A NEW events and publicity officer is to be appointed by Canvey Town Council, to allow the council’s offices to open to the public every weekday.

The successful candidate will be based at the offices in the High Street and will be expected to work 25 hours a week, organising events, updating the council’s website and dealing with inquiries from the public.

It means the council will have one full-time and two part-time employees.

But at a meeting of the full council, councillor Phillip Davies, chairman of the finance committee, said the new post should be for a full 37 hours a week.

He said: “We are looking at one more member of staff to do a variety of jobs and to meet lots of needs.

“This council does lots of stuff for the community, but we are under publicised because we haven’t enough members of staff.”

However, councillors voted six to three for 25 hours of work.

Dave Blackwell, town council chairman, said: “If we feel this person, when employed, needs to have more hours to push forward the ambitions of the council we can address it at the time.”

A salary for the new post has not been decided, but councillors have promised it will not lead to a council tax rise.