The Director of Law and Governance submitted a report requesting that Members of the Committee give consideration to whether to recommend to the Council that the title of Honorary Alderman be posthumously conferred on former Councillor Bill Davies.

Members of the Committee were advised that this matter had originally been scheduled for a meeting of the Regulatory and General Purposes Committee on 14 October 2020 but due to the serious nature of his illness and former Councillor Bill Davies having sadly passed away on 2 October 2020 the matter had been deferred.

The Legal Advisor to the Committee reported that former Councillor Bill Davies had been a Member of the Council from May 1986 and had represented Rock Ferry Ward as a Labour Party Member until March 2019 after which he had continued to serve Rock Ferry as an Independent Member until tendering his resignation as an Elected Member of the Council on Friday 4 September 2020.  Former Councillor Bill Davies had sadly passed away on 2 October 2020 during the lead up to a meeting of this Committee where a recommendation to confer the title of Honorary Alderman had been scheduled for consideration.

Members were informed that Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972 provides that the title of Honorary Alderman may be conferred by the Council on persons who have, in its opinion, rendered eminent service to the Council as past Members of this Council (or a predecessor Council) but who are no longer Councillors.  The title is to be conferred by a resolution passed by not less than two thirds of the Members voting on it at a meeting of the Council specially convened for the purpose.  It was proposed that the Extraordinary Meeting of the Council would be convened at 6.00 pm on Wednesday 9 December 2020 to consider this matter.

It was reported that previously, the Council determined that former Members who have served twenty years on the Council or a predecessor Council had been eligible for nomination to this Award and that successful nominees had been awarded a suitable badge at a special ceremony.  Until consideration of this matter, no prior considerations of the title of Honorary Alderman had been awarded posthumously.

Members were advised that former Councillor Bill Davies had been the only person eligible to be appointed as an Honorary Alderman at the time of preparing the original report scheduled to be considered by this Committee in October 2020 and in light of the fact that the process to confer the status of Honorary Alderman had already commenced prior to his passing it was considered that in these exceptional circumstances the conferment of the status of Honorary Alderman posthumously should continue out of respect for former Councillor Bill Davies.

Members were further informed that the intention would be to present former Councillor Bill Davies’ family with a badge of office, the total cost of which would be approximately £600 and there would also be the small cost of inscribing his name on the Roll of Honour board which could be met from existing budgets.

The Chair advised that he had made representations to the Director of Law and Governance that the process to confer the title of Honorary Alderman on former Councillor Bill Davies should be continued as he believed that former Councillor Bill Davies should receive this Award.  Councillor Hodson expressed his great respect for former Councillor Bill Davies on behalf of himself and fellow Councillors.

Councillor George Davies confirmed that he fully supported that this matter had been pursued.  He declared that he had been friends with the former Councillor since he himself became a Councillor in 1988 and that former Councillor Bill Davies had been an excellent Councillor for Rock Ferry.  He believed that the Award was thoroughly deserved.

Councillor Dave Mitchell reiterated that former Councillor Bill Davies had been very well respected by Members for his hard work within his Ward and also believed that this Award was well deserved.

Councillor Jerry Williams referred to former Councillor Bill Davies as a wonderful person who had been totally dedicated to his work and fully supported the Award be conferred on him.

Councillor Tony Norbury confirmed that former Councillor Bill Davies had been a fantastic Councillor and also trade union representative and endorsed his respect for former Councillor Bill Davies.

Councillor Jean Stapleton stated that former Councillor Bill Davies was a wonderfully kind man and had been a good friend.

On a motion by the Chair and seconded by Councillor D Mitchell, it was –

Resolved – That the posthumous conferment of the title of Honorary Alderman on former Councillor Bill Davies be recommended to Council in accordance with Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972 at its meeting on 9 December 2020.