David Herrick

David originally moved to Kent in 1973 as a post-graduate researcher at Wye College.  He married Corinne in 1974 and after living in various rented properties around Wye, moved to Smeeth in 1977 where subsequently both their children were born.  He joined Ashford Borough Council in 1978, qualified as an Environmental Health Officer in 1982, and moved to Kennington in 1983.  However, as Kennington became busier, a return to village life called, and in 1989 the Herrick family, moved to Mountbatten Way, where David and Corinne have lived ever since.

David says – “I cannot recall exactly how I came to join Smeeth Parish Council.  I think one of the then Councillors told me there was a vacancy and suggested I went along to one of their meetings to see what was what – which I did.  I liked what I saw and in 2008 I duly became a Councillor under the Chairmanship of the late Gordon Fortescue.  I really felt that in giving help, support, and guidance to local residents through the Parish Council was so worthwhile I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to be part of that process.”

David retired from Ashford Borough Council in 2009 after 31 years of service and was thus able to devote more of his time to Parish Council matters and became Chairman in 2013 after the untimely death of the then Chairman, Stuart Austen, a post which David still holds.

Finally, David says -“The roles of the Parish Council are manyfold but the most important, in my opinion, is that of representing the views of local people and ensuring that as far as is possible, local community interests are taken into account when other organisations are making decisions.  The Parish Council is the voice of the people.”

DAH
22 June 2020