Local Government Act 1972

249[F1Honorary titles].E+W

(1)A principal council may, by a resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of the members voting thereon at a meeting of the council specially convened for the purpose with notice of the object, confer the title of honorary aldermen [F2or honorary alderwomen] on persons who have, in the opinion of the council, rendered eminent services to the council as past members of that council, but who are not then [F3members] of the council.

(2)No honorary alderman [F4or honorary alderwoman] shall, while serving as a [F5member] of the council, be entitled to be addressed as alderman [F6or alderwoman] or to attend or take part in any civic ceremonies of the council as an alderman [F7or alderwoman].

(3)Services rendered to the council of an existing county, county borough, borough or urban or rural district the area of which becomes wholly or partly included in a new county or district shall be treated for the purposes of subsection (1) above as services rendered to the council of the new county or district, as the case may be.

(4)An honorary alderman [F8or honorary alderwoman] of a principal council may attend and take part in such civic ceremonies as the council may from time to time decide, but shall not, as such, have the right—

(a)to attend meetings of the council or a committee of the council (including a joint committee upon which they are represented); or

(b)to receive any such allowances or other payments as are payable under sections 173 to 176 above [F9or Part 8 of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011].

[F10(4A)A principal council may spend such reasonable sum as they think fit for the purpose of presenting an address, or a casket containing an address, to a person on whom they have conferred the title of honorary alderman or honorary alderwoman.]

[F11(5)Subject as follows, a relevant authority may admit to be honorary freemen or honorary freewomen of the place or area for which it is the authority—

(a)persons of distinction, and

(b)persons who have, in the opinion of the authority, rendered eminent services to that place or area.

(6)In this section “relevant authority” means—

(a)a principal council;

(b)a parish or community council;

(c)charter trustees in England constituted—

(i)under section 246 of the Local Government Act 1972,

(ii)by the Charter Trustees Regulations 1996 (SI 1996/263), or

(iii)under Part 1 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

(7)The power in subsection (5) above is exercisable by resolution of the relevant authority.

(8)A resolution under subsection (7) above must be passed—

(a)at a meeting of the relevant authority which is specially convened for the purpose and where notice of the object of the meeting has been given; and

(b)by not less than two-thirds of the members of the relevant authority (or, in the case of charter trustees, of the trustees) who vote on it.

(9)A relevant authority may spend such reasonable sum as it thinks fit for the purpose of presenting an address or a casket containing an address to a person on whom the authority has conferred the title of honorary freeman or honorary freewoman under subsection (5) above.

(10)The admission of a person as honorary freeman or honorary freewoman does not confer on that person any of the rights referred to in section 248(4) above.]