Upon being appointed Mayor Councillor David Sykes  thanked Councillor Shepherd, the outgoing Mayor, for all his hard work and dedication during his term of office. He said he was both honoured and proud to be voted in as Mayor of Pocklington. Here are the main points from his speech:

I shall endeavour to fulfil the role with dignity and purpose. My priorities and mandate will be centred on improving the overall appearance of the town. The employment of a council handyman/street cleaner will add significantly to the continuity of this task. My objective is to promote awareness of litter pollution and to make dog owners aware of their responsibilities through active co-operation with civic interest groups, schools and youth associations. The appearance of our attractive old market town is very important in attracting visitors to our shops and amenities. Statistically, Pocklington benefits from a relatively low crime rate. It is my intention to help maintain this by continuing active involvement with the Crime Prevention Panel, Neighbourhood Watch Teams and the local Police. In conjunction with the local youth organisation and the co-operation of both our town and district council, it is my ambition to obtain a skate park for the youth of Pocklington and it’s surrounding villages. I have watched with amazement, the ingenuity of local youngsters, creating and building their own temporary variations. It is important to pursue funding for on established, maintained and controlled facility. During his terms of office, Councillor Shepherd established strong links with regional towns and parish councils, along with the active support of interest groups. Together with Councillor Shepherd, it is my intention to continue maintaining the relationship and indeed extend this to include East Riding Council. My first task, as Mayor, starts tomorrow at 5.30pm when I shall be leading the town’s protest parade against any future imposition of parking charges by the East Riding Local Authority. I shall be handing in to the Road Show Committee, a petition voting clearly against future charges The Pocklington Mayor’s Charity will be the Yorkshire East Riding Volunteer Accident and Emergency Service known as “YERVAES”. This is a local East Riding Medical Charity which finances the work of volunteer doctors who respond to serious accidents in support of the local ambulance service. In Pocklington, there is a volunteer doctor and a specialist resuscitation nurse who care on call 24 hours a day. The A1079 and A166 are prolific sources of serious injury in the locality. YERVAES provide immediate specialist medical care at the scene of accidents prior to the hospital transfer by ambulance. The Council recognises the importance of trade in Pocklington and it is my intention to promote, wherever possible, a marketing and development initiative. I also intend to conduct street surveys in Pocklington to gain a greater understanding of the town’s needs. The first survey, consisting of myself, Councillor Perry and other representatives from both the police and local interest groups will take place this Friday between 10am – 12 noon starting at the Council Offices. The survey will be conducted on a preliminary fact finding basis aimed at understanding, in principal, how the street scape works for the Town’s residence. Finally, in order to appreciate the respective individual needs and concerns of our residents, or their advice and ideas, I intend to introduce regular appointed surgeries. These will take place in the Council office on a one to one basis. The feedback will be communicated to the Council for follow up action. With the help from my fellow Councillors, I wish to make Pocklington an even better place to live, now and for future generations. Ladies and Gentlemen: I would like to thank you all for attending the Mayor making. Firstly, I would like to personally thank Councillor Shepherd, the outgoing Mayor, for all his hard work and dedication during his term of office. I am both honoured and proud to be voted in as Mayor of Pocklington. I shall endeavour to fulfil the role with dignity and purpose. My priorities and mandate will be centred on improving the overall appearance of the town. The employment of a council handyman/street cleaner will add significantly to the continuity of this task. My objective is to promote awareness of litter pollution and to make dog owners aware of their responsibilities through active co-operation with civic interest groups, schools and youth associations. The appearance of our attractive old market town is very important in attracting visitors to our shops and amenities. Statistically, Pocklington benefits from a relatively low crime rate. It is my intention to help maintain this by continuing active involvement with the Crime Prevention Panel, Neighbourhood Watch Teams and the local Police. In conjunction with the local youth organisation and the co-operation of both our town and district council, it is my ambition to obtain a skate park for the youth of Pocklington and it’s surrounding villages. I have watched with amazement, the ingenuity of local youngsters, creating and building their own temporary variations. It is important to pursue funding for on established, maintained and controlled facility. During his terms of office, Councillor Shepherd established strong links with regional towns and parish councils, along with the active support of interest groups. Together with Councillor Shepherd, it is my intention to continue maintaining the relationship and indeed extend this to include East Riding Council. My first task, as Mayor, starts tomorrow at 5.30pm when I shall be leading the town’s protest parade against any future imposition of parking charges by the East Riding Local Authority. I shall be handing in to the Road Show Committee, a petition voting clearly against future charges The Pocklington Mayor’s Charity will be the Yorkshire East Riding Volunteer Accident and Emergency Service known as “YERVAES”. This is a local East Riding Medical Charity which finances the work of volunteer doctors who respond to serious accidents in support of the local ambulance service. In Pocklington, there is a volunteer doctor and a specialist resuscitation nurse who care on call 24 hours a day. The A1079 and A166 are prolific sources of serious injury in the locality. YERVAES provide immediate specialist medical care at the scene of accidents prior to the hospital transfer by ambulance. The Council recognises the importance of trade in Pocklington and it is my intention to promote, wherever possible, a marketing and development initiative. I also intend to conduct street surveys in Pocklington to gain a greater understanding of the town’s needs. The first survey, consisting of myself, Councillor Perry and other representatives from both the police and local interest groups will take place this Friday between 10am – 12 noon starting at the Council Offices. The survey will be conducted on a preliminary fact finding basis aimed at understanding, in principal, how the street scape works for the Town’s residence. Finally, in order to appreciate the respective individual needs and concerns of our residents, or their advice and ideas, I intend to introduce regular appointed surgeries. These will take place in the Council office on a one to one basis. The feedback will be communicated to the Council for follow up action. With the help from my fellow Councillors, I wish to make Pocklington an even better place to live, now and for future generations.