TRIBUTES have been paid to a "well loved and well respected" Radcliffe-on-Trent councillor who represented residents for more than 20 years.
Wally Smith, who represented the Manvers ward in Radcliffe for Rushcliffe Borough Council and chaired Radcliffe-on-Trent Parish Council, died unexpectedly on April 26.
Rushcliffe councillor Gordon Moore, of Radcliffe, said: "He was well loved, well respected very experienced and had Radcliffe-on-Trent very much in his heart.
"He was an excellent chair of Radcliffe Parish Council and an excellent borough councillor as well as a very good colleague."
He was current chairman of the borough council development control committee, which makes decisions over planning applications.
Committee vice-chairman Councillor Maureen Stockwood said: "It's a shock and he'll be sorely missed. He was a man who paid great attention to detail and those people are ideal in politics to make sure we address every single issue.
"He was one of those councillors who examined the public finances minutely to make sure we took account of best value.
"He was a very good committee chair. We have a history at Rushcliffe of allowing everyone to have their say on our committee and he carried that on and was scrupulously fair in allowing everyone to talk and represent their case."
Mr Smith joined the parish council in 1976 and was chairman twice. He also served as chairman of its finance committee.
Radcliffe-on-Trent parish councillor Graham Leigh- Browne said: "He was a staunch advocate for the Radcliffe-on-Trent Sports Association and the pavilion and tennis courts in Bingham Road.
"He believed in helping organisations and groups in the village that engaged with the community whether it be sports or youth groups."
"He was a man of strong opinion. He didn't hesitate to express them."
And parish councillor Georgia Moore added: "For Radcliffe he was the heart of the parish council and had no fear in doing the right thing even if it wasn't always the most popular.
"He was a real gentleman, truly one of the best."
His colleagues said he died from pneumonia but had also been battling cancer of the oesophagus.
His funeral will be held on Tuesday, May 10 at St Mary's Church, in Radcliffe, at 2pm, followed by the burial in Radcliffe Cemetery and a reception in Grange Hall.
The local election in the Manvers ward, which was due to be held on Thursday, will be postponed. The referendum on whether we should change the voting system will still be held in the ward on Thursday.
Council leader Councillor Neil Clarke said: "Wally contributed such a lot to the Radcliffe-on-Trent community and to the Borough of Rushcliffe. He was so well respected and gave such staunch public service. He will be greatly missed. Our sincerest best wishes go to his wife Jean and family."
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