Cheshire West and Chester Council is mourning the loss of a respected, long-serving councillor who sadly passed away on Friday.

Cllr Lynn Clare MBE, was first elected to CWaC in May 2008, and had represented Ellesmere Port Town for the Labour Party since 2011. She was previously an elected member of Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council.

Cllr Clare served on a number of committees including chairman of the licencing committee and held many important roles including Mayor of Ellesmere Port in 2015/16.

In addition, Cllr Clare was awarded an MBE in 2004 after establishing the charity Parents Against Drug Abuse (PADA) for which she worked for 15 years.

Cllr Lynn Clare, deputy mayor of Ellesmere Port for 2014-15
Cllr Lynn Clare

CWaC deputy chief executive for Places, Charlie Seward, paid this tribute: “Everyone at the council is saddened by the tragic news of Cllr Clare’s death and we are all thinking of her and her family.

“Cllr Clare was dedicated to serving her local community and worked tirelessly to make a positive difference to the lives of the people she was elected to represent.

“Being awarded an MBE for the work she did to tackle the problem of drug abuse was recognition for the passion she had for helping others.

“Lynn will be dearly missed.”

CWaC leader Cllr Samantha Dixon
CWaC leader Cllr Samantha Dixon

Council leader Cllr Samantha Dixon expressed her sadness at the passing of Councillor Clare: “Lynn was a marvellous woman, always positive; she laughed in the face of adversity and turned every negative into a success.

“I was privileged to put forward Lynn as Mayor of Ellesmere Port in 2015 and I cannot think of anyone who deserved the honour more, she was highly regarded, warmly respected, well-loved and passionate about Ellesmere Port.

“We have lost a strong, loyal, dedicated and warm-hearted councillor, and I have lost a dear friend.”

Tory opposition leader Cllr Lynn Riley

Opposition leader Cllr Lynn Riley commented: “Lynn will be sadly missed by many including her colleagues in the Conservative team, many of whom have known her since the creation of the council in 2008.

“Lynn has been an example to us all and her love of Ellesmere Port and her passion for its local people has always been at the heart of everything she did.”

Independent Cllr Martin Barker said: “I am really saddened to hear of the passing of Lynn. Lynn served on one of my committees and I have the utmost respect for her, it was always a pleasure to speak to her. She remained passionate about her constituents despite her illness, a very brave lady indeed, who will be sorely missed.”