The first blogging Mayor goes online for Ilfracombe

THE Mayor of Ilfracombe has become the town s first mayoral blogger by publishing an online diary. Councillor Philip Webb, installed as Mayor in May, is providing an up-to-date chronicle of all the functions and events he attends on behalf of the town,

THE Mayor of Ilfracombe has become the town's first "mayoral blogger" by publishing an online diary.

Councillor Philip Webb, installed as Mayor in May, is providing an up-to-date chronicle of all the functions and events he attends on behalf of the town, as well as meetings on council business.

The Mayor's Blog can be found at www.theilfracombecentre.co.uk and clicking so far describes charity events, support of schoolchildren's activities and meeting to discuss litter in the town.

"A very important responsibility of being Mayor is communicating with the people of Ilfracombe," said Mr Webb.

"The council has always adopted a strong communication policy and we're now using the latest technology to take it a stage further. "Before becoming a councillor I had little idea of what the Mayor did for the town, but now it's easier than ever to find out. Everyone can now see exactly what the Mayor does by checking the blog, which will be updated several times a week."

Since it went online, the council website has been well used by the community, with a popular feature being the online forum. Here, the public can discuss matters relating to Ilfracombe and there are currently 62 topics being debated.

"Communication has moved on a pace in recent years, forums and blogs are just another way of keeping us engaged with the community, especially our younger residents," added Mr Webb.