Long serving district councillor Michael Edmonds dies aged 82

One of Aylesbury Vale's longest serving councillors has died aged 82.
Cllr EdmondsCllr Edmonds
Cllr Edmonds

Councillor Michael Edmonds passed away on 8 November.

Cllr Edmonds sat on Aylesbury Vale District Council.

He was initially been appointed member for the Stone ward in 1975. In the intervening 43 years he has been the member for Long Crendon and Haddenham and Stone wards. He was a member of Bucks County Council until 2013 and also sat on Chearsley and Long Crendon Parish Councils.

Cllr Edmonds was an AVDC cabinet member from 2005 - 2013 and served as Deputy Leader from 2007 - 2013, during which time he oversaw many changes including construction of AVDC’s modern offices at The Gateway and the iconic Aylesbury Waterside Theatre. His cabinet responsibilities included Cabinet Member for Housing, where he oversaw the housing stock transfer to Vale of Aylesbury Housing, Cabinet Member for Housing, Environment and Health and Cabinet Member for Economic Development. He also chaired the Strategic Development Control Committee since its formation in 2014.

He also represented AVDC on numerous external bodies including Buckinghamshire Economic Partnership, Silverstone Steering Group and Aylesbury Vale Transport Strategy Group. He is a former chairman of Buckingham Conservative Constituency Association.

AVDC leader, Councillor Angela Macpherson, said: “I am deeply saddened by this news. Michael first became a councillor at the time AVDC was formed, making him our longest serving member. He was always a strong supporter of AVDC and the communities he represented and was highly respected by councillors and council staff alike.

“I would like to pay tribute to the enormous amount of work Michael did over the last 43 years. Without his tireless efforts Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale would be lesser places than they are today. He will be sadly missed.”

The council, and this newspaper also would like to pass on condolences to his family and friends.