Darryl Nicholas, a former Town Mayor and district council Champion for Exmouth, is bidding to re-join the district and town councils in seats occupied by his close friend, the late David Chapman.
Whilst business took him to London and abroad, Darryl’s heart remained in Exmouth and he has retained a home here for much of his time working away.
He and David Chapman were first elected as Conservatives in the Brixington ward back in 2007. Darryl went on to be appointed as the district council’s Exmouth Champion, as well as serving as Town Mayor from 2009-11. When work took him away from East Devon he gave up his positions in local government.
Now he is back in Exmouth full time and has been nominated by Exmouth Conservatives and East Devon Conservatives as their candidate to fight for the vacant Brixington seat – a gap left by the sudden and sad death of David Chapman on 26 June. Polling Day is Thursday 6 October.
Darryl worked as head of marketing at Exmouth’s World of Country Life, and then spent a year working and studying in Canada, helping organisations such as Canadian Testicular Cancer Association raise awareness as part of his studies.
For the past three years, he has worked mainly in London as National PR and Communications Manager for the Association of Town and City Management – supporting town and city centre improvement across the UK, Ireland and Europe. During this time he continued to travel back every weekend to spend time with his young daughter.
Momentum
Darryl said: “I grew up in Brixington and have spent the majority of my life living in that area and so I am determined that Brixington, and the town as a whole, should achieve their full potential. The Conservative-led councils at East Devon and Exmouth are committed to seeing Exmouth thrive and I want to add my experience and enthusiasm towards the process of ensuring we get the best for our town.
“The town centre has in recent years attracted a range of quality businesses – a mix of great independents and nationals. Their confidence in investing in Exmouth is a clear indication that our future is bright. The addition of the Premier Inn has been a real success and, with further areas of the seafront earmarked for change, I want to help ensure that the final result will include high-quality, sustainable facilities that are a positive and exciting addition for both residents and visitors. We need to get it right and I am determined, if elected, to make sure that we do get it right.”
On a personal level, Darryl is sure that his experience and continuing passion for Exmouth can only benefit the people of Brixington and the wider Exmouth community. “I worked very hard and believe I made a worthwhile contribution to the well-being of the town and district in my last spell as a councillor. I have more to offer in future and would be honoured if I were to be elected again,” he said.
Passionate about local community
“I am a previous board member of Leisure East Devon and of Exmouth and District Community Transport, and also held a seat on the Exmouth Regeneration Board. In 2014, I wrote, in a voluntary capacity, a detailed report about the future of tourism for the town, which was adopted by Exmouth Town Council. I am currently Chairman of Exmouth Lifeboat Management Group.
“Exmouth is a fantastic town, with so much to offer, and I am passionate about making sure it’s the best it can be. There’s a huge amount of community spirit and we can feel really positive about the future. We need to ensure that Exmouth continues to improve facilities for people of all ages, maintains our high quality of life, and that the important decisions are tackled to enable the town to reach its full economic and social potential.
“I want to see that businesses continue to move in and invest, keeping up the momentum of recent years, boosting the local economy and providing good jobs.
“For Brixington, I want to protect the green belt and ensure that any further housing comes with much-needed infrastructure and facilities for the community”.
“District-wide, the Conservative administration has been driving tangible progress in very difficult financial circumstances. There is an agreed Local Plan, a five-year land supply, regeneration success in Exmouth and Seaton, plus plans for upgrading Axminster and other communities. Under Conservative leadership, East Devon is about to further enhance its waste and recycling collection service to make it the envy of many other communities”.
Election literature attached.