Telford Councillor and former council leader dies

Councillor Davies, aged 61, passed away on Sunday night following a serious long illness.

He was first elected as ward member for Madeley to the then Wrekin Council in 1991. He was re-elected in 1995 and in 1997 and served as council leader in the late 1990s until 2000. He served as Madeley ward member until 2007 and also. After a four year break from the authority, he was elected as member for Ironbridge in 2011.

As well as Leader, council positions he held included the Speaker’s role until this May, chair of Plans Board and chairman of the Audit Committee.

He was also the council’s representative on the Local Government Association’s World Heritage Site Special Interest Group and the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site Strategy Group from 2011 to the present day. He also sat on the Severn Gorge Countryside Trust in 2012/2013.

Originally from Yorkshire, Cllr Davies, aged 61, moved to Telford with his work as a programmer for the Inland Revenue in the mid 1980s. His role with the Inland Revenue saw him serve on the national executive of civil service union IRSS.

Telford & Wrekin Council leader Councillor Kuldip Sahota paid tribute saying:

“Councillor Davies had fought his long illness with a great courage and dignity.

“It was typical of Dave that despite his illness and treatment, he continued to play a very active part in the life of the Council, for example serving as speaker in 2013-14.

“Throughout his time as councilor he worked tirelessly to make our borough a better place, improve the lives of everyone who lived here and to promote Telford and Wrekin, because he wanted to make a difference.

“Yes we have lost a great friend and the borough has lost a great ambassador, but without him I doubt this borough would have achieved as much as it has in recent years.”

Councillor Davies leaves a wife Pauline and two children, Lucy and James and two grandchildren Charlie and Ollie.