The Mayor of the Borough of Harrogate is Councillor Robert Windass. The Mayoress is his wife Sylvia.
POLITICS
Councillor Windass was elected onto Boroughbridge Town Council in 1998 as he wished to have an input into how his local community was run. He served as Deputy Mayor of Boroughbridge in 2001/02 and as Mayor of the town in both 2002/03 and 2007/08. Robert is still a member of the Town Council.
In 2008, was elected to the Boroughbridge Ward of Harrogate Borough Council (HBC). In 2009/10, he was Deputy Mayor of the Borough and served as Cabinet Member for Housing in 2010/11. After being re-elected to the Council in May 2012, Robert is now very pleased to be Mayor for the current municipal year. He will be the first District Mayor from Boroughbridge since Dr Hazel served 31 years ago.
OTHER COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS
As well as being Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Windass has also served on the Council’s Licensing, General Purposes and District Development Committees, the District Development Sub-Committee, the Scrutiny Commission and its Governance Panel, Improvement and Involvement Members Steering Group and has also represented the Council on the North Yorkshire County Council Area Committee.
MAYORAL CHARITY
The Mayor has chosen Candlelighters for special support as his nominated charity during his year of office.
Candlelighters, based at the Leeds General Infirmary, provides essential services and support to children with cancer and their families.
PERSONAL
Councillor Windass was born in Leeds in 1945, educated at St. Chad’s C of E Primary School where he was a choir boy, then at West Park High School. He initially worked in various offices until he joined Leeds City Fire Brigade in 1964. He was first promoted in 1969 and served at most stations until 1974 when it became West Yorkshire Fire Service. Robert was promoted to Deputy Watch Commander and transferred to Leeds Central Station where he qualified as an Instructor for Driving, Turntable Ladders, Hydraulic Platforms, First Aid & Breathing Apparatus. He met and then married his teenage sweetheart, Sylvia.
Robert retired in 1995 and moved to Boroughbridge with the intention of following his hobby of angling. However, soon after retiring, he became generally bored and took a part time job as a delivery driver for an electrical company. He was soon transferred into the store, then part-time became full time as he took up the position of Store Manager, he finally fully retired in 2011.
In his spare time, Robert enjoys angling, gardening, classical music and travel. Robert and Sylvia have one daughter and two sons. They also have five Grandchildren and enjoy spoiling them.
COUNCILLOR WINDASS - WARD MEMBER
In addition to his Mayoral duties, Councillor Windass is the member for Boroughbridge Ward. His constituents can contact him direct from his personal contact page.