A council which is set to be abolished in three months’ time has broken tradition by conferring an honour previously reserved for former councillors on four serving councillors.
Tanfield member David Webster, Mark Robson, who represents Sowerby and Topcliffe, Morton on Swale member Brian Phillips and Hutton Rudby’s representative Bridget Fortune have been awarded the title of honorary alderman of Hambleton district.
An extraordinary meeting of Hambleton council heard the honour had been granted “in recognition of the eminent services which they have rendered to the council”.
The ceremony followed the council’s members approving the recommendations of a working group of three councillors, convened at the request of the council’s leader Coun Robson, which concluded all four councillors be conferred with the title.
When the district council is scrapped on March 31, the honorary aldermen will become honorary aldermen of the new unitary North Yorkshire Council.
It is unclear what privileges the unitary authority will grant to the former district councillors.
Other district and borough councils have also moved to bestow the honour on long-serving members.
Last week, Richmondshire District Council approved conferring the title on councillors Paul Cullen, Campbell Dawson, Helen Grant, Patricia Middlemiss, Stuart Parsons, Yvonne Peacock and Clive World.
To meet criteria to become a Hambleton alderman councillors must have served for more than 20 years or at least four consecutive full terms while holding duties as a senior member.
Receiving her award, Coun Fortune said the accolade was being presented against a backdrop of teamwork during her almost 20 years at the authority.
She said: “I’m lost for words. I didn’t want to expect this, delighted to accept it.”
Coun Phillips told the meeting he had joined reluctantly the authority following the death of his father, who had been a councillor since Hambleton district was formed in 1974.
Accepting his award, Coun Robson said he had never expected to be the authority’s leader for nearly a decade.
He said: “To receive an honour like this, it’s very rare. You all know it’s an honour that is not bestowed to anybody, so to receive this is a great privilege for myself.”
Referring to his time at the council, Coun Webster added: “I didn’t do it to become an alderman, I did it because I wanted to do it, but that in no way reduces the pleasure and honour in receiving this.”
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