Retired solicitor Richard Grunwell to be given borough's highest honour in online ceremony

The borough authority is to hold a virtual full council meeting to bestow the awards due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The council will give retired solicitor Richard Grunwell the borough’s highest honour, Honorary Freeman, in recognition of his years of service and good works.

The honour is only awarded in “very exceptional cases” and Mr Grunwell will be added to the roll of honour.

When he was proposed for the award earlier this year, the council papers laying out the nomination stated: “Mr Grunwell, who was an original member of the Scarborough Urban Renaissance Board, has represented the borough council on the North Bank Partnership and other influential bodies, and was pivotal in attracting Coventry University and the University Technical College to the borough.

“He is a member of Scarborough Business Ambassadors and in September 2019 was appointed Vice-Chair of the 20/18 Scarborough Town Centre Strategy Team, tasked with leading the town to become the best performing coastal town centre in England by 2025.”

Six former borough councillors who lost their seats or stood down at last May’s local elections will also be officially named as Honorary Alderman during the same meeting.

The award is granted to former councillors with at least 16 years service on the authority.

The six former councillors are Godfrey Allanson, David Billing, Tom Fox, Colin Haddington, Norman Murphy and Joe Plant.

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