The Mayor

The Mayor

Councillor Janet Cochrane became the new Mayor of Bracknell Forest at the Annual Meeting of the Council on Wednesday 14 May 2025. Councillor Cochrane has represented Hanworth ward since 2023.

In her new role as Mayor, Cllr Cochrane aims to engage with voluntary groups, businesses and schools across the borough, recognizing their significant contributions to the community. She is looking forward to meeting with local communities and carrying out mayoral duties with enthusiasm and dedication.

Cllr Cochrane moved to Bracknell as a mum of 3 boys in 1985. All 3 children attended Hatch Ride and Edgbarrow schools in Crowthorne.

Cllr Cochrane has worked in a school as a welfare and infant assistant and also in sheltered housing for the elderly, gaining experience with a wide age range of people. She eventually opted to work as an administrator in the NHS for 35 years, working with health visitors, school nurses and district nurses. Having retired 18 years ago, she still works a few hours per week in a health centre.

Responsibilities

The Mayor is a serving councillor elected to the office for one year at the Annual Council Meeting in May.

The key roles and responsibilities of the Mayor are to:

• represent the whole community served by the council, and act as a ‘symbol’ or figurehead of the authority on appropriate occasions
• act as a focus for community cohesion
• act as host on behalf of the council and citizens of the borough at functions arranged by the council such as Citizenship Ceremonies
• attend important functions as a representative of the borough or the council
• perform official openings or presentations throughout the borough
• promote wherever possible the diplomatic, business, commercial, community and education life of the borough
• uphold the office of the Mayor
• refrain from actively promoting any political party
• sign properly and appropriately authorised documents for sealing on behalf of the council
• chair meetings of the council fairly and impartially so that its business is carried out efficiently and with regard to the rights of councillors and the interest of the community
• liaise with officers on the content of the council agenda
• understand the Mayor’s role in the constitutional arrangements relating to the waiving of call-in when decisions are urgent and the taking of decisions on the grounds of urgency if they are not on the forward plan or are outside the budget and policy framework
• encourage the highest standards of behaviour and probity

Councillor Pete Frewer is the Deputy Mayor and represents Harmans Water and Crown Wood ward.