The latest news, sport & events in Lyme Regis
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GENO WASHINGTO N IS BACK IN TOWN! PAG E 14
Two-hour debate on LymeForward grant
Ready and waiting for Willy Wonka’s arrival
IT took Lyme Regis councillors almost two hours this week to finally break a stalemate over whether they should continue paying a £10,000 grant to community interest company LymeForward. The protracted debate came amid claims that LymeForward was being “discriminated against” and treated differently to other town council grant recipients, while some councillors raised concerns about a lack of financial transparency within the organisation and said it was not clear how the grant money was being spent. One councillor claimed the ongoing argument had made her so upset she had to seek medical advice. It was eventually agreed to continue making the grant payments, although this is expected to come under review again at the end of the year. REPORT, PAGE 12
Artisan Florist
Wild and Seasonal
Daily deliveries, order online or self-serve flower shed at 18 Woodmead Road, Lyme Regis DT7 3AD
EXCITEMENT is mounting as Lyme Regis gears up for the filming of new Hollywood movie ‘Wonka’ next month, with preparations already underway at the historic Cobb harbour. The 1930s steam drifter ‘Lydia Eva’, which is set to feature in the film, has been moored in the town for the past two weeks and is drawing much attention from residents and visitors. The star-studded cast of the ‘Wonka’ movie has now been announced – see page 10 for full story. Photo by Max Redwood
DEPUTY MAYOR RESIGNS
Teresa Fowler
35 years experience
Tel: 01297 444743 07721 628 754
TOWN’S YOUNGEST EVER COUNCILLOR QUITS AS INFIGHTING CONTINUES DEPUTY Mayor of Lyme Regis and the town’s youngest ever councillor, Kelsey Ellis, has resigned with a damning letter slamming councillors’ “childish behaviour” and “bullying tendencies”.
Cllr Ellis, daughter of long-standing councillor Michaela Ellis, was elected to Lyme Regis Town Council in 2019 at the age of 19, making her the authority’s youngest ever member. She was later elected chair of the Tourism,
FRANCESCA EVANS
francesca@lyme-online.co.uk Community & Publicity Committee and, in May 2021, as deputy mayor, serving under mayor Brian Larcombe, and was pipped to take the record of the town’s youngest mayor in future years. However, Miss Ellis has now resigned from the council, handing members and officers a damning letter at the end of this week’s marathon
four-hour Tourism, Community & Publicity Committee meeting. In it she called out councillors for their continued infighting, which has blighted the council’s reputation in recent months, and said she has been discriminated against because of her age. Miss Ellis’ full letter of resignation read as follows: “I am writing to inform you that I am resigning from my position as Lyme Regis deputy mayor and town councillor effective September
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