John Hayden, who has died at the age of 92, was described as “a loyal servant to Norfolk”.It was a modest understatement of his dynamic leadership and the enormous contribution he made to the county of his birth.

John Hayden, who has died at the age of 92, was described as “a loyal servant to Norfolk”.

It was a modest understatement of his dynamic leadership and the enormous

contribution he made to the county of his birth.

A businessman, county councillor, chartered accountant and a deputy lord lieutenant, Mr Hayden was chairman of Norfolk County Council for six years at a time of major reform of local government.

When he took over in 1969 as chairman, it was no figurehead post. He had to overcome the turbulence of local government reorganisation in 1973 as Norfolk, Norwich, Yarmouth and King's Lynn councils were amalgamated. At the same time, the police and fire services were also re-arranged. He coped with confidence and ability.

He started his career of public service on the bottom rung on Mundesley Parish Council, which he served for 25 years including many as chairman.

Later, he rose to lead Norfolk County Council for six years. As chairman of the council's finance and general purposes committee, he was responsible for the decision to build County Hall at a cost of £3m in the 1960s. It was one of his biggest decisions in his council career, he said later.

He became a member of Mundesley Parish Council in 1946. Seven years later, he was on Erpingham Rural District Council and in 1958 was elected a county councillor, and appointed alderman in 1965.

When he stood down from the council in 1977, the EDP said his career had “turned the angry young man on a small parish council into one of Norfolk's most respected county councillors”.

He managed to combine his public and business lives as his career flourished. He had qualified as a chartered accountant after serving articles with his uncle's firm in Norwich and then later became senior partner.

However, his beginnings were modest where his father had the tobacconists' shop in the village.

Mr Hayden lived at The Old Rectory, Mundesley, for many years with his wife, Joan, who died some years ago.

He was a founder director of Norwich-based Property Partnerships, when it became a public company in 1962. In October 1981, he became deputy chairman serving alongside chairman Paul King, until he retired in June 1992. Shareholders in the company, which had owned the Hotel Nelson and the Hotel Norwich, later scrapped the public listing and returned the capital of this highly successful investment.

He was a keen vice-president of the Norfolk Society, and instigated the Hayden Trophy for the Best Village Green and was a great supporter of the Best Kept Village competition.

Later, he was the finance director of the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, and was head steward for more than 40 years.

Mr Hayden was also chairman of the police council - the negotiating body for the police across the country - and was a member of the Norfolk Joint Police Authority and other bodies.

Appointed a deputy lieutenant in 1974, he was a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, and a director of Norwich Building Society for six years until 1978. He was a governor of North Walsham Secondary School, Langley School and Norwich City College.

In later years, he was invested as an Officer of the Order of St John, after serving as county treasurer for the St John Ambulance.

He leaves a son William, daughter Mary and grandson Ian.

The funeral takes place at All Saints, Mundesley, on Tuesday, January 10 at noon.