Emotional tributes paid to retiring Barnsley councillors

During the first two hours of the meeting, tributes poured in to councillors Peter Fielding, Neil Danforth, Martin Dyson, Victoria Felton, Andrew Gillis, Paul Hand-Davis, Chris Lamb, Jenny Platts, and Charles Wraith MBE, all of whom will not be standing in May’s election.

Leading the tributes, deputy leader coun Chris Lamb thanked all councillors for their ‘continued hard work’.

Councillor Neil Danforth, Independent, Dearne South

Coun Danforth was first elected in 2019, and has served on the planning and licensing boards.

Coun Lamb said he is ” well known and highly regarded in all of the Dearne Area,” adding that he is a “true independent”.

Coun Danforth added: “it’s been an honour to represent the people of Dearne over the last four years, and I’d like to thank everybody who’s helped me in this time.”

Councillor Martin Dyson, Labour, Central

Coun Dyson was first elected in 2011, and served the central ward for 12 years.

During his time at BMBC, he served as on the South Yorkshire Police and Crime panel, planning scrutiny and licensing boards.

Coun James Higginbottom praised Coun Dyson for being a ‘very effective councillor,’ and for ‘giving up his valuable time for the good of others and to support local initiatives and endeavours’.

Councillor Victoria Felton, Independent, Monk Bretton.

Coun Fenton first joined BMBC in 2019 as a representitive for the Democrat and Veterans group, and later became an independent councillor for Monk Bretton.

Coun Lamb said that Coun Felton’s work on the ‘clean and green agenda’ had been ‘very much at the heart of everything that she did.

“She was always prepared to roll up our sleeves and just get on with the task in hand.”

Councillor Peter Fielding, Liberal Democrat, Dodworth

Councillor Fielding was elected to represent Dodworth in 2019, and was parised by cross-party councillors for his attention to detail.

Before he was elected, Coun Fielding worked for the council as an environmental health officer, and requested that in lieu of a memento for his time as a councillor, the cost be donated to the mayor’s charity.

Coun Fielding’s son, Will, was elected to the council last year, and also represents Dodworth.

Councillor Hannah Kitching, leader of the Lib Dems, said coun Fielding had been her “right hand man”, adding that residents are “very very grateful to Peter,” for his ‘immense pressure’ on the council to ensure work on the new gyratory was ‘completed to a really high standard’.

Councillor Andrew Gillis, Independent, Stairfoot

Leader of the Independent Group, coun Gillis was first elected in 2019, and served on the planning board, as well as the appeals, awards and standards regulatory board.

Coun Lamb praised Coun Gillis for being a ‘ward based councillor. very much concerned about local issues’.

He complimented coun Gillis for his work on Doncaster Road traffic schemes, adding that he had been ‘very very dogmatic’ about issues on the stretch of road.

Coun Pauline Markham added that coun Gillis had been ‘very very supportive,’ and ‘always had time for his constituents’.

Councillor Paul Hand-Davis, Penistone East, Conservative

Councillor Hand-Davis has served on the Council since May 2007, and served as vice-chair on the environment scrutiny committee, vice chair of the physical and sustainability scrutiny committee, overview tasks and finish group, and the local government association rural commission.

He was also mayor of Penistone from 2016-2017, and previously worked as a police officer.

Coun Sharon Howard said that coun Hand-Davies ‘has always been a gentleman to every member of this council,’ and coun Higginbottom added that his contribution to the council will be ‘greatly missed’

Councillor Hand-Davis aid the tributes had been ‘humbling’.

Councillor Jenny Platts, Labour, St Helen’s

Councillor Platts has served on the Council since May 2007, and is the current cabinet member for health and adult social care.

Coun Lamb told the meeting that Coun Platts had been ‘heavily involved’ in the New Lodge Community Centre management committee, and St Edward’s family centre project.

Fellow ward councillor Dave Leech thanked coun Plats for her ‘full support and encouragement,’ and for her ‘inderstanding, advice and knowledge over the past 12 years’.

Coun Higginbottom added that she had been a ‘dedicated and knowledgeable champion in adult social care’.

Coun Platts added that it had been a ‘privilege to represent St Helen’s residents,’ and thanked the council’s adult social care team for doing an ‘amazing job’ throughout the pandemic.

Councillor Chris Lamb, Labour, Rockingham

Councillor Lamb has served on the council since May 2011, and is currently deputy leader.

He served on planning licensing, waste and environemnt boards, as well as overview and scrutiny during his time as a councillor.

He also served on the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, and was previously the cabinet member for environment and transport

Coun Sharon Howard said that coun Lamb had ‘packed a lot into those 12 years’, adding that he has been a ‘mentor to many friends, and members of this council’.

Coun Higginbottom added that Coun Lamb had been ‘the very model of a dedicated public servant,a lifelong trade unionist, an educator, and a councillor for the communities of Hoyland and Birdwell’.

“Latterly, his time in public office has been immensely difficult for him and his collegues.” Coun Higginbottom added that coun Lamb had faced this with ‘great dignity, courage and good humour’.

Coun Lamb said that it was ‘such an honour’ to help residents and their families who brought issues to him.

“That’s the one thing that I really, genuinely will miss about being on Barnsley Council”.