Popular Dane Valley ward councillor Gary Taylor has stepped down from his role.
The dad-of-three sent formal notice of his departure yesterday (January 25).
Gary,56, was first elected for the Dane Valley ward in 2015 as part of the campaign by UKIP. In 2018 he and 11 other UKIP members quit the party to form the Thanet Independent Group in a row about the use of the Manston airport site.
That move eventually forced the resignation of Thanet UKIP and council leader Chris Wells.
Gary, who has been a serving postman for 25 years and was a member of the Territorial Army for 11 years, was re-elected in the 2019 local elections – taking the most votes in the ward.
The former Hartsdown student worked hard for his residents and spent much time trying to find solutions to the use of Dane Valley Green by Traveller encampments and campaigning for CCTV and other measures in Dane Park.
During his time at TDC he was vice chairman of the council and chairman of the Joint Transportation Board, as well as a member of other committees.
During his postal round last September Gary also stepped in to give first aid to a driver injured after two cars were involved in a crash.
He has been involved in a number of community events, from helping to judge the 2019 Thanet’s Got Talent and, with fellow ward councillors, presenting mini mobile libraries to Drapers Mills School and Millmead Sure Start Centre, to being one of the ward representatives instrumental in creating the Dane Valley outstanding citizen awards.
Gary says he has taken the decision to step down after becoming ‘burnt out’ due to his very busy full-time job and then the additional council work – especially with the extra pressures covid placed on both roles.
He said: “I had been thinking about it in the run up to Christmas. I would be worn out from work and then go home and there would be council meetings and I felt, what with the covid situation, that it couldn’t go on.
“Thank you for all Dane Valley residents who either voted or supported me in the ward and a big thank you to all at TDC that helped me get things done in the ward.
“I’m sure that there will be a well fought campaign in Dane Valley in the next election and I wish food luck to all the candidates.
“My advice would be that if you have a full time job then you really need to weigh up if being a councillor is for you.”
Gary is now looking forward to spending more time with wife Kellie and his family.
The vacant Dane Valley seat will now be subject to a by-election which is likely to take place on May 6 at the same time as the county council election.
Gary,
Thank you for your time and effort over the years.
Your biggest mistake was forming Thanet Independents, that caused absolute carnage, it was damaging and has caused the council to almost collapse. It’s at a much worst stage now than it was before your coup. Most of the bad decisions taken at TDC would never have happened if you hadn’t of staged a coup and put Labour in charge.
Maybe you can learn from your mistakes, so if you ever run again, you won’t repeat what happened before. But, people think it’s easy being a councillor, it’s not. So thank you again for the years you’ve put into the ward.
I disagree that the split from UKIP was a bad mistake. The UKIP party was in a shocking state, having changed their support for Manston Airport in favour of a huge housing estate. Supporting Manston Airport is what UKIP won their ticket on. At least the Thanet Independents and Conservatives still support Manston – Thanet’s biggest offer of private investment ever! Plus, Gary was one of the best councillors at TDC. Yet another good one gone! He will be missed.
Gary thank you for all your help regarding my daughters mouldy council flat you’ve been brilliant she’s still there but hoping to move soon
Thank you Sheila..
Certainly getting my life back, but no regrets in my busy 6 years at TDC
I hope your daughter is happier now and good luck to her in finding a new place to live too
Gary.
TheBox is wrong!
1. Wells, and close company were wrong too, in going 100% in reverse on Manston.
2. Thanet Independents are small, but powerful, in any TDC decision making.
3. You were right to join them.
4. I wish you every happiness for your chosen future.
You’re completely wrong as always, Robster.
We don’t need your fake news either.
I don’t envy people who stand as local councillors. They try their hardest, but it’s never possible to please all the people all the time. It must be very wearing to be flagged off over and over again on social media. Even councillors are human, with partners and children.
As for UKIP: they stood on a ticket of reopening Manston.
As soon ad Chris Wells sat behind the Leader’s desk and look at the Riveroak/Manston file, he realised that Riveroak had no money and all the risk of any CPO would be carried by Thanet’s taxpayers, so quite rightly pulled the plug.
You’re wrong about RiverOak not having the money. They were an indemnity partner. That means private investment where the residents and councils do NOT pay any money! Wells either didn’t or chose not to believe it, after meeting with Cartner & Musgrave. He came back from meeting them with a totally different attitude to the airport. The rest is history. The Riveroak (RSP) DCO was accepted by PINS, but because of a minority of Thanet objectors we are now awaiting a JR decision.
An indemnity partner has to be able to show that it has the money. RSP failed to convince TDC under Iris Johnson and Chris Wells.
They still don’t have the money. In their submission to PINS they explained that the bulk of the £3M needed to develop Manston would be derived from investors and bank loans. Despite being pressed several times by the ExA, RSP were unable to show where the money was.
You are incorrect in saying that the DCO was accepted by PINS. It was rejected for a variety of reasons. The SoS overturned the PINS decision. A an application for a JR was launched, and approved by the Court. But before the hearing date, the SoS conceded and RSP declined to fight their corner. So currently, the DCO is quashed.
But even if it were granted, for all the reasons spelled out by aviation experts such as York, Falcon, Altitude etc etc, such a venture would almost certainly fail.
Add on top of that the effects of covid, the fact that airlines are closing down and whole airports being mothballed, any slender argument in favour of Manston has been kicked well and truly into the long grass.
Time will tell, Andrew. I believe you’ve donated quite heavily in the JR fundraising exercise. Hope you don’t mind losing it all when the DCO is eventually granted. The Thanet Local Plan says Manston Airport is to be used for Aviation Only and RSP own it, so we shall see,
£300M!
Hear, hear! Who is The Box!?! I have my suspicions!!!!!!
Mr RR: I haven’t donated any money to the JR fund. And if I had, the clue is in the word “Donate”.
If RSP own the land and the Local Plan says “Aviation Only”, then what is RSP waiting for?
Customers, perhaps.
Hear, hear! Who is The Box!?! I have my suspicions!!!!
What was the point of UKIP, the one policy party.
Presumably to take Thanet out of Europe?
You can’t run a council with just one policy which was to keep Manston as it was, a multiple failed privately owned freight airport draining the publicly funded money pot. UkIP failed because it was a one trick pony. The damage caused to Thanet has been immense as a result within the Local Plan. Many years wasted !
Manston failed previously due to failure of proper investment. £300million has been accepted as a suitable investment by the government. Once the judicial review has ended, Manston will bring much needed wealth and investment into Thanet at last.
Manston failed previously (at least once under Tony Freudman because, according to all the expert opinion, Manston is in the wrong place to meet a demand that isn’t there.
The government has not accepted £3M for anything. That is the sum that RSP claim it will cost to resurrect Manston, the money to come from unspecified investors and bankers.
Is it Editorial Policy to censor postings to IoTN?
A subordinate clause and a trailing ‘)” are missing from my posting of 10:03 on the 27th
Sorry to hear Gary has resigned, such a hard working councillor and popular with everyone in his ward and councillors of all parties. Health and Wellbeing must come first. Goodluck Gary. Best wishes Horace
You were a good ward councillor gary,
Thanks Barry 😊