HAMPSHIRE county councillor Ferris Cowper is to step down from his role representing Grayshott, Liphook and Headley.

Mr Cowper’s decision to resign from the county council was to allow him to concentrate on his “time-consuming work” as leader of East Hampshire District Council.

East Hampshire Conservative Association announced the resignation this week and said that it had already chosen a candidate, Headley woman Floss Mitchell, to fight for the seat in a by-election, which was expected to be on?May 5.

Mr Cowper, who has held the division since a by-election in 2011, said: “I want to emphasise it’s only the county role I’m leaving and I’m continuing to be Grayshott’s district councillor and East Hampshire District Council leader.”

His district council workload has “dramatically increased” because of the “prominent part” he is taking in the debate over devolution, as well as “steering” the regeneration of Whitehill and Bordon.

Looking back on his four-and-a-half years as a county councillor, Mr Cowper felt he had achieved “a great deal” in all three parishes.

“One of my greatest achievements was to save the number 18 bus on its route from Whitehill to Haslemere, which was slated for cancellation when I took office.

“The safer footpath for children at Grayshott Primary School is also a source of great pride because that project has been waiting in the wings for more than a quarter of a century.

“A more recent safety measure that I fought for, for over three years, was another route-to-school footpath in Bramshott so that children from Grayshott, Bramshott and Hindhead could walk safely to Woolmer Hill School along a road that has become a dangerous rat run since the Hindhead Tunnel opened.

“In Headley, we have just seen the new, safer junction by the Holly Bush pub which I negotiated for over many months.”