LLG Hugely Saddened by the Passing of Stephen Taylor

LLG are deeply saddened and bereft to learn of the sad passing of Stephen Taylor who was a leading figure in the local government legal community.

Our condolences to Karin, his children and the rest of his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.

A truer gentleman you would be hard pressed to find. Stephen was acutely intelligent and an exceptional Monitoring Officer and Solicitor. Despite the difficult task working at that level brings to every lawyer (especially at challenging moments), Stephen demonstrated remarkable poise and professionality throughout his career. He was a genuine supporting and caring friend to so many of us during his many years to ACSeS, SLG and latterly LLG. He had a wonderful sense of humour and a balance of thought to his sharp wit. So many of us will remember numerous enjoyable conferences at dinner with him and his absence will be felt keenly.

Stephen won the LLG Significant Contribution to Local Government Legal Practice Award in 2023.  His speech upon acceptance really demonstrated his passion for the sector and LLG want to share this with you now as a testament to this great man.

“Sharing learning and sharing knowledge in order to develop legal practice in local government is crucial if we are to serve our communities and our employers to the best of our ability. Joining networks and taking part in forums and local groups all helps in this. 

Having been the branch secretary of LLG Southern Branch, and it’s predecessors, since 1990 I have been able to organise regular branch meetings and networking opportunities with knowledgeable speakers on topical issues for over 30 years.  

In the wider local government world, I was a member of the LLG Board from its inception until last year, and a member of its predecessor Boards of ACSeS, SLG, and the Law Society’s Local Government Group since 1991.  Those Boards were regularly consulted by government and the LGA on matters of legal practice and current issues and I played a full part on those deliberations.

During that time, I established the Network of Experts as a national resource, and was a member of the Law Society’s Planning Committee for 9 years which contributed significantly to developing planning law and practice.  Planning is a particular interest of mine and when Chair of London and Home Counties Branch of LGG I founded and chaired the Planning Forum which became a well-established network promoting good planning practice.

Having been first appointed as a Monitoring Officer in 1989, I also have a keen interest in governance issues and was the joint editor of the 4th, 5th and 6th editions of ‘Knowles on Local Authority Meetings’.  ‘Knowles’ is a well-known authority which has been cited in court cases and that particular baton has since been passed on to the current editor.

I have worked in various local authorities since 1982 and retired from full time employment in 2018, having been Director of Law and Democratic Services at Swindon Borough Council from 1997.  Since then, I have been doing interim work and am currently [formerly now] Monitoring Officer at Slough Borough Council  as I still very much enjoy working in local government and contributing to the wider local government world.”