Two memorial saplings have been planted in Sompting as part of a tribute to a former Chairman of Adur District Council.
Cllr George Barton, who represented Peveral ward in Sompting on the district council and also sat on West Sussex County County, died on 31 January last year.
In his honour, Cllr Carson Albury, Cllr Barton’s wife, Vee, and representatives from Adur District Council planted the ornamental pear trees on the green in Hamble Road where George used to hold his surgeries.
It was George’s wish to create a tree-lined avenue in Test Road, which Hamble Road leads into, and yesterday’s planting marked the start of phase two of that vision. Eventually a total of 44 trees will be planted in the road.
Cllr Carson Albury, Adur’s Executive Member for Customer Services, said
“George was a hugely popular person who worked tirelessly for the people of Sompting and Lancing. He always had the interests of the people he represented at heart and did so much good work in the community, raising thousands of pounds for charity.
“George was a great advocate of tree planting and his vision for Sompting was always to see trees lining the roads. He certainly achieved this in Test Road.
“These two flowering ornamental pears will be a lasting memorial to a greatly loved and missed district and county councillor.”
George was a former lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army and attended more than 100 community events when serving as the district's first citizen in 2020.
He was born in Gillingham, Kent, and worked in training and development for a government Industrial Training Board before entering local politics on retirement and becoming Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group of York City Unitary Authority.
George was elected to Adur District Council in 2016 and became Chairman in 2019. During his 12 months in office, he raised about £2,500 for his chosen charity, Electric Storm Youth in Lancing, which helps improve the quality of life for young people in Lancing and Sompting.
He is survived by wife Vee, his two children, Nicholas and Julie, and a granddaughter, Kate.
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