5p per household per year, which was considered reasonable in the circumstances and the longevity the replacement chain would provide.”

Ken Newland used to serve as a parish councillor in Berkshire before moving to Seaton about 20 years ago.

He sympathised with the town council and said a lot of the unpaid work they did went unrecognised.

He said: “They have to stand out in a crowd. You’re not going to want somebody turning up in a tracksuit and not looking like they have some gravitas about them

“The regalia is part of the role and the role is important to civic society.”