Obituary: Poole council leader and engineer Brian Clements

Described by colleagues as a hardworking “stalwart of Poole” and by his family as a “true champion”, the impact Brian Clements had on those he met in his 84 years of life cannot be understated.

Brian Clements was born on June 21, 1938, as one of three children. His mother, Ivy May Crandon, had her roots in the mining communities of the Rhondda Valley. His father, David Clements, was descended from Polish origins.

He had an elder and a younger sister, Sheila and Ruth.

His family lived in Ilford, Essex, where his father ran a building company which Brian first joined after leaving school and learnt many practical building skills, which he used throughout his life.

Brian Clements with his parents in c1950 (Image: Clements family)

This work was ultimately not his passion and in 1957 he decided to follow his own path into electrical engineering, first employed by electronics, defence and telecommunications company Plessey in Ilford.

His engineering and leadership skills quickly led him to promotions within the company.

In 1963, Brian and his first wife, with their two daughters, Miriam (4) and Linda (2), moved to West Leigh near Havant where he took up the role of assistant engineer, still with the Plessey Company.

Three years later, his skills working for Plessey brought him to Poole – a town which his family say became “his true love” and for which he was a champion, significant contributor and key shaper of its development.

In the early days of Plessey at Poole they were involved in advance research and development into new technologies including machine tool control for parts for the space shuttle programme.

While living in Broadstone, Brian and his wife had two sons, Mike and Ken – with all four Clements children attending Broadstone schools.

Brian Clements' 84th birthday (Image: Clements family)

In 1978, during a period of significant change in the structure of Plessey, the business was sold. This led to Brian re-thinking his future direction and taking voluntary redundancy to follow a new path in teaching.

Quickly finding he was a natural, Brian began lecturing at Bournemouth & Poole College in computer science, mathematics, electronic principals and associated engineering disciplines.

He soon married his second wife, Anna, whom he was married to for more than 40 years.

It was also during this time that his motivation to make a difference to the community continued unabated.

He eventually retired from teaching having been elected as councillor to the Newtown ward in Poole in 1985, from when he served for 30 years, 12 of which as the leader of Poole Borough Council.

Initially a borough council within the County Council framework of Dorset, Poole subsequently became a Unitary Authority. The gaining of the Unitary Authority status was one of Brian and his team’s biggest achievements.

Former Poole council leader Brian Clements

A staunch Liberal Democrat, Brian was highly respected by members of all parties. Paying tribute at his funeral, former MP Dame Annette Brooke said he had “enabled a vision ahead of its time to be delivered” and spoke of the three E’s – Environment, Economy and Education, where he has left a lasting mark to the good of the area.

Other accomplishments Brian made to Poole include the building of the Twin Sails Bridge, the preservation of Canford Heath from overdevelopment, and helping to prevent BP building an artificial island in Poole Bay to extract oil.

He was also committed to development in education, spending time as an active governor of St Aldhelm’s Academy.

With his wife Anna, Brian lived his final years in Parkstone close to Alexandra Park. They enjoyed many happy years together and shared a love of travel. Many holidays were taken camping in France – Brian had a strong command of the conversational French language.

Brian Clements and his wife Anna (Image: Clements family)

Closer to home, but still on French shores, he was a member of the Poole/Cherbourg Twinning Association.

Despite retiring from his council duties in 2015, Brian remained an active member of the community he loved.

Brian Clements died on October 4, 2022. He was 84 years old.

His funeral was held at the Woodlands Burial Ground on October 26 and was attended by more than 130 people.

He is survived by his wife Anna, children Miriam, Linda, Mike and Ken, grandchildren Jim, Jessica and Ariella and his great-granddaughter Rosa.