BOTH APPLEBY'S Mayor and deputy mayor have resigned from their positions. 

Councillor Gareth Hayes, who accepted his mayoral role via video call during the pandemic, has resigned after two-and-a-half years in the role. 

According to the draft minutes from a meeting of Appleby Town Council on February 22, Cllr Stephenson announced that Gareth Hayes had resigned from his position as both Mayor and councillor due to 'no longer having the energy to pursue council's agenda'.

Long-term councillor Jim Chalmers, who has served for 10 years and joined Gareth as deputy in 2020, has also resigned due to 'various groups and issues in the town'.

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The minutes read: "This year some contentious matters have arisen which [Cllr Hayes] feels have impacted on his health. For this reason, he has decided to stand down.

"Cllr Stephenson announced Jim Chalmers has also sadly resigned. After 10 years serving as a town councillor, he feels the pressure relating to various groups and issues in the town is something he no longer wants to engage himself in.

"The council agreed both Gareth and Jim have made great contributions to the council and the skills they brought to the council and their hard work will be very difficult to replace," it read.

Additional comments from the council commended both of the councillors for the time they had offered throughout their role.

Cllr Potts thanked Gareth for his visibility both in town and his media appearances and for helping to ‘put Appleby on the map’.

Cllr Stephenson also thanked Cllr Chalmers for the term he had served as Deputy Mayor, and for all the work he did as the finance chairman.