Tributes paid to former councillor

Tributes have been paid to a former district councillor who stood for the Wygate Park ward.

Paul Walls died aged 84 on Monday, January 2.

He leaves behind wife Margaret and daughters Nicola and Rachel.

Mr Walls stood alongside Coun Roger Gambba-Jones for the first two terms the Wygate Park ward was created.

“During those eight years he proved to be an outstanding colleague and friend for me personally and a great champion for the new ward of Spalding Wygate,” Coun Gambba-Jones said. “Paul’s time as a professional lecturer in many educational establishments meant he was well read politically and socially.

“I learnt a great deal from listening to him speak, often at length, over a pint, in one of our local pubs after a meeting.
“Paul would often rise in the chamber at full council and open with his well know phrase of, ‘Mr Chairman, I’m only a simple soul, however..’. Of course he was anything but and one of the cleverest people in the room.

“As well as being fiercely intelligent, Paul Walls was one of the most kind hearted and personable people you could wish to meet.

“Anybody who met and spoke with him would remember him into the future. He was totally committed to his role as a representative of the residents of Spalding Wygate and worked tirelessly along with myself to seek improvements and changes to our ever growing community.

“If it were not for the timely intervention and careful negotiations Paul assisted in those early days, Wygate Park would be lesser place than it is today.”

Councillors also provided tributes at South Holland District Council’s Full Council meeting last week.

Coun Bryan Alcock described him as ‘a warrior’.

“He was a person you had to take notice of,” he said.

Coun Nick Worth added he was “highly intelligent” and a “lovely guy”.