Two new councillors have been welcomed onto Totnes Town Council following an election to fill vacan seats on the town ward.

John Cummings (Green) totted up 603 votes, while Jill Hannam (Labour) came second with 356 votes, following a 20.32 turn out of electors.

Cllr Cummings, who was a primary school teacher for 17 years before going on to work for the Department of Transport as a statistician involved in the National Travel Survey, said: ““I am keen to support the very proactive work that many of the councillors are doing, in particular the response to the climate and ecological emergency.

“This is a crucial time for us all to act and help the town become more resilient.”

A longstanding campaigner for green issues, Cllr Cummings recently travelled with other Totnesians to Glasgow for the COP26 climate summit.

Cllr Jacqi Hodgson, a Green Party member of the town, district and county councils said: “We hear a lot about the ‘green agenda’ but we need more Green minded councillors to make this happen.

“With the growing success of the Green Party in local elections across the UK, active, hardworking Green Party councillors are becoming known for proposing better policies and practices in local authorities that will bring about this long overdue change of direction.”

Cllr Hannam ran a bookshop on The Plains and a computer business before qualifying as a school teacher. She has worked in a number of schools in the area.

She expressed a heartfelt thank you to everyone who voted for her.

“It is a humbling experience to have so many of my fellow Totnesians put their faith in me,” Cllr Hannam said.

“I am determined to work towards a better Totnes, and to use my privileged position to both improve and protect our unique town and growing community.”