Tributes paid to stalwart Catterall councillor Dave Sharples
23rd of April, 2024
Tributes have been paid to rural Wyre’s best known and most respected councillors who died recently.
David ''Dave'' Sharples was a veteran civic representative, serving for many years as a Wyre councillor representing Catterall and Churchtown, also enjoying a spell as borough mayor. On stepping down from his Wyre role his lengthy service he was created an honorary alderman.
He was also a member of Catterall Parish Council for several decades, always fighting for the best interests of the village.
An active and effective campaigner, he was involved in numerous controversial issues, especially planning matters.
He was regarded as an astute, no-nonsense politician.
In the 1980s he was one of the members of the then highly effective Rural Wyre Liberal Democrats, though he wore his party politics fairly lightly and had friends on all sides of the local political scene. He had also served as leader of the Lib Dems’ civic group.
Among the first issues on which he campaigned was the need for strict safety enforcement measures at the Franklaw water treatment plant, Catterall. He also led successful protests against plans for animal waste incinerators at Catterall.
In 2001 he served as Wyre mayor, with his wife Lynn as mayoress.
He was on a personal visit to New York at the time of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack when planes were flown into the city’s Twin Towers, resulting in the death of around 3,000 people. Councillor Sharples itinerary on the day was uncertain at the time, leading to speculation that he might have been caught up in the devastation in New York on the day of the attack.
His interests were borough-wide, including Garstang, where he had a leading role in the original Garstang Partnership as well as more recently in the early stages of the current Garstang and District Partnership.
He served prominently on the Wyre committee of Lancashire Association of Local Councils (LALC). During his Wyre Council years he had also served as vice chair of the planning committee, an unusual role for a member of a minority party on the Conservative-dominated council.
In his early career he worked industry, later going on to work as head of Garstang-based Shared Approach, a company which supports the needs of adults with learning disabilities.
He was chair of governors at Kirkland and Catterall St Helen's CE Primary School.
Despite keeping up his parish council and various administrative commitments in recent years he also cared for his wife, Lynn, a retired Lloyds / TSB bank employee, at their Catterall home.
The couple’s only child, Richard, died in the 1990s.
A few months ago his long and valued service to both Wyre and Catterall Councils and to the Wyre Area Committee of LALC was recognised in various ways by the organisations.
* A funeral service will be held on May 10, 2024, at 11.30am, at St Helen’s Church, Churchtown.
* Report: Garstang Freelance News Agency (NUJ)