CONTROVERSIAL Petersfield town councillor John Crowhurst has cut his ties with East Hampshire Liberal Democrats.
Mr Crowhurst, a former mayor of Petersfield and district councillor, currently serves on Petersfield Town Council.
Seventy-year-old Mr Crowhurst has championed causes in Petersfield under the Liberal Democrat banner for the last 12 years. But this year he decided not to renew his subscription.
He caused a stir two years ago when he resigned from East Hampshire District Council, claiming that government code of conduct rules made it impossible for him to speak for the people who elected him.
And he is no stranger to controversy at the town council where he fought hard have the town-council owned Penns Field earmarked for housing in a bid to bring much needed capital funds to the council. He recently landed himself in hot water when he ignored fellow councillorsÕ pleas not to name a possible site for a permanent travellersÕ campsite.
Mr Crowhurst, who has decided he will not stand for election as a town councillor in May, told The Herald: ÒThis has been coming for a long time, I am totally disillusioned with local government. The role of councillor has changed so much in the last 12 months that it is an unrewarding occupation.Ó
He added: ÒAnother substantive issue in leaving the district council was that as an OAP depending entirely on a state pension I could not afford to be a district councillor. I have also heard whispers that it would be better to have day-time meetings, this is undemocratic as far as I am concerned.Ó
He said the demise of local government began with the Right to Buy. When he joined EHDC he said he represented around 500 households in the town who had the right to know who represented them.
ÒI also had every right to know who the tenants were, but this is no longer the case. Councillors have lost an important life-line to the community by the transfer of housing to an outside body.Ó
Mr Crowhurst said he now intended to devote more time to his hobby of angling.