FOUR new councillors have been co-opted on to Lyme Regis Town Council.

At an extraordinary full council meeting on Tuesday night, Brian Larcombe, Liz Robinson, Richard Doney and Stephen Miller were all chosen by the current councillors to be appointed to the chamber.

As reported in the Bridport and Lyme Regis News, there were four spaces on the town council after only 10 people came forward to fill the 14 spaces on the town council in this year’s election.

Six people stood for the role, with Duncan Lay and John Ridley missing out in the deciding vote.

Mrs Robinson, Mr Larcombe, Mr Doney, Mr Lay and Mr Ridley all gave a five-minute speech to the council on why they should be appointed, and Mr Miller sent a statement to councillors as he was away on holiday.

Mrs Robinson, who owns a self-catering holiday let business in east Devon, moved to Lyme Regis eight years ago and said she decided to stand for co-option as she had strong interests in helping develop the town in key areas such as parking, housing and the town’s tourism offering.

Mr Larcombe, who is currently a councillor on Comeytrowe Parish Council, was born and brought up in Lyme Regis and said he decided to stand for co-option to try and help the council.

He said: “I was a bit disappointed to see the number of applicants for the election and as someone born and bred in Lyme Regis, it seemed disappointing for a council that is going to have a lot of issues in front of it in the next decade, which is going to put an awful strain on the current councillors.

“I can help bring support to the council’s decisions. It hasn’t gone unnoticed – the problems that the council has had previously – and I would like to see the council turn the corner and go forward.”

Mr Doney, founder of Lyme Regis Brewery, currently volunteers at a number of local groups including the Jubilee Pavilion tourist point and at St Michael’s Primary School.

He said he wanted to be appointed to the council to help it develop in the coming years, and to help the council in its leadership role of the town.

After hearing presentations from the applicants, the town council moved into exempt business to discuss the applicants and to decide on who would be co-opted.

Unveiling the new councillors, town mayor Owen Lovell said it had been an “exceptionally close” vote, and urged the defeated applicants to not see it as a “slap in the face” and urged them to reconsider standing for election to the council in the future.