Heartfelt tributes have been paid to a Labour councillor and former deputy leader of Sunderland City Council described by colleagues as a “stalwart”, “vigilant campaigner” and “brilliant ambassador for the city.”
Claire Rowntree was first elected to the city council in May, 2018, to the Hetton ward and went on to serve as deputy council leader from May, 2021, to May, 2024.
At the time of her appointment to deputy leader, Cllr Rowntree was understood to be only the second woman to hold the role at the city council, following the example of Florence Anderson, who became the first woman to hold the deputy council leader position back in 2008.
During her time as part of the city’s ruling Labour cabinet, Cllr Rowntree was a portfolio holder for ‘clean, green city’ and was a champion for environmental issues and a voice for those in need.
The Labour and Co-operative councillor also played a pivotal role in a project to transform a former golf course in the Hetton area into a publicly-accessible greenspace, which exists today as Elemore Country Park.
At the most recent full meeting of Sunderland City Council on 17 September, 2025, councillors approved Cllr Rowntree’s “continued absence from meetings for a six-month period, due to her ill health.”
Earlier this month (October, 2025), Sunderland Labour announced that Cllr Rowntree had sadly passed away leading to a huge amount of tributes remembering her contributions as a city leader, ward councillor and community campaigner.
Sunderland Labour, in a tribute posted on social media earlier this month, described Claire as a “stalwart councillor for the people of Hetton ward and a brilliant ambassador for the city in her numerous council leadership roles”.
Image: Sunderland City Council
The statement said that Claire “had a real passion for politics, and as a socialist, an even greater passion for improving the lives of people from all walks of life and ensuring nobody was ever left behind”.
Sunderland Labour said this passion was “most evident in her ardent endeavour to bring Elemore Park back into public use, which after years of campaigning, is now a stunning public park enjoyed by people of all ages [and] a fitting tribute for someone who always put others first and was relentless in battling for what was right.”
A statement on the Houghton Labour Party Facebook page also described Claire as a “formidable presence in the Labour movement” and said that “whenever she spoke up at Labour group meetings, everyone listened”.
The statement noted that the environment was one of Claire’s “key passions” along with “the creation of a new public park at Elemore Park, a former golf course site” and that while “many at the time were saying this would be turned into housing, Claire was adamant this should be public space and she won the debate.”
Fellow Hetton ward councillor, James Blackburn, said Claire previously had senior roles in the Hetton branch Labour Party and Sunderland Co-operative Party, as well as roles on the management board of the Easington Lane Community Access Point and as chair of the Elemore Country Park and Events Steering Group.
Cllr Blackburn said Claire was invited to stand as a city councillor in Hetton ward due to her “eagerness and passion” and moved to the ward after being elected, where she represented residents with “passion and vigour”.
“Nothing was a problem to her and she would try her hardest to help,” Cllr Blackburn added.
“Claire progressed along the chain of command and finally ended off at the Sunderland City Council Labour deputy leader’s position, a position Claire really loved while maintaining her role as councillor of the Hetton ward.
“Claire will be greatly missed by Hetton councillor Iain Scott and I.”
Tributes have also been paid by north east organisations who knew Claire through both her civic and professional roles.
Charity Connected Voice, in a social media statement, said Claire was a “passionate and dedicated independent advocate in Connected Voice” who was a “key member of the advocacy team from 2017 to 2022”.
“The Connected Voice team sends condolences to Claire’s family and loved ones at such a sad time,” the statement said.
Shaun Newton, of Easington Lane Community Access Point (ELCAP), said the organisation was “saddened to hear of the passing of Cllr Rowntree” and offered condolences to her family and friends.
“From her election as a ward councillor for the Hetton ward, Claire joined our board
Image: Sunderland City Council
meetings and remained on the board until her passing,” he added.
“When the board discussed the potential of going for planning permission to extend the premises Claire was most supportive and gave the project her full backing.
“Claire’s support for organisations like ELCAP is well known as she was a voice championing many local causes within the Hetton ward including ELCAP and that will now be greatly missed.”
The Sunderland Business Improvement District (BID), which worked with Cllr Rowntree on projects such as the Sunderland Altogether Improving Lives (SAIL) scheme, a multi-agency hub based at High Street West in the city centre, also paid tribute.
Sharon Appleby, of Sunderland BID, said she was “deeply shocked and saddened to hear the news about Claire”.
Cllr Rowntree, speaking at the council meeting in June, 2022, said the motion was “not party-political but humanitarian” and aimed to make Sunderland a place where those in need are made to feel “safe and welcome”.
This included challenging anti-refugee attitudes and “understanding the lived experience of refugees,” as well as creating opportunities to “form friendships and solidarity” within local communities.
Reverend Chris Howson, chair of Sunderland City of Sanctuary, who welcomed political support for Cllr Rowntree’s motion back in 2022, paid tribute to Claire and said she was part of a “formidable Sunderland dynasty”.
This included reference to Claire’s father Geoff Walker, a Labour councillor who was a serving member of Sunderland City Council’s cabinet when he sadly passed away in 2021.
“Claire and her father, Geoff Walker, have both achieved senior roles in local government and have always been dedicated to the people of Sunderland and beyond,” Revd Howson said.
“Geoff died in 2021 and his wit and wisdom is greatly missed in the council chambers. He was very proud of Claire, and she took up the mantle of championing working class communities and vulnerable people in the area.
“I worked closely with her in the context of Sunderland becoming a City of Sanctuary, simply meaning that the local authority would work closely with charities and faith communities who were helping those who had come to Sunderland fleeing war and persecution.
“This became an urgent need as British forces pulled suddenly out of Afghanistan and Russia attempted a full scale occupation of Ukraine.
“Claire knew that Sunderland could and should show compassion to all refugees who are housed here and proposed the City of Sanctuary motion, achieving unanimous support in the council from every political party.
“Her compassion, driven by a sense of international solidarity, will be sadly missed in these divisive times.”
In recent weeks, tributes were paid at key city council committees including cabinet and the Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee, the main scrutiny panel of the local authority where Cllr Rowntree served as chair.
At a cabinet meeting at City Hall on 16 October, councillor Kelly Chequer, deputy leader of Sunderland City Council, invited senior councillors to stand in a one-minute silence in memory of Cllr Rowntree and to “think of her friends, family and the loss to our council family”.
“She was a vigilant campaigner, a strong activist and a very very committed councillor for Hetton ward but also here in City Hall representing the city,” Cllr Chequer said.
Tributes to Cllr Rowntree have also come from across the political spectrum, with Sunderland City Council’s main opposition parties crediting her character and standing in t
Image: Sunderland City Council
he council chamber and beyond.
Councillor Paul Edgeworth, leader of the Wearside Liberal Democrats, said Cllr Rowntree was “genuinely liked and respected across the political divides at Sunderland City Council”.
“She was one of life’s good eggs whose heart was in the right place and who was in politics for all the right reasons,” Cllr Edgeworth said.
Image: Sunderland City Council
“Her commitment to delivering the Elemore scheme in the Coalfields for the benefit of local residents tied in nicely with her cabinet role over our net zero commitments as a city and the green agenda,” Cllr Miller added.
