CALNE town councillor Tom Rounds will be the town's new deputy mayor for the upcoming municipal year of 2015/16.

He will serve alongside the town’s next mayor, Coun Howard Marshall, who he lost out to in last year’s vote, before becoming mayor himself for 2016/17.

The Conservative councillor, proposed by Coun Tony Trotman, beat the man put forward by current mayor Heather Canfer, Coun Greg Widger, by nine votes to seven.

Coun Trotman said: “It’s great to see we have got two well-respected councillors for the town mayor. It’s a difficult choice when two members wish to fulfil the roles.”

As well as being a town councillor, Mr Rounds is also chairman of the Calne Community Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group.

Mayor Canfer described the unsuccessful Widger as the voice of reason during many council debates at the meeting but was unable to secure a winning margin in the vote.

Elsewhere, two Calne town councillor vacancies in Calne North and Chilvester and Abberd Wards have arisen following the resignation of councillors Martin Stebbing and David Short respectively.

Both casual vacancies will be filled by co-option after neither ward had ten members of the electorate requesting an election ahead of the April 24 deadline.

Any person willing to fill the vacancy should apply to the Town Clerk, Linda Roberts, in writing on or before June 8. 

The applicant’s name must appear on the current register of electors or the applicant should have resided in or had their only place of work, during the entire twelve months to June 22, 2015, in or within 4.8km of the nearest point of the town boundary.

A person specification is available from the town clerk.