A DISTRICT councillor has tragically died after collapsing at a public meeting.
Coun Chris Cheeseman was making a speech at the specially arranged Planning Committee meeting yesterday (Monday, June 2) when he appeared to be in distress.
His fellow committee members soon rushed to his aid and placed him in the recovery position at the council chamber on Avenue Road, Great Malvern, while several in attendance made immediate calls to 999.
Coun Adam Rea, chairing his first Planning Committee, quickly adjourned the meeting and more than 20 members of the public were soon evacuated.
A paramedic arrived around 7.50pm within ten minutes, shortly followed by an ambulance. In the meantime one committee member had run over to Malvern Splash nearby to fetch a defibrillator.
At 8.20pm Mr Cheeseman was taken to the Worcestershire Royal Hospital by ambulance where he passed away.
Councillors departing the council chamber expressed their shock and concern for their colleague while his condition was still unknown.
A spokesman from West Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed a call was received at 7.44pm to a man suffering a cardiac arrest.
A paramedic in a rapid response vehicle was dispatched followed by an ambulance. The spokesman confirmed Mr Cheeseman was handed over to the hospital and placed straight into recess.
It emerged later in the evening that he passed away.
Yesterday’s meeting had been specially arranged to determine a controversial planning application for 55 homes at Eastward Road which had previously been refused by Malvern Hills District Council’s Southern Area Development Management Committee.
It started at 6.30pm and members of the public spoke for more than an hour before Coun Cheeseman was the first of the committee members to comment on the issue.
