Sudbury plaque to honour Lord Phillips as council approve

Lord Andrew Phillips, who was instrumental in saving the Corn Exchange from demolition and its subsequent conversion into the library, died in April.

A former member of the House of Lords, Lord Phillips was a pioneering solicitor, the president of the Sudbury Society and a much-loved legal expert and broadcaster who appeared on Jimmy Young’s BBC Radio 2 show as the “Legal Eagle” for nearly 30 years.

Lord Phillips, who was a stalwart of the Sudbury community (Image: Newsquest)

The town council has now secured final permission from Babergh District Council for a commemorative aluminium bronze plaque to be mounted to the right of the steps at the front of the iconic Market Hill building.

The plaque planned for Sudbury Library (Image: Sudbury Town Council)

The plaque will read: "A 'legal eagle' and stalwart resident of Sudbury.

"He led the campaign to save this Corn Exchange from demolition, and for its conversion into the Library as it remains today."

The former Liberal Democrat politician was born in Long Melford and grew up in Sudbury. 

He moved away to live in London for a short while before coming back to the market town. 

He also served as the chancellor of the University of Essex between 2003 and 2013.

Lord Phillips presided over 11 graduations, congratulating and celebrating the successes of more than 20,000 graduates.

Sudbury mayor Jan Osborne said: "I am so pleased that the Town Council has been able to facilitate a memorial plaque for the great and late Lord Andrew Philips. He was a great man and is sadly missed." 

Paying tribute to him in April, his daughter Caitlin Phillips described him as a "force of nature". 

She said: "He loved messing about and was always the person who did the play fighting with his five grandchildren. 

"He was terribly well known and was honorary members of hundreds of societies we didn't even know about."