Issue - meetings
Freedom of the Borough Report
Meeting: 17/07/2017 - Cabinet (Item 22)
22 Honorary Freedom of the Borough (Posthumous Award) to the 96 
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Minutes:
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Councillor Phil Davies, Leader of the Council, said:
““On 15 April 1989 thousands of Liverpool fans made their journey across the Pennines to watch their football team play in an FA Cup Semi-Final. 96 of those fans did not come home. 9 of those fans were from Wirral. The tragic events at Hillsborough unfolded for the world to see but it was only in April 2016 that the outcome of the inquests were finally made public and the world now knows that the 96 were unlawfully killed and all fans have been completely exonerated from any blame. In discussions with the Mayor, I believe it is now right for this Borough to mark the heroic fight which overturned the huge miscarriage of justice but also to remember, and never forget, the 96 who lost their lives.
The families of the 96 have been campaigning for justice for nearly 30 years and I believe it is now right for us to bestow upon their family members, the offer of the Freedom of the Borough.
We owe the 96, the families and survivors a debt of gratitude for their commitment to Truth, Justice and Accountability.” |
Councillor Phil Davies introduced a report by the Managing Director for Delivery Services that informed that under the Local Government Act 1972, the Council had the authority to grant the title of Honorary Freeman or Freewoman of the Borough to persons of distinction who had rendered eminent Service to the Borough.
In April 1989, 96 football fans, including 9 from Wirral, travelled to Sheffield to watch a football match and never returned.
The Cabinet agreed that the tragic events at Hillsborough and the ongoing fight for justice for nearly 30 years demonstrated the need to recognise and never forget the 96 fans that had lost their lives. It was proposed to bestow the award of Freedom of the Borough (posthumously) on them.
This was a very significant step for the Council to take and very few people had been awarded this status.
Past recipients of this award were:
1993 LT. Commander Ian Fraser, VC
1996 Mr. Joseph Lynch, GC, BEM (GAL)
2005 Mr. Ray Holmes
2006 The Right Reverend David Urquhart
2006 Lord Chan of Oxton
2010 Mr. Stephen Maddox, OBE
2016 PC David Phillips
It was proposed that a scroll would be presented to a family representative of each of the 96 by the Mayor.
The Hillsborough Family Support Group had been consulted on a possible date for this meeting and it was proposed that the Council held an Extraordinary meeting for the purpose of bestowing this award (posthumously) on the 96 at 5pm on Friday, 15 September 2017 in the Council Chamber at Wallasey Town Hall. It was also proposed that following this meeting, there would be a public event on the plateau at the Town Hall to dedicate a plaque and the gardens as the ‘Memorial Gardens to the 96’. The evening would be concluded with a Civic reception for family representatives ... view the full minutes text for item 22