General Enquiries

I have been asked to investigate the process for conferring an Honorary Freedom to a local poet. We have no surviving Freemen left and no records of the process used. Does the Council need to have a form of criteria in place before even thinking about who the award can go to? Do we need to call a Special Meeting of the Council to decide if the award can go ahead or can this be done at an ordinary council meeting? For information we are a small town council. I look forward to receiving any advice.

Hi Figgy
At Exeter City Council we have a form that they need to fill out and once we have received that the nomination needs to be taken to our Executive and then its approved by Full Council.

We actually had a Freemanship Ceremony last week for a local businessman who meet some our criteria which I have shared below. Obviously yours may be different. If you would like a copy of our form, just pop me an email: emara.roth@exeter.gov.uk and I can ping one over to you

•   For those who have extraordinarily served the community over a number of years (minimum of 20 years) in a voluntary or professional capacity;
•   For those who have achieved national, international or world recognition for excellence in their particular field of expertise (be it business, entrepreneurial, sport, or any other area);
•   For those who have promoted Exeter during their career so as to significantly raise the profile of the City on a national, international or world basis;
•   For those who have via a particularly extraordinary act, or series of acts, put the safety or well-being of themselves secondary to those of others.