The Charter Mayor of Poole is Councillor Mark Howell.
About Councillor Mark Howell
The Mayor of Poole is Councillor Mark Howell.
The history of the Mayoralty goes back to the Charter of Longspee in 1248, so Mark is the 777th Mayor of Poole. Under that charter the local lord, William Longspee the Younger, granted the citizens of Poole a degree of independence in exchange for funds which he needed to participate in the Seventh Crusade in Egypt.
The Mayor of Poole also holds the honorary titles of:
- Admiral of the Port, which derives from the “Exempt Admiralty” jurisdiction when the Mayor presided over the local Admiralty Court, which was abolished in 1835 - the year of origin is not recorded but we know the Admiralty Courts have been held since the 13th century and The Winchelsea Certificate of 1365 affirmed this right
- Mayor of the Staple, which was granted under the Charter of King Henry VI of 1433 and gave Poole its status as a Port of the Staple with customs jurisdiction in its own right - under the Charter, Poole superseded Melcombe Regis (Weymouth) as the regional customs station
- Clerk of the Market, who was the consumer protection officer of the period responsible for ensuring accurate “weights and measures” for all goods in the local open air markets of the day
The powers of the Charter Trustees of Poole, who appoint the Mayor, are limited to protecting the civic regalia and charters, and promoting the Mayoralty and Shrievalty, but Mayors can use their status and visibility to promote Poole and the initiatives of its citizens and organisations. Mark concluded his inauguration speech by saying:
“It is a great privilege to be elected as Mayor, and I hope the auspicious nature of the number 777 can guide me well and bring good fortune to Poole and its citizens. Poole is a beautiful place with many good things happening in it, mostly as a result of people working diligently in the shadows, many of them volunteers. I want to use the influence I have in this role to highlight their efforts, encourage greater participation and promote activities and events.”
Mark also aims to apply his energy and influence to achieve the following in his mayoral year:
- promote Poole as a great place to live and work
- celebrate the history of Poole and highlight the value of studying the past
- encourage the creative and innovative forces that have given Poole its distinctiveness and vigour in the past
- improve communication of events and activities taking place in Poole
- highlight those people and organisations promoting wellbeing and in particular those addressing bereavement and neurodiversity
- beat the Land Bounds over the 2026 May Day bank holiday weekend
Mayor's charity
Councillor Mark Howell’s charity for his mayoral year is the Friends of Dolphin.
How to contact the mayor
You can contact the mayor by email at mayorofpoole@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.
Mayor’s Award
The Mayor's Award scheme provides you with an opportunity to nominate individuals, who have made an outstanding contribution to the community in Poole (whilst acting in a voluntary capacity). They might have:
- raised an outstanding amount for charity
- performed an act of great bravery or self-sacrifice
- organised a major one-off community event
- sustained commitment and active service over several years
- achieved something really special
You can make a nomination for the Mayor’s Award.
The award will be presented by a member of the civic party at a suitable occasion.
Deputy Mayor
The Deputy Mayor of Poole is Councillor Pete Miles.