MALPAS Parish Council have elected a new chairman in Councillor Katie Norris, who is also the newest member.

Cllr Norris, who was elected un-opposed last year, will replace current chairman Cllr Charles Lowick Higgie (pictured), while former chair Cllr John Webb was elected to the role of vice-chairman unopposed.

Cllr Norris said: “I’m inspired by the hard work and dedication of the parish council to help Malpas.

“We are lucky to live in a beautiful, historical parish, and we obviously face challenges balancing Malpas’s history and community spirit with the demands of development.

“There is a wealth of experience and commitment in the parish council which I’m sure we’ll use wisely for the benefit of Malpas.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Higgie has provided a report on the past year for Malpas, including a huge effort to tackle litter in the village with the help of a number of groups.

He noted  Malpas was at the forefront of rolling out Operation Shield and while at some financial cost for the council, Cllr Higgie reported the feedback is it had been well received.

He thanked those who had worked with him on highway and planning issues.

He felt one success for the year will be the Malpas minibus and he thanked Cllr Webb for his work on that.

Meanwhile, on Monday night, the parish council voted to oppose controversial plans for the extension of Malpas Alport school.