Worcester's first Green mayor elected

The city will have its first Green mayor following a vote by councillors.

Cllr Louis Stephen has made the step up to the ceremonial position and becomes the first Green member of Worcester City Council to be appointed to the prestigious role.

Lib Dem councillor Mel Allcott will serve as deputy mayor for the next 12 months following a vote at the city council’s annual meeting in the Guildhall on Tuesday (May 17).

Cllr Stephen, who takes over from long-standing Labour councillor Adrian Gregson who served has served as mayor for what turned out to be a historic 12 months for the country, said it was “fantastic” that the appointment of the first Green mayor showed the city council could work together when it needed to.

“It’s a great honour to be elected mayor of Worcester,” he said at the meeting. “It’s a position that dates back not decades but centuries. Thank you to everyone who has supported me.

“It’s not lost on me that I will be the first Green mayor of Worcester and I think one of the things that is fantastic, and I’m looking at everyone in the room, we have de-politicised the role of mayor and we now take it in turns to allow each of the political groups to have the role of mayor.

“I think that is a great way to show that we are prepared to work together and it is a sign of our maturity and willingness to do cross-party work when we need to do so.”

Cllr Stephen said he wanted to focus his mayoral year on “creating a community that values and includes older citizens.”

The new mayor will be raising money for Age UK during his 12-month reign and said he would be “expanding” on the work the charity already does in the city.

“They do some amazing work in the community and they are a trusted source of service for very many people and often a lifeline to older people who are on low incomes or who are lonely,” he said.

“They often reach people in the community that our normal systems don’t quite reach.

Cllr Stephen has represented Battenhall on the city council since 2012 and led the council’s Green group until 2022.