Former mayor granted Freedom of Borough

Dame Norma Redfearn stepped down as mayor of North Tyneside this year

The former three-time mayor of North Tyneside has been granted the council's highest honour.

Dame Norma Redfearn was nominated for the Freedom of the Borough in recognition of her "extraordinary leadership" and the "transformative change" brought to the area during her tenure.

Mayor Karen Clark put forward the Labour veteran's nomination, which was unanimously agreed upon.

Clark said: "Through her passion, dedication, and tireless efforts, Dame Norma Redfearn has left an indelible mark on North Tyneside."

She said the former mayor "really did make North Tyneside a great place to live, work, and visit."

The position of mayor is an elected role and is effectively the leader of the council.

Dame Norma announced her decision last year not to seek re-election, marking the beginning of the end of her 12 years in power.

Clark narrowly retained the mayoralty for Labour in May after beating Reform UK by a thin margin.

Dame Norma was mayor of North Tyneside for 12 years

Dame Norma's administration saw the regeneration of large parts of Whitley Bay including the re-opening of the long-disused Spanish City Dome.

She also played a key role in regional devolution, which saw the creation of the North East Combined Authority and the North East mayor.

First elected to North Tyneside Council as a councillor for the Riverside ward in 2004, Dame Norma joined the cabinet and was responsible for the children and young people portfolio in 2005.

She was first elected as mayor in 2013, defeating the then Conservative incumbent Linda Arkley.

Prior to her 20-year career in local politics, she spent 30 years as an educator, culminating as the head teacher of West Walker Primary School.

While the Conservative opposition supported the nomination, Tory councillor John Johnson lamented that the same honour was not bestowed to her late predecessor.

However, following clarification from the council's legal officer, it was determined the Freedom of the Borough could not be handed over posthumously, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.