NEW Mayor of Salcombe, Cllr Mike Fice, said he is keen to build on the town council's achievements over the past year and restore some pride to the town by trying to deal with a few unkempt areas that have not been maintained. He praised the council's work throughout the year, as well as that of his predecessor, Cllr Rob Wheeler. Cllr Fice said: 'My main aim is to continue what we've been doing. We've had a good year this past year; we've worked well and achieved a lot. 'Rob's done a great job and worked really hard to make things happen. 'I'd also like to restore some pride to the town – it's looking a bit untidy in places, so I'd like to try to persuade South Hams Council to do something about it. 'There's a few issues – for example, there was a bench down on the creek that was basically a pile of wood for ages. We kept reporting it, but nothing was done for a long time. 'Like all of us, South Hams has had a lot of funding cuts, but Salcombe's business is tourism, so it's really important that the town looks good.' Cllr Fice is a Salcombe man born and bred, who has time to dedicate to local government thanks to his semi-retirement from his accountancy profession two-and-a-half years ago. In addition to his work on the council, he is also treasurer of Salcombe Rugby Club. The handover took place at the annual meeting of Salcombe Town Council on Wednesday, May 14, after Cllr Fice was elected unopposed. Cllr Andrew Biggs was elected as deputy mayor at the same time and joined his fellow councillors in thanking Cllr Wheeler. 'I'm really looking forward to it,' he said. 'Rob's done a fantastic job and he's pushed us all to get things done. 'I'm involved with the tourist information centre as well, and getting the building fixed up was a real achievement – there was so much that needed to be done. I'm sure Mike will carry on the good work.' Speaking during the annual town meeting that preceded the council meeting, Cllr Wheeler set out their achievements during his year in charge, beginning by giving thanks to project officer and cemetery manager Pete Robinson for his hard work. He noted the improvements made to Jubilee Gardens and the progress made to the town's park-and-ride. He also cited the renovation of Council Hall, pointing out that no significant work had been carried out on the building since 1982; and the tree-management work carried out on the Berry, in Redfern Woods and in Shadycombe Cemetery, with input from residents. Cllr Wheeler also said the council was heavily involved in planning and had seen major changes in this regard, having to get used to working with the National Planning Policy Framework introduced by the Coalition in 2012, which he described as a 'developers' charter'. In the meeting he expressed frustration that South Hams Council had taken so long to put in place a local plan for development in the region, but reported that this had very recently started to move forward. Speaking afterwards, Cllr Wheeler said: 'I've loved doing things for the town, but I've got really busy with my work so I have to step down. 'I've always said this was not for life, but I would have liked to have had a couple of years in the job. I don't want to do the job without being able to commit as much time to it as Salcombe deserves, but I'm very happy to stay on the council. 'It's been satisfying to see things come to fruition and I think we've achieved a lot. I'm very pleased that Mike is prepared to take up the duties, as he knows Salcombe well, and I think it's important that the town council has an understanding of the requirements of locals, as well as of the town as a tourist destination – it can be a tricky role to balance.' Cllr Wheeler also paid tribute to Roger Clark, who stepped down from the council and his role of deputy mayor at a meeting on Wednesday, April 30, saying he had made a 'huge contribution' and that he was 'very sad to see him go, he'll be sorely missed'. He continued: 'Throughout his long service Roger worked really hard and made a huge contribution to the town.' Cllr Fice agreed, saying: 'Roger was a long-term presence on the council for getting on for 10 years. He's a great chap and we'll miss his experience. He's going to spend more time with his family, so good luck to him.' Mr Clark's departure means there is now a vacancy on the town council. Anyone who is interested in getting involved should contact the town clerk.