What the role is, who is eligible, how to be nominated, when the honours are awarded, and current honorary alderpersons.
The role
We can award the role of honorary alderperson to a former councillor on their retirement from the council. As the position is entirely honorary, it brings no special rights, but is intended to reflect the esteem of the wider community. It's a non-political role.
Honorary alderpersons are invited to each Full Council meeting.
The Lord Mayor also invites alderpersons to civic events and services that support the city and county of Bristol, such as the annual Remembrance Sunday parade.
Who can be an honorary alderperson
Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972 allows us to give the title of honorary alderperson to former members of the council who have provided eminent service as a past member of the authority or at a predecessor authority.
This means to be eligible for nomination and appointment to the role, you must have provided service to the council throughout a long and distinguished period of public service by having:
- served for a minimum period of 2 electoral terms as a councillor
- held a significant position of public responsibility with the council, for a minimum period of one calendar year or one municipal year, as either:
- Lord Mayor
- Elected Mayor
- Deputy or Assistant Mayor
- Leader of the Council
- Executive Member
- any other position where there is payment of a Special Responsibility Allowance under the council's approved members allowance scheme, excluding attendance at the Appeals Committee
You could also have long service as a Bristol City or Avon County Councillor for a total period of at least 10 years, with at least one term served as a Bristol City Councillor.
You must also no longer be a serving councillor with Bristol City Council.
How to be nominated
Any two serving councillors can nominate a former councillor who meets the criteria for the award of honorary alderperson. A former councillor may not nominate themselves.
Officers review the nominations and add them to a public report for the Value and Ethics Sub Committee. The committee then meets in public to discuss the nominations and, if they agree, they recommend them to the Full Council.
When the honours are awarded
The honours are awarded at a specially convened Full Council meeting after nominations have been approved and a two-thirds majority resolution is passed.
Contact
If you have any questions about the role of honorary alderperson, email democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk.
Current holders of the honour
- Alderman Lesley Alexander
- Alderman Mark Bailey
- Alderman N I Barton
- Alderwoman Nicola Beech
- Alderman Mark Bradshaw
- Alderman Mark Brain
- Alderpersons Dr D Brown
- Alderman Diane Bunyan
- Alderman Clare Campion-Smith
- Alderman Craig Cheney
- Alderman Faruk Choudhury
- Alderman Barry Clark
- Alderman Stephen Clarke
- Alderman S Comer
- Alderman Simon Cook MBE
- Alderwoman Asher Craig
- Alderman Peter Crispin
- Alderman Christopher Davies
- Alderwoman Carla Denyer
- Alderman Sean Emmett
- Alderman Ashley Fox
- Alderwoman Helen Godwin
- Alderman Geoffrey Gollop
- Alderman Dr S Grant
- Alderman Royston Griffey (Vice Chair)
- Alderman Neil Harrison
- Alderman Margaret Hickman
- Alderwoman Claire Hiscott
- Alderman Helen Holland
- Alderman R J Howell
- Alderman Gus Hoyt
- Alderman Brenda Hugill
- Alderman Chris Jackson
- Alderwoman Hibaq Jama
- Alderman Baroness Barbara Janke
- Alderman Jay Jethwa
- Alderman Geoff Jones
- Alderman Martin Kerry
- Alderman Sultan Khan
- Alderman John Kiely
- Alderman B A Knott
- Alderman R G H Lewis
- Alderman Celia Lukins
- Alderman Peter Main
- Alderman Bill Martin
- Alderwoman Brenda Massey
- Alderman Andrew May
- Alderman John McLaren
- Alderman Olly Mead
- Alderman Glenise Morgan
- Alderman Anthony Negus
- Alderman Jackie Norman
- Alderman Sue O'Donnell
- Alderman Christopher Orlik (Treasurer)
- Alderman Judy Patterson
- Alderman Steve Pearce
- Alderman Derek Pickup (Secertary)
- Alderman Guy Poultney
- Alderman B Price
- Alderman C Price
- Alderman Mrs J M Price
- Alderman R Pyle
- Alderman Kevin Quartley
- Alderman Marvin Rees
- Alderman Afzal Shah
- Alderman Steve Smith
- Alderman Colin Smith
- Alderman Jenny Smith
- Alderman Paul Smith
- Alderman M Sykes
- Alderwoman Mhairi Threlfall
- Alderwoman Estella Tincknell
- Alderwoman Sylvia Townsend
- Alderman Rosalie Walker (Chair)
- Alderman Alastair Watson
- Alderman J Webb
- Alderman Stephen Williams
- Alderman C J N Williams
- Alderman Chris Windows
- Alderman Alex Woodman