Councillor of 21 years to become city's new mayor

A councillor who has represented a ward for 21 years has been appointed as mayor of a city.

Judy Fox, a Peterborough First independent councillor at Peterborough City Council, will be the first female to become mayor of Peterborough since 2014.

Fox told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "It means a lot to me really because I'm representing the city of which I was born and bred in."

She will take over the position from Marco Cereste, a Conservative councillor at the authority, during a meeting on Monday.

Fox, who represents Werrington, will become the 138th mayor of Peterborough, and will follow in the footsteps of her husband, John Fox, who served as mayor from 2017-18.

John Fox said he was "really chuffed" for his wife.

Fox said she felt "very honoured" to become the new mayor.

"I'm looking forward to it because I'm Peterborian through and through.

"I feel really excited about the year and I've got a few invites already," she added.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service she said she was keen to work with all the communities in Peterborough.

The mayor of Peterborough is a very different role to the mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

The mayor of the combined authority, which is currently Paul Bristow, receives a salary and is responsible for areas such as transport, skills, business support and growth.

In May of each year, a long-serving Peterborough councillor is appointed as the mayor of Peterborough, with their term of office lasting for one year.

The role acts as a politically impartial chair of the authority, making sure that proper conduct takes place during full-council meetings.

They are also invited to attend community and fundraising events held for the mayor's charities, which they choose at the start of the civic year.

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