Town Council Appoints “Outstanding” Clerk

Following a rigorous selection process, Bridport Town Council has appointed Sally Freemantle as its new Town Clerk, replacing outgoing clerk Will Austin.

Sally, who is currently Deputy Town Clerk at Yeovil Town Council and Clerk to Chardstock Parish Council, has worked in local government for 25 years and will take up her post on 1 August 2025.

Town Mayor Cllr Anne Rickard said of the appointment “We’re delighted to have ‘bagged’ Sally to be our new Town Clerk.  As part of the recruitment panel I was very impressed with her understanding of Bridport and the Town Council, her superb organisational skills, and her commitment to our aspirations for the town.  She is also a lovely person, and although we are going to miss Will enormously, I am really excited at the prospect of working with her.  She will be warmly welcomed by us all.”

Sally said “I am honoured and delighted to have been offered the role of Town Clerk at Bridport Town Council”, adding “I am very much looking forward to joining the team!  Bridport is such a lovely, vibrant, and welcoming town with committed councillors and a strong sense of community.  I hope that my qualifications in local government and experience at both Town and Parish Councils as well as my background in events and performance arts management will ensure that I can do my very best in supporting the residents of Bridport and the aspirations of the town.”

Council Leader Cllr Ian Bark said “Sally clearly has the perfect combination of skills, experience, personality, and commitment for the role and these came across strongly throughout the selection process.  We have a challenging set of aims in our recently published five-year plan and I’m confident Sally is the right person to lead our wonderful team of officers in delivering these.”

The council has put in place interim arrangements for a brief period from 6 June when the current clerk leaves, until Sally takes up her post.  Town Surveyor and Deputy Town Clerk Daryl Chambers will lead the council team during that time.  Chair of the council’s Finance & General Purposes Committee, Cllr Paddy Mooney said “I am hugely grateful to Daryl and the team for stepping up to cover for the summer months, a time during which they are always busy anyway with events and grounds work in particular.  Town councillors will of course give them every support as usual.”