'Charles Swift Square' tribute to longest-serving councillor

The square outside the council offices at Sand Martin House will be named after the city's longest-serving councillor, who died in 2022.

A square in Peterborough is to be named after its longest-serving councillor.

The land adjacent to Sand Martin House in Fletton Quays will be called Charles Swift Square.

Mr Swift, who died in August 2022, aged 92, served on Peterborough City Council for more than 60 years.

He was believed to be the longest-serving councillor in the country when he retired from the role in 2016.

Charles Swift was Mayor of Peterborough 1961-62

A memorial plaque for Mr Swift will be erected in the square next to the building that currently houses the council's offices.

Mr Swift was first elected to North ward in 1954, aged 23.

He was Peterborough’s youngest ever councillor and later became its youngest ever mayor.

The councillor was initially elected as a member of the Labour Party but later sat as an independent.

He also served as the city council's leader for more than 20 years.

Mr Swift was known for helping Peterborough become designated as a New Town in the 1960s and for allocating 50 council houses to Ugandan Asian refugees expelled from their country in the 1970s by dictator Idi Amin.

He was awarded an OBE for services to the public in 1985 and also received the Freedom of the City for Peterborough.

His funeral at The Salvation Army Citadel on Bourges Boulevard in September 2022 was attended by Peterborough’s past and present politicians as well as council staff.

Approval for the naming of Charles Swift Square and its accompanying plaque is expected to be granted at a PCC meeting on 20th May.

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