New councillor gets warm welcome from Mayor

Alan McLean, predominant in the Independent Orange Institution, attended his first meeting last Monday night and told the Times afterwards that he was looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.

“I am delighted to have been selected by the DUP as a replacement for my very able predecessor. It will obviously take sometime to settle in and tonight was simply a case of taking stock and seeing how business is conducted.

“However, there are plenty of issues to address in the area I represent and I hope to do the best I can for constituents,” Councillor McLean said.

Councillor McLean did not speak at the meeting but was told he had ‘big shoes to fill’ as a replacement for Cllr. Storey.

The Mayor said: “I am sure you will do your best and we hope you enjoy it.”

The Group leader for the DUP, Alderman Bill Kennedy, also welcomed his new colleague and paid tribute to the effort and contribution Cllr. Storey made to the council itself and to the citizens of the borough.

“In my opinion Cllr. Storey was a hard work representative for everybody across the board and that will not ease much because he is an MLA. We appreciate all the work that Mervyn has done.”