A FOURTH councillor in a little over six months has resigned from their position on Wellington Town Council.

Cllr Zoe Barr was one of two representatives for the Rockwell Green ward on the council and is the daughter of outgoing Wellington mayor Cllr Marcus Barr, who is also one of the town’s two Somerset unitary councillors.

She was elected for a five-year term in May, 2022, while pregnant and made history when she became the first town councillor to give birth while in office.

Her baby son Arthur was born 10 days early during August, 2022, just three months after the local elections.

Zoe, aged 24, who lives in Meyer Close, works a pastry chef in Wellington School and also runs her own cake-making business.

She is due to marry her partner Scott in August this year.

Zoe told the Wellington Weekly: “It has been a huge privilege to serve as a councillor and represent the community I love and where I have grown up.

“But it has been so challenging trying to juggle the responsibilities of being a councillor with my work and also looking after Arthur, who is now 21 months.

“Most people do not realise how hard our councillors have to work if they want to get things done for the town and the time commitments involved, a lot of which is in the evenings.

“I have always wanted the best for Rockwell Green and Wellington and I do not want to do the job half-hearted so I thought it was best if I stepped down and made way for somebody else who perhaps has more time to devote to the role.

“It has been such a pleasure serving with my fellow councillors and I have learned so much from them all and from the council’s wonderful officers.

“Maybe later in life I will have more time to be a councillor again but in the meantime I have to put my family first.”

Her resignation triggers a ‘casual vacancy’ on the council, the fourth since last September, which will be advertised to ask residents if they want to call a by-election.

If an election is not called, councillors will ask for people interested in serving on the town authority to put their names forward for co-option, where candidates speak at a council meeting before members vote to decide who to co-opt.

Cllrs Sean Pringle-Kosikowski and Justin Cole were recently co-opted to fill places vacated by Wayne Battishill and Nancy Powell-Brace, who resigned in September and November, 2023, respectively. 

Cllr Steve Mercer was elected unopposed as recently as February this year to replace Sam Booker, who had been chairman of the council’s town centre committee.

The town council has 15 seats with the Liberal Democrats currently forming the largest group with five councillors, Labour having four, Conservatives one, and the remainder sitting as Independents.

Rockwell Green continues to be represented by its second ward councillor, Andrew Govier, who also represents Wellington with Cllr Marcus Barr on Somerset Council.