Chris Horan
When did you take up this role?
I’ve been here since April 1998, just over ten and a half years. I applied for this post after a brief period with the Dart Valley Railway prior to which I worked for the London Borough of Southwark in the Education Dept as a Youth Work Manager for twenty years but with an eye on an opportunity to move to Devon.
Why Devon….are there family connections?
No family just the fact that, like so many people I have spoken to since we made the move, you get hooked on the place after spending many happy holidays here.
What does your job involve?
Working to sixteen bosses!!! and part of my job is to nurture them to create an effective team. As the Town Clerk I am responsible for how the Town Council operates within local government legislation and to provide services to the local community. This includes planning the agenda for council meetings which is done by working closely with the Chairman and writing up any reports and briefing papers for the councillors. Also it is sometimes necessary to advise the councillors on procedures. Dartmouth Town Council owns numerous assets – The Market Place, The Butterwalk, The Boatfloat, The Guildhall, The Cemetery and The Orchard. We are therefore responsible for all of those and the challenges they present! I can find myself meeting with tenants to inspect damage to any of these properties, assessing cost of repairs and organising contractors to fix any problems. The cemetery and the orchard are inspected on a regular basis. On a daily basis I usually have a pile of post, emails, many telephone calls and I also deal with people coming into the Guildhall. We get a vast range of enquiries from planning matters, failed street lighting and the like to lost false teeth! There are a lot of proposed changes in government at the moment – devolution down to local level which is proving a big challenge. As in any job you have those moments when you ask yourself ‘what am I doing here’ but overall I have found the people of Dartmouth to be great to work with. You never stop learning in this job, I never, ever stop learning and I don’t think I ever will. There is always something different that comes to you that you have to find an answer to.
Who helps you with the town council workload?
We are lucky to have Karen Eyles as Support Officer, Beryl Griffiths as Finance Officer and Tracy Rowe as the Assistant to the Clerk, Lawrence Berry, Caretaker, Dave Harper, Market Supervisor and Ron Lambden, the Town Sergeant.
Are there any big projects proposed for the town?
We have just commenced the first stage of the regeneration of the town’s historic Market Place and, after many meetings with different agencies, the architects have been able to submit the revised plans to South Hams District Council for approval and we are hoping work can start on the project early next year. This entails re-arranging the existing toilet facilities. The Town Council website is a good place to find out what is happening and being planned – www.dartmouthtowncouncil.org
What are the most memorable moments of your job?
Watching my first Mayoral Divisions Passing Out Parade at Britannia Royal Naval College and the dignitaries I have seen and met there over the subsequent years and following the Royal Marine Band through the town for Remembrance Day Parades.
Do you live in Dartmouth?
My family lives on the other side of the river but my two sons both attended Dartmouth Community College. The eldest is now training to be an air traffic controller at Exeter Airport and the younger is a Gardener for South Hams District Council.
How do you like to spend your free time?
Playing my trumpet!
First Published December 2008 By The Dart
